An ethnomusical and linguistic description of the Añasita song as sung by the Aymara of Muylaq'i

Jan 1, 2015·

Matt Coler

Patrice Guyot

Edwin Banegas-Flores

· 1 min read

Abstract

We provide a descriptive analysis of the Añasita ‘skunk’ song, a traditional narrative song from the Aymara-speaking village of Muylaq’i (Moquegua, Peru). After an explanation of the cultural context, we remark on the song’s linguistic structure; highlighting, on the one hand, its dialogical characteristics, and, on the other, its organization into octosyllabic semantic couplets. Thereafter, we propose a musical annotation and highlight the difficulty of ‘objective’ musical transcription with an account of the interpretative aspects of the notes and the rhythm, remarking on interpretations with and without anacrusis. We conclude the talk with an overview of the implications of this collaborative approach for the ethnomusical study and comparison of other songs between and among the people of the Andes.

Type

Conference Paper

Publication

REELA Proceedings

This paper combines ethnomusicological and linguistic approaches to analyze the Añasita (‘skunk’) song, a traditional narrative composition from the Aymara community of Muylaq’i in southern Peru. Our interdisciplinary analysis examines both the cultural context and the structural elements of the song.

The linguistic analysis reveals distinctive features including a dialogical structure and organization into octosyllabic semantic couplets, which are characteristic of Andean verbal art. The musical analysis addresses the challenges of transcribing indigenous music within Western notation systems, particularly regarding note interpretation and rhythmic elements.

This collaborative research demonstrates the value of combining expertise in linguistics, ethnomusicology, and indigenous cultural knowledge. The methodological approach presented offers a framework for studying and comparing traditional songs across Andean communities, contributing to the documentation and preservation of indigenous cultural expressions.

Last updated on Jan 1, 2015