Browsing by Subject "musiikin oppiminen"

This research examines the transmission of traditional music of the Awajún, an indigenous group in the Peruvian Amazon. The main objectives of the research are to describe traditional Awajún music and to analyze children and adolescents’ opportunities to learn it. Here, traditional music refers to the musical styles and musical instruments that were used amongst the Awajún before Western influences became considerable. The research is based on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in Northern Peru. The fieldwork took place in the native community of Supayaku and in the city of Jaén from January 8th until April 1st of 2016. The main techniques used during the fieldwork were interviews, participant observation and informal conversations. Used in this Master’s thesis are interviews with 21 people living in the community of Supayaku, together with field notes. In Supayaku, all of the inhabitants are of Awajún ethnicity, except for the secondary school teachers, the doctor, the nurse and the midwife and a few people who have moved there through marriage. Not unlike music of other groups living in the Amazon rainforest, music of the Awajún has been studied very little. Traditional Awajún music can be divided into two groups: powerful songs called anen and songs with profane character called nampeg. Traditional Awajún music is mostly vocal, but some instruments are used as well. During the past decades, the life of many Amazonian societies has changed enormously. Increased contact with other cultures and technological development have had an impact on almost all aspects of life, such as way of living, values, and music. When a society changes, some music cultures survive, some change, and some disappear. In the light of this research, it seems that traditional Awajún music has not disappeared, but the use of it has decreased considerably. Also, use and meaning of this music style has changed. Traditionally, Awajún music was transmitted to the new generation by relatives of the same sex. Today, the ways of learning music are much more diverse than before, and technology plays an important role in many of these. The school system and Christian church have an impact on music teaching and learning and opinions on music as well. It seems that, until now, traditional music has not been able to fully adapt to the changed community. In Supayaku, it is possible for children and adolescents to learn traditional music. However, it often requires strong personal effort.