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.....the tendency of the writers of our own day is to approach the traditions of the past without vision, without heart, and too often, without brain. Tradition is a marsh-fire lighted by memory and imagination combined, and it reveals its secret only to those who seek it with equal courage and respect. Hall Cain
"Whadda yer want t' listen t' them coons singin' for?" Such is the question - sometimes polite and sometimes aggressive, sometimes grammatical and sometimes not - that is asked repeatedly by white Australians when the subject of Aboriginal music is mentioned.
Unfortunately, there has been handed down to us from the nineteenth century, a belief that western culture is supreme in all aspects, and that any culture, especially that of a so-called primitive society, has no value except as a curious example of a low standard of mental development.
Even so, we are rather shocked when we read (Wallaschek, 1893:38) that
The Australians love their song, a thing monotonous and of indefinite rhythm, constantly repeated in a minor key, which scarcely strikes the European ear as being beautiful. In return they are quite insensible to the charm of our melodies.
Why should we think that the Australian aboriginal would be charmed by our music at all? Does he, for example, understand anything of the scale-structure of our music? If he does this should indicate that his own intervals are similar to ours. Experiments carried out in Central Australia seem to indicate that our concept of intervals was incomprehensible to the natives, although the author arrived at a different conclusion (Davies, 1938:476). My own experience has shown that only the "civilized" natives have any understanding at all of an interval or a musical sound which is a separate entity, and not a musical extension of a literary extension idea.
The two cultures - that of the tribal Aboriginal and our own - are, in fact, quite different. This becomes apparent as soon as attempts are made to reduce the exotic culture to Western notation. To avoid making a transcription something completely removed from the original thrilling performance requires a great deal of musical adjustment. The problems that constantly arise cannot be completely solved and a compromise must be made between detail and musicianship.
It is necessary to remember that, unlike our own music, aboriginal music has a very important place in the daily life of every member of the society. Because of this, it is unwise to attempt to understand the music without first having some knowledge of the aboriginal himself, and of his beliefs. Music is intimately linked with his ancestry, with his totem, with the countryside around him, with the animals, the birds and the plants. It serves a definite purpose in his life: the bringing of rain, the magic of healing or wounding, the winning or losing of battles.
There are three distinct groups of aboriginal music. The first and largest group consists of the sacred and secret ceremonies. These songs have no connection with pure entertainment, but are songs which can only be performed in a particular place, and for a specified purpose. The ceremonies usually commemorate some event or events connected with the life of a totemic ancestor, but some ceremonies are concerned directly with the increase of the totemic species. The songs and ceremonies of this group are known and witnessed by initiated men only.
There are also women's secret ceremonies, about which there is only limited information available. A very large proportion of the women's secret songs are directly or indirectly connected with procreation, but it is believed that the older women also possess some different secret songs. Nothing is yet known about these.
Whether the children's songs that have been recorded (in a few areas left where the children still sing their own songs) are a type of song restricted in circulation, or whether they belong to the entertainment group, is not clear. They seem to be current songs made by the children, and are probably known only by them.
The second type of music is the semi-sacred, of which there is a large amount. Unfortunately, few of these songs have been recorded. They were sung at the initiation ceremony of a young boy, and were performed by the men while the women danced.
The third type is the non-sacred or pure-entertainment music. The songs comprising this group are the only form of Australian aboriginal music that can be performed by any person - man, woman or child - any time, and at any place. The sacred and semi-sacred songs were performed in full only at the appointed ceremonial ground, and were never sung by men who were not initiates of that totem at that particular place. The non-sacred songs are traded freely between tribes. It frequently happens that these songs cross language borders, and sometimes the new owners do not even know what the words of the song mean. These songs spread very easily. One of the better known, perhaps more publicised, forms of these entertainment evenings is the corroboree, which is really a folk-dance evening. All the able bodied men dance for three or four hours continuously while the women and children sing.
Music also plays a part in the hum-drum existence of daily life. Basedow(1925:385) notes that natives sing for their own pleasure. He also adds this interesting comment:
It is common practice . . . among the tribes of Australia, for one individual to carry on conversation with another by singing the words. When, for instance, it is the intention of the person engaged in conversation to make the matter as little noticeable as possible, or when they want to impart information to each other without attracting the attention of a third party, they clothe their words in song. And the same is also done when a third party is criticised. Moreover, it is for exactly similar reasons that all communications which are supposed to be carried on with superhuman beings are chanted or crooned, in order that the Evil Spirit's attention may not be drawn to the fact.
I myself have noticed, particularly among the women, that the leader in a ceremony, rather than speak, will sing the necessary instructions to the other performers. This singing is always in the traditional tonal pattern of that particular ceremony. Probably much daily music making - while collecting and grinding grain, while rocking the baby, while cooking etc. - is also more like free speech temporarily bounded by musical form, but few of these improvisations seem to have sufficient significance to become traditional.
Taken From:
Ellis, Catherine J. (1964) "Aboriginal Music Making", Libraries Board Of S.A. Adelaide, Australia, pp. 2-7.
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