Drum Languages
Some African cultures display highly refined drumming traditions in which the drums are not only musical instruments, but also speakers of a language, being used as intelligible means of communication.
My current PhD project aims at understanding some of the most central structural features of this unique art, which dissolves the borders between music and language.
Check here my first publication in this project: link
Please check our project’s website here!
Toques de atabaque (candomblé)
The Afro-Brazilian religion candomblé is full of music. The Gods dance to the sound of the drums and visit the bodies of the believers who incorporate them.
My M.A. thesis focussed on the development of a suitable methodology for the transcription and analysis of the drum music of candomblé religion, the so-called toques de atabaque. The thesis features in-depth analysis of some of the toques, looking into their forms, rhythms and structures.
You can find my M.A. thesis (in German language) here and a follow-up publication here.
Musical Bows/Arcos Musicais
On the first glance, musical bows are incredibly simple musical instruments, consisting mostly of solely one string spanned over a wooden bow. But behind these seemingly unpretentious instruments that are spread all over Southern Africa, there are beautiful (and highly complex) musical systems making use of overtones to create scales and unique sound effects.
The aim of this project, in collaboration with Prof. Tiago de Oliveira Pinto (University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar, Germany), was to apply the analytical tools developed by scholars of African music onto the praxis of the Brazilian berimbau musical bow, understanding better the usage of overtones in its music.
Please check my travel report (p. 46) and the publication!
Musical bows in an exhibition in Durban, South Africa
MUSIC IN BRAZIL
The Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart is the leading musical encyclopedia in German language. Recently, I’ve had the pleasure to review some parts of the article “Brasilien”, adding a more precise historical contextualization, updating the section on Western "art” music, and expanding the popular music section.
Check out the result here!
GONZÁLEZ, MARIANO. “Brasilien,” Historischer Abriss. In: MGG Online, edited by Laurenz Lütteken. RILM, Bärenreiter, Metzler, 2016–. Article published Februar 2023. Accessed September 18, 2023. https://www.mgg-online.com/mgg/stable/466374