New Toys

Portrait of a young Tuareg, ink and gel pen, 14x11 inches

The latest drawings I finished for the Top 100 2020 series are numbers 82, 83, and 84: Depicted above is number 84, an individual from a Tuareg group from Mali. Even though in theory the caste system is abandoned among the Tuareg, the practice continues. The Ikelan, or Bella, are the lowest caste, they are slaves, that simple. The song a group of about 12 Bella sing and that features in the top 100 is a type of song called Ihamma. The word is onomatopoeic and does not have lyrics. Bernard Lortet-Jacob calls it a panting song. The source, like so many in the list, is Les Voix du Monde. I have new toys: A set of gel pens from the dollar store. There are eight pens in the set which makes each pen 12.5 cents. I have no idea how they will hold up over time. When I made a drawing using highlighters depicting Hang on the Box (Chinese punk/pop) in 2008 the colors faded after about a half year.

Number 83 come from the same collection as above. The location is now Taiwan, the ethnic group are the Bunun. The Track Pasi But But was recorded by the Taiwanese musicology professor Rung-Shun Wu, who is also depicted using the same gel pens. At number 82 then is an American popular music entry. The song in the Top 100 is The Theme from The Black Cat and was written and performed by Scotty McKay. Scotty McKay is known for his frantic style of playing (and performing) during the late 1950s into the 1960s. Black Cat is from 1966 and appears on Beat Jazz, a collection of Jazz music related to the Beat Generation. Last year a track from the album featuring a recording of Jack Kerouac made the list. The image I used for the drawing is a commercial publicity shot. I can't help but to recognize the sassy facial expression of this dude in a MAGA hat who was in the news last year.

 

Bunun Music

 Bunun Men

Taiwan was in the news headlines just this morning for their success in tackling COVID-19. Yesterday marked 200 days without a new infection reported. The country is seen as a model to follow in how to deal with a pandemic. The Bunun (Vunun on the record) are one of the largest groups of indigenous peoples on the island and are known for their polyphonic music. The are two examples of such music on The Columbia World Library of Folk and Primitive Music, Vol. 11: Japan, The Ryukyus, Formosa and Korea. The two songs Marisitomal and Pisila-Railas are hard to distinguish on the record as a whole bunch of songs are grouped together. In history the Bunun are known as fierce warriors and head hunters. (Without knowing I seem to select music from such tribes for this year's Top 100.)