EXTRA CREDIT LISTENING BLOG #2 – “Bi Furu” – Oumou Sangaré (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXmA_MasLMk)

Instrumentation: Voice (Sangaré and chorus), percussion (shakers and a hand-clapping interlude, a guitar (or a similar instrument), and a high-pitched stringed instrument (maybe a violin?)

Rhythm: Rhythm is an essential aspect of this song: although each instrumental part differs slightly in rhythm from the other (the guitar part acts as the base that ties all the instruments, especially the vocal line, together), they all interact to form a nice textured layering of rhythm.

Timbre: The timbre of the song largely revolved around Sangaré’s voice and her chorus of women. Their singing was pitched much higher, and had an unusual-sounding (to me, as a listener of Western music) timbre to it. It sounded slightly throaty and plaintive, which gave it a somewhat conversational feel; it seemed as if Sangaré was trying to speak to the listener personally, making them sit up and pay attention to what she has to say.

Range: In general, I found this song to be pitched a higher range than I am used to hearing: this was noticeable not only in Sangaré, but also the women chorus and male voice that she interacts with.

Vocal-Instrumental Interaction: The song frequently includes musical interludes, allowing the guitar and violin instruments to take control of the song. The emphatic and powerful, masterful sound they produce acts as an echo of Sangaré’s powerfully independent statements. This interaction represents repetition in a unique way, by presenting the same idea in several mediums.

Solo-Chorus Dialogue: An interesting conversation exists between the two distinct entities: the chorus begins the song by presenting the main musical statement of the song, after which Sangaré begins to sing. As the song continues, they provide the same refrain, providing the main melody of the song, while Sangaré expands, providing interesting riffs and ornamentations.

Rhythmic Gestures (hand claps): During the middle instrumental interlude, Sangaré contributes to the musical conversation by percussive hand-claps. This seems to be an invitation for the audience to join in, creating an intimacy and interaction between Sangaré and the listener. I thought that Sangaré depicted the handclaps interestingly in the video, by juxtaposing the sound with images of women rhythmically doing household work. In her lyrics, Sangaré displays a sort of disaparagement of women being forced into domesticity, especially by a cruel, demanding husband and his family. However, the video presents another aspect of women’s work by presenting it as a rhythm vital to the “song” of life.

Lyrics: Sangaré is Malian and sings in a foreign language (Bambara?): however, through a brief description of the lyrics, we can derive the bare essentials of her words. Sangaré sings about how, in the act of bartering and negotiation (especially financial) involved in the marriage process, a woman is treated without dignity or respect. She also warns wives of the dangers a harsh husband and his family can hold; she might be forced to work to the bone for them. At the time, these were incredibly progressive (and dangerous) things for a woman to be singing about to other women, especially in criticizing men and marriage.

Interpretation: In the video, Sangaré plays a clear dissenter forced to watch the wedding preparations for a young girl. She portrays her opposition to the marriage by holding her head, shaking her finger while looking at the camera, and generally looking frustrated and disappointed. At one point, she even holds an argument with a man, who seems to be have authority in the community. Throughout this main storyline, Sangaré intersperses shots of everyday Mali life, especially women’s lives and their daily chores.

Personal Response: Although I’m still not sure how much I “like” listening to it, I think this song holds a lot of value. It has complex, involved instrumentation (I was really surprised to hear the similarity between their instruments and Western instruments), and a powerful, empowering message that pushed the boundaries of Malian convention.