From Your Belly Flow Song-flowers: Mexica Voicings in Colonial New Spain (Toward a Culturally-informed Voice Theory and Practice)
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Date
2021-04-29
Authors
Battafarano, Bethany
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Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
In colonial New Spain, Indigenous peoples sang, played, and composed in western European musical styles, and Spanish composers incorporated Indigenous instruments, rhythms, and languages into their compositions. However, modern vocalists in the United States often overlook or misrepresent Indigenous features in performances of New Spanish repertoire. Vocalists typically must make choices about vocal techniques alone and, largely for lack of resources, in uninformed ways. This thesis guides bel canto-trained vocalists through the development of a culturally-informed vocal performance of colonial New Spanish repertoire; specifically, it suggests grounds for better-informed vocal performance practices in Mexica traditions. First, I offer bel canto-trained vocalists context to recognize their voice-culture biases and to remain open to new voice-cultural ideas. Then I provide bel canto-trained vocalists with New Spanish musico-cultural and Mexica voice-culture contexts. Finally, I apply the prior content in a performance practice example of Gaspar Fernándes’ “Tleycantimo choquilia.”
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Keywords
Culturally Informed Performance, Indigenous, Mexica, New Spain, Vocal performance, Voice theory