Couching Political Criticism in Humor

Author(s):  
Lyombe S. Eko

This chapter analyzes the music of two military bands: Zangalewa of Cameroon and Zao of Congo-Brazzaville. Zangalewa is the marching band of the presidential guard in Cameroon. Part of its “Suffering Soldier's Medley,” a self-deprecating military entertainment piece, was actually a subtle politico-cultural parody, couched in jester's garb, that lampoons the brutal and oppressive Cameroon army. For its part, Zao is a “pseudo military” band, a civilian band that adopted a military persona and uses subtle satire couched in humor to critique the military and militarism. The author analyzes the politico-cultural contexts and lyrics of both bands within the framework of metaphorical couching, the embedment of messages in humor. Both bands couched criticism of the authorities in humor and African metaphors, sayings, and proverbs expressed in a mixture of English, French, pidgin, and African dialects to bypass censorious gatekeepers.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Oleg Cazacu ◽  

The military marching band is an imposing but also prestigious artistic present in the national and international musical landscape. Having a rich and old tradition, it continues to play an important role in the cultural life, asserting itself as a mechanism for promoting national and universal musical heritage and as an effective means of ethical and aesthetic education of the military and the general public. Often, famous works from the universal repertoire are more easily assimilated by the average spectator through fanfares. In this article, we will refer to some aspects of the history of the phenomenon. After 1990, with the postponement of the independence of the Republic of Moldova, military structures, internal affairs bodies, institutions for training specialists in the field, such as the Police Academy, etc. are created. As a result, military band orchestras are established and invigorated. One of them, which enjoys success and shows high professionalism, is the Band Orchestra of the General Inspectorate of Carabineers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.


1980 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven Rosenthal

Ever since it had been recognized that the decay of the Ottoman Empire could not be arrested by traditional methods, foreigners and non-Muslims had played a significant part in the Empire's modernization. The Compte de Bonneval and Baron de Tott were only the most famous of a group of foreign advisers who were employed by the Ottoman government to help reform the military establishment during the eighteenth century. During the Tanzimat era, 1839–1876, when the Porte became irrevocably committed to modernization, foreigners and non-Muslims were employed in a multitude of capacities. They ranged from the Prussian Von Moltke who was to advise on the vital problem of reorganizing the army, to Giuseppe Donnizetti, brother of the composer, who was charged with the somewhat less important task of organizing a Western-style military band.


2017 ◽  
Vol 44 (4) ◽  
pp. 27
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Ray

Since before the founding of the United States, musicians have been an integral part of the military. Throughout history armies have used trumpets and drums to enhance communication and assist the movement of mass forces. Over time, the military has influenced both the makeup of musical ensembles, and styles of popular music. The modern American wind band featuring brass, woodwinds and percussion, is modeled after British military bands. And the marches of John Phillip Sousa, who served as the director of the President’s Own Marine Band for twelve years, remain popular to this day. His “Stars and Stripes Forever” is considered our national march. Today, the US Army declares itself “the oldest and largest employer of musicians in the world.”


1921 ◽  
Vol II (1) ◽  
pp. 58-66
Author(s):  
GEORGE DYSON
Keyword(s):  

1920 ◽  
Vol 61 (934) ◽  
pp. 834
Author(s):  
John C. Somerville
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
pp. 75-81
Author(s):  
Y. M. Gorbal

Abstract. The Armed Forces of Ukraine have strong traditions of musical bands that date back to princely and Cossack times. The task of their orchestras is to boost the morale of servicemen, to strengthen the power of the Ukrainian army by means of musical arts, as well as to perform at festive events (both at the local and the state level). However, despite the importance and diversity of creative and educational activities of the Military Orchestra Service of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, no comprehensive study of historical aspects of the functioning of music and military bands in national musicology has been conducted. The purpose of the article is to analyze the historical process of the formation of traditions of professional training of members of military musical bands at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries in the Ukrainian lands, as well as ceremonial and social functions of their concert activity. Research methodology. The overview is based on historical, structural and systemic methods. Results. Traditions of military orchestral training in Ukraine have deep historical roots and are based on multicultural principles. Traditions of performance and training in military musical bands of the Armed Forces of the independent Ukraine were formed on the basis of the three lines of continuation: princely and Cossack music­artistic formations and bands of the time of liberation movements (LUSR — Legion of Ukrainian Sich Riflemen, UIA — Ukrainian Insurgent Army), which represent their direct national line; Russian military orchestras with the participation of Ukrainian specialists; and multinational Austrian and Polish military music bands in Ukrainian territories. All of them together formed the basis on which the Ukrainian military and musical tradition was based, absorbing all the most relevant and productive aspects of the experience gained. Novelty. The activity of centers in which members were trained for existing military orchestral groups in the Ukrainian lands, as well as ways in which such training was performed, and the development of professional training of musicians were considered. Practical significance lies in the consideration of prospects for further detailed study of the functioning of separate bands, their repertoire, instruments, ceremonial and social functions, achievements of particular individuals in the field of performance, pedagogy and conducting. Conclusions. In the activity of military orchestras in the Ukrainian lands at the turn of the XIX–XX centuries we can see a combination of military­ceremonial and social palace­concert functions, wide involvement of all segments of the society in concert touring, which completely dictates the rich repertoire. From LUSR schools and guilds, professional training of musicians was gradually transformed into the activities of specialized training units at the military formations, cadet schools and trumpet schools, institutions at music societies and professional music training in conservatories.


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