COOL STUFF!!

In the process of taking the South America quiz, I stumbled upon the word "Quijada." I was really curious to know more about this so called instrument that was used in Latin America. It was an instrument less talked about but it is important to know that it existed. Here is what I found:

A quijada or jawbone is an idiophone percussion instrument typically made from the jawbone of a Donkey, Horse or Mule. The tissue from the jawbone is cleaned and dried to loosen the teeth; making the teeth act as rattles. It is seen and used in most of Latin America, including Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, Ecuador and Cuba. Though played in Latin America, it originated from the Africans that were brought to America during the colonial era. It is said to be an Afro-Peruvian instrument because it was believed to have first been introduced to the people of Peru. It is one of the main instruments used by Afro-Peruvian music ensembles and other cultures in Latin America such as Argentina, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. The Quijada is also used at carnivals and religious festivals. This instrument is amazing to me because it proves you can make instruments out of anything.

To play it, the player will hold one end in one hand and strike the other side with either their hand or a stick. By doing this, the player is causing the teeth to rattle against the bone which in turn creates a loud, untuned sound that is characteristic to the Quijada. The first video is the Quijada being played with multiple instruments; as an ensemble! I love this one. The second video is the Quijada all by its self! :)

During our discussion in class, I got curious to know what other subgenres were associated with the Blues genre. During my research, I found five different ones. These subgenres are: Texas Blues, Louisiana Blues, Kansas City Blues, Delta Blues and West Coast Blues. Most of these are straight forward but I think its neat to hear different cultures mixing with other musical traditions from around the world. 

I will briefly describe all five genres:

    

    1) Texas Blues- Blues music from Texas. As a regional style, its original form is characterized by Jazz and Swing influence. However, later examples are often closer to Blues Rock and Southern Rock. Some artists of Texas Blues are Johnny Copeland and Smoky Hogg.

     

      2) Louisiana Blues- this genre developed in the period after World War II in the state of Louisiana. It is divided into two subgenres- New Orleans Blues and Swamp Blues. Both genres peaked in popularity in the 1960s, but interest started to decline in the later 1960s. There have been occasional ‘come backs’ since 1970. Some artists of this genre are Slim Harpo and Katie Webster.  

      

    3) Kansas City Blues- Kansas City is known for their Jazz music but it has also contributed to the history and the preservation of the Blues. Blues did not begin in Kansas City until the 1940s. Charlie Parker’s hit, “Now’s the Time,” a bebop jazz number made use of the familiar blues pentatonic scale and blue notes,which in turn, helped give the Blues its push to popularity in Kansas City.

    

     4) Delta Blues- One of the earliest known styles of the Blues. It originated in the Mississippi Delta. It is regarded as a variant to Country Blues. The guitar and harmonica are the main instruments used in this genre, but the slide guitar is the hallmark. This is the genre most commonly heard. Some artists include Robert Petway and Geeshie Wiley.

     5) West Coast Blues- Influenced by Jazz and Jump Blues, with Piano and Guitar being the prominent sounds: this originated from Texas Blues. Often features smooth vocals that commonly crosses with urban blues.  Artists include Etta James and T-Bone Walker. 

      

     I have included videos of Smoky Hogg and Charlie Parker, who represent Texas blues and Kansas City Blues and Etta James because why not! :)

I came across the slide guitar as I was trying to figure out what to include as my third "cool thing." I had never heard of the instrument so I thought I would share it with all of you! The Slide Guitar is strongly associated with the blues genre. In the American South, the technique emerged among blues musicians around the turn of the 20^th century; tracing its origin back to that of the diddley-bow (African). Around the same time, the hawaiian steel guitar began to gain popularity in the U.S. through concerts of hawaiian musicians. Though, the Hawaiian steel guitar makes the most significant mark with country music, it is very likely that blues music, the guitar and country music were influential in the course of the slide guitars’ development.

The Slide Guitar, often called the Bottleneck guitar, is a technique of guitar playing in which a hard object, typically a steel tube is pressed across multiple strings and slid along the fingerboard. This produces a smooth, whining sound that somewhat mimics the human voice. Players use open tunings in which all the strings are tuned to the pitches of a single chord. 

Here is a street performer playing the string guitar! Enjoy! :)