For my song share this week, I decided to feature the song “Piro Conversation.” The vocalists that can be heard are the Piro people that live within the Ubamba River Region in Peru. These individuals speak the Yine language; this is also the language in which the vocal performance takes place. No instrumentation is present within the recording. The music being created is entirely composed of a spoken/sung phrases and male voices making exclamations in multiple pitches. The overlaying of these different voices creates tantalizing textures that contribute to the intrigue of the piece. There appears to be an element of syncopation, where vocalizations occur between the downbeat. Multiple rhythms also may be present simultaneously, as can be discerned through the staggering of the male voices throughout the performance. 

I was attracted to “Piro Conversation” due to the existence of similar features between the guttural voices heard in the recording and the didjeridu as it was performed in the “Aborigine Song.” It is interesting how unique sound characteristics can be accomplished both vocally and through instrumentation. 

Link to Song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=23zB79wUzuA

Sources:

“Traditional Music of Peru.” Smithsonian Folkways, https://folkways.si.edu/traditional-music-of-peru/latin-world/album/smithsonian.

“Yine Indian Language (Cujareño).” Native Languages of the Americas website, https://www.native-languages.org/yine.htm.