Description of a fictional Peoples’ musical Society.
Music is perhaps among the universal performing arts that characterize a particular society. For the Luwak group of people inhabiting a strange island in the arctic region of the world, use different forms of melodies whenever they express feelings both in statements and in functions. This mode of music distinguishes their uniquely fascinating way of presenting music as an additional communication tool. For them, music is not specifically a primary mode of communication but rather an expression of feelings. The same way people in other parts of the world express their feelings of pleasures and pains through uttering of speech, for the Luwak people, different lengths of melodic outbursts are sung when one expresses feelings as an addition to the normal communication of words.
During their day-to-day activities, different notes of melodies may be heard, signifying the type of feeling the person is experiencing. For example, when one feels happy, he or she expresses it via some rising notes whose length varies depending on the level of amusement. However, for the expression of pain or related feelings, a series of rising and falling melodic notes are expressed. Throughout the day, people use normal speech to express themselves, but as emotions and feelings creep in, you get to realize that the communication mode changes to melodies that vary in pitches and tones—the difference in length, tones, and pitch signifying the emotional level. For them, this mode of additional communication has existed for centuries. The mode allows the listeners to conclude on the resultant emotion of the speaker. The listener, in response, makes a three to seven-note tune that may be rising or falling depending on the message.
This mode of emotional expression is uniquely adopted during cultural heritage functions such as festive events, rituals, or oral traditions. Typically, it can be expressed in diverse contexts; however, it is closely connected to works of entertainment. As part of the entertainment during celebrations, the community sings a series of melodies in the expression of happiness. Amidst melodies, normal speeches are intermittently expressed as part of regular communication. This integration of normal speech with music in expression of emotion is referred to as wanga. The melodies only come in time of expressing an emotion, either of consolation, grief, or happiness. This would be realized, especially in marriages, initiations, and worship events or functions. For funeral rituals and sad functions or gatherings, few songs are sung with fewer notes compared to when the event or function presents a celebrating mood. The music that is sung during events has longer notes than those expressed amidst normal communication as part of reactions to statements during regular conversations.
During events, longer notes of music would be accompanied by an intricate dance of ordered bodily movements. The movement of the body would vary with the message of the ritual. Other than its physical aspect, the steps and gestures of the dance and the rhythmic movements express a particular mood, sentiment, or illustrate a specific daily act or event. A musical instrument called gueno, which takes a form of a harp is associated whenever these musical expressions relate to cultural functions and practices that convey sentimental emotions such as funerals. But in ritual functions like marriages and initiations, a mix of musical instrument amongst application of body decorations are considered to relay a different message. Such functions integrate the use of masks, costumes, and decorations of the scenery to accompany the musical expression in relaying their joyfulness. The music during these functions varies a little bit to incorporate some rapid monosyllabic -like high pitches to slow-moving and rolling tunes with quite fascinating tones that follow strict connotations giving their music a melodious complexity of harmony that is more enhanced than that expressed during somber moods or during sentimental times.