Uzbek Music (anthropology) Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Uzbek Music (anthropology) - Essay Example Thesis Statement: The purpose of this paper is to present the argument that the ethnomusicology of Uzbek music and understanding it, help to gain insights into Uzbek culture. The analysis will be supported by ethnographic evidence and examples. The rich and diverse musical heritage of Uzbekistan has contributed significantly to the establishment of a national self-consciousness and cultural identity for the nation as a whole, particularly after the country achieved independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union. The main sources are written texts including historical manuscripts, contemporary national studies and samples of traditional music notated in the Western staff system; and an extensive range of national melodies and â€Å"intonations†, together with the emotional images of the national spiritual world (Djumeiv: 166). The Uzbek’s way of life, customs, thoughts, hopes and struggle for social and national liberation are deeply reflected in Uzbek folklore, causing a variety in theme and genre of Uzbek folk songs. The main types of songs are: daily life songs such as lullabies, children’s songs, calendric songs and lyric songs, the latter including songs of love, humor, nature, meditation, etc. Family ceremonal songs such as wedding songs and laments in funerals, work songs, songs of social protest, and historical songs. In turn this thematic variety led to musical diversity. The above are the specifically ceremonial and daily-life songs, which is one genre of Uzbek folk songs. The other genre included those songs which were performed everywhere with a great variety of theme: the terma or chublama, koshuk, lapar, yalla, and ashula genres. Except for ashula, the aforementioned genres are basically strophic in structure, melodically narrow and improvisatory. â€Å"The ashula is particula rly distinctive, with its extensive melodic structure and

Sports and society in ancient world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Sports and society in ancient world - Essay Example The athletes were usually covered completely in oil in order to magnify their physical attributes and at the same time keep off from gathering dust during competitions. The opinion of the Greek was that athletics differentiated them from those that were not of Greek origin. The aim of this paper is to analyze various athletic sculptures in a bid to determine conclusively the relationship between ancient Greece and sports. The figure depicts an athlete that is in the process of offering a sacrifice. The athlete has one hand outstretched and the other is held in a fist. The structure is made of bronze and has a shiny outlook to it. The outstretched hand is open as though to depict the process of offering something to a deity. The use of bronze in depicting the athlete is because bronze in itself is easy to mold. The use of Bronze includes making a sculpture that requires a lot of molding and curving (Hawhee, 93). It bends easily just as marble. Its use concerning the question is because athletes were to be flexible and the use of Bronze made this apparent. Ancient Greek was very religious, the sculpture, acted as an illustration of blessings for sports. The sculpture illustrates the desire of the athletics to attain divine blessings in their pursuit. The sculpture illustrates that ancient Greek athletes were expected to be religious in tune with their beliefs. They were prayerful and embodied the spiri tual morality that the rest of Greece did. Athletes were meant to embody humility and not to believe wholly in their own capabilities, but for those of the deities. The second figure illustrates an athlete that is leaning against a tree trunk. His stance is somewhat different from the ordinary human pose. On his head, something looks like either a crown or a ribbon. From the direction that his right hand is in, he placed the ribbon/crown on his head himself. Although there may be faint traces of