Category: Art

Baudrillard is a French philosopher who advanced the notion of Hyperrealism and simulation. His concept, in regard to simulation, involves creation of real things through models, which are mythological, and which are not connected in anyway or have no reality concerning their origin.

It is through these models that our perception of the definition of reality is determined. Still, it is through the media that attributes such as fashion, art, homes among others, that ideal model become dictated (Barsanti 126).

Our changed perception is what causes a break down of the boundary existing between reality, simulation, as well as images. Due to this breakdown, an aspect of hyperrealism is created. As such, the distinction between the real and the unreal things tend to become blurred. Precisely, it is an individual’s inability to consciously infer a distinction between reality and fantasy.

This is because; both reality and fantasy tend to become blurred in one (Baudrillard 147). According to the French philosopher, what we experience today are just realities that have been subjected to preparations such as a war footage edition as well as reality TV shows. Here, an individual is unable to give a distinction between real and fictional things.

The purpose of this paper is to explore the ways in which the movie, Inglorious Basterds, directed by Tarantino engages in the notion of simulation and hyperrealism as advanced by Baudrillard, a French theorist (Baudrillard 149)

The director of this movie, Tarantino, tends to play with Baudrillard’ idea as he mixes references as well as famous images, with reality therefore creating a mixture which can be termed as his own. Inglorious Basterds is plotted on the 1940s world, which has been functionalized.

G.W. Pabst, an Australian born film director is first mentioned in Inglorious Basterds in a scene outside the cinema, where Shoshanna is presented on a ladder changing a marquee. This marquee contained information scripted in French which the camera is passed over a number of times. As a result, the viewer of the film is given multiple reading opportunities.

Again, the script in the marquee also included a voice cover from the narrator. This was, “To work on a cinema in Paris in the period of occupation, one is faced with two choices which includes; to either show new propaganda films from the Germans, which have been produced with close monitoring from Joseph Goebbels or one could go to a German night in his or her weekly schedule and watch a classic German film.” Here, the narrator indeed played an important role in the script as compared to the entire film (Baudrillard 150).

As such, his words are educative and explanatory in nature. When a viewer infers this information, he gets an explanation as to why Shoshanna is going to have a German night at her cinema. A viewer is also likely to infer that Shoshanna is not thrilled by the German nights, and she gives a statement that, she does not have a choice. Irrespective of these views by Shoshanna, there is no indication that there are regulations, which mandate this scene.

Again, in the scene that Shoshanna affirms her intentions to select the German films; a character called Zoller commends the choices done by her. He does this when he indicates that he loves films involving Riefenstahl Mountains (Lister 55). Shoshanna gives him a cold reply in regard to admiration of Riefenstahl Mountains.

Zoller declares that he is upbeat for finding a fellow admirer of Riefenstahl. Zoller admits that he has a great admiration for director Pabst since Shoshanna made a choice to include Pabst’s name on the marquee, she tells him off by saying that she is French and in France, they respect their movie directors.

This is in fact an attempt to signify that, even in Shoshanna’s eyes, it is not that all the Germans are barbaric. Perhaps, both Zioller and Shoshanna, in another place or time, could be involved in a big discussion concerning the film makers but their efforts are not forthcoming as the Uniform worn by Nazi creates barrier of which, Shoshanna does not wish to penetrate (Lister 55).

Pabst is also mentioned lengthily in the scene involving Lieutenant Archie Hicox where he is briefed on Kino operation. Here, the lieutenant is briefed by General Fenech with full observation of Winston Churchill. The lieutenant gives a description of his occupation just before the war. He says that he was a critic of films, writing for several publications of which are fictional. According to him, he is also an Author who is has published two books.

For instance, in his second book, “Twenty –four Frame Da Vinci”, the lieutenant gives a description that it as a study whose aim is to criticize the sub textual films of G.W. Pabst. These 24 frames per second rate in reality are what the sound motion picture standards became in the early twentieth century. As such, the title’s aspect of Da Vinci clearly infers Inglorious Basterd’s director views on Pabst as an artist who has mastered in his field and crafting canvas like frames.

In the movie Inglorious Basterd, the movie director, Tarantino, employs a hyperreal aspect where Shoshanna replaces the marquee texts. The original texts were small and unnoticeable. On realizing this, she curves out extra ordinary letters and glues them to the signpost holding the marquee (Lister 55).

Still, during the time where Major Hellstrom gives a revelation of his personality, an interrogation ensues involving him and the lieutenant regarding the latter’s German accent. The Lieutenant insists that he is from a village near Piz Palu. As such, a person from Piz Palu is a Swiz but speaks German.

The lieutenant also claims that, when Pabst film was being shot in Piz Palu, his family was extensively featured. He further claims that his brother was given a handsome close up by Pabst. Hellstorm initially believes the story being told. Bridget and the Basterds are then engaged by Major Hellstrom in a game (Merrin 108).

A card, which had been scripted G.W Pabst, lands on Bridget’s forehead. It is then clear that the card was scripted by Hicox. Earlier, he had already been termed as a person with great knowledge concerning Pabst and as such, it is sensible that Hicox gives reference to Pabst name more often but this consistent recurrence of the name Pabst do happen more often enough in such a way that it would only prevail in a Tarantino-like reality.

The theme of Hyperreality is further elaborated in the many of Inglorious Basterd scenes. For instance, the film is a straight narration of a man against a machine. The battle lines are by far drawn in an ambiguous manner. It is correct to say that the machines are bent in an effort to destroy the human beings but the character Zoller acts as a guardian angel.

As such, he is reprogrammed such that he is able to love and learn. The boundary between the copy and the real in the movie tend to collapse and in an effort to survive, Soshanna has to overcome the technophobia she has and must befriend the world of simulacra (Merrin 118). Inglorious Basterd depicts Zoller as subject to Baudrillard’s paradoxical terminology, which is, copying without regarding the original.

Naya forcefully enters into the Pabst’s laboratory. Here, he is conceived thereby terminating the state of the self, which is unborn. This leads to destruction of the equipments as well as researches that were use to develop it. The machine, Zoller, comes into a temporal loop, which had been closed and of which is in the outer side of the linear time. As such, the copy is literally constituted in an original form. Furthermore, the hyperreal entity acts as the foster-father to the character called John.

This character is a representative of the news generation referred to as the techno-savvy generation. He is a hyperreal construct and circumstances under which John was conceived were actually orchestrated by him. Both John and the machine, Zoller, are hyperreal and are detached from nature versus technology, future versus the past as well as artificial versus authenticity old binaries.

The mother to John Connor naturally realizes that the hyperreal machine is the perfect fit for a father to her hyperreal son. As such, the simulacrum tends to be more of a human than the actual or the real human beings. The new world, which is in nature brave, leaves us compelled to reassess the prejudices in the 20^th century in regard to the technology as well as the nature.

Still, Tarantino brings into light a character, which is artificially made and an ideal figure to feature as a father (Miller, Vandome, & John 1110). The film depicts a story of Shoshanna who travels between two worlds, that is, the fiction world and the real world. These two worlds regard his hard body movie franchise which exists as Tarantino’s favorite.

The difference between the two characters, Zoller and Soshanna, are played subject to laughs as the climax of the movie tend to bring back the integrity of the boundary existing between the real world and the fictional world which suggests that the movie is supposed to be an attempt to reaffirm fundamental conservation of the reality and unreality separation.

When the character, Zoller, comes into the fictional world, he comes to establish that the fictional characters in the movie indeed had real sentiments and emotions. As such, even Soshanna, who is a real person, has a life full of emotions which are centered on the events of the movie, which are fictional (Miller, Vandome, & John 1116).

Still, in the scene that the character goes to war in the southern part of Germany, the Nazis improvise a human like character and inbuilt a machine in him. As such, the character performs super action of which a normal human being is incapable of. The character is given priority to lead the troop while the Nazi soldiers rally behind.

Irrespective of the efforts by the enemies to shoot down the robot character, they fail terribly. The enemies realize too late that their ammunitions are getting depleted and as a result, they flee. These hyperreal actions in a hyperreal situation are a perfect fit in the scene as they produce a magnificent piece of artwork. Consequently, a platform is established from where the sense of appeal from the audience is created (Tarantino 136).

From the above analysis, it is clear that Baudrillard’s notion of Hyperrealism and simulation are widely used in Inglorious Basterd. In this context, the concept, in regard to simulation, involves creation of something that is real through models, which are mythological, and which are not connected in anyway or have no reality considering their origin.

It is through this model that our perception of what is reality incorporated in the movie is determined (Tarantino 139). Still, it is through the media that things such as fashion, art, homes, among others, that ideal model become dictated. Our changed perception is what causes a break down of the boundary existing between reality, simulation as well as images.

Due to this breakdown, hyperreality is created. As such, the distinction between the real things and the unreal things becomes blurred. Precisely, it is an individual’s inability to consciously infer a distinction between reality and fantasy. This is because; both reality and fantasy tend to become blurred in one (Zimmerman 45).

According to the French philosopher, what we experience today are just realities that have been subjected to preparations such as a war footage edition as well as reality TV shows. Here, an individual is unable to give a distinction between real and fictional things. Therefore, the notion of Hyperreality as well as simulation plays an important role in delivering a quality film that the audience would loves and enjoy to see.

Works Cited

Barsanti, Chris. Filmology. Avon: Adams Media, 2010. Print

Baudrillard, Jean. Simulacra and simulation. Michigan: University of Michigan Press, 1984. Print

Lister, Martín. New media: a critical introduction. London: Routledge, 2003.Print

Merrin, William. Baudrillard and the media: a critical introduction. Cambridge: Polity, 2005. Print

Miller, P. Frederic, Agnes F. Vandome, & McBrewster John. Inglourious Basterds. Saarbrücken: VDM Publishing, 2010. Print.

Tarantino, Quentin. Inglorious Basterds: A Screenplay. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2009. Print.

Zimmerman, Susan. Shakespeare Studies, Volume 38. Madison: Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press, 2010. Print

Chris Ofili was born on 10^th October 1968 in Manchester. Ofili attended St. Pius X High school. He later advanced his learning in Xaverian College. His art foundation was built at Tameside College in Great Manchester. Ofili furthered his studies in London, at the Chelsea Art School from 1988-1991.

He is well renowned due to his unique eye for art especially depicted by his paintings. Ofili is a turner prize British winner well known for his artworks that cite aspects of his Nigerian customs and tradition. Currently, he is based in Trinidad. Afrodizzia, one of Ofili’s paintings was signed, titled and produced in 1996. It was executed on linen and its approximate size is 243.8 by 182.9 cm.

Afrodizzia is a painting full of life done on a canvas sealed up with layers of different medium like elephant dung, paint and cut out photos. The frame is unique as it rests comfortably on rolls of elephant dung. By incorporation of this unique material-elephant dung, he brings in the aspect of African culture tracing back to his roots in Nigeria.

The composition explores the black man’s experience as the surfaces are patched with tiny heads of figures that possess Afros. Afro is a hairstyle that was well embraced by the black man’s race in the 1970’s and became a traditional emblem.

The winding rows and incoherent lines of brilliant colors are the key elements of art incorporated in this art piece. They create a feeling of systemic and arrangement in the overall structure of the painting. The semi-transparent ponds of resin create a blend hiding some heads and color.

Through the cloud of glitters of oil paint and the resin, the left out heads denote the black man’s society where the lower class people were held with less respect as compared to the upper class people (Doy 32). The use of color, line and dots aim to bring in authenticity of Ofili’s painting, Afrodizzia. Within its composition, elephant dung – one of Ofili’s trademarks has been applied.

The painting rests upon two balls of the elephant dung well endowed with color. Color as an element of art brings in illusions of light. Color is well used to create fields. The painting rests on two balls that have been decorated with colored pins.

Black color represents the black community which traces Ofili’s, roots. An additional six balls of dung are fixed to the canvas surface with five of them bearing the names Miles Davis, Diana Ross, James Brow, Cassius Clay and Tito Jackson – all black men. Slotting in of these black men brings in cultural significance depicted by the bold black color.

The decorative dots technique and colored pattern technique incorporated in Ofili’s painting have helped him create three dimensional elements. The lumps of elephant dung into the medium he uses (canvas) serves as bases on which he displays the artwork and compositional elements.

It brings in depth, yet another element of art. Creation of depth in paintings is a challenge that most painters take up eventually bringing in the feeling of the world in three dimensions. Ofili’s use of elephant dung balls and collaged images bring in an illusion of depth (Doy 46).

Another technique used is line as an element of art. Though the images appear abstract at the first glance, the lines come in and create a real yet natural character of the paintings. The lines then later take up the form of patterns. The pattern is rather busy with no emphases at the centre but rather patterns of images brought about by the use of lines.

Lines seem to also give an outline or border to the painting. The curved lines along the borders of the painting are graceful creating smooth flow of the eyes. This unique use of line creates rhythm which enables the viewers to run the eyes gracefully from one point to another.

The border lines also bring in a sense of ‘security’ to the content in the artwork. The images’ outlines are also done through use of lines. This is thus a technique that cannot go unnoticed.

His meticulous nature makes him renowned for rich portions of layers, variety in use of media which includes balls of elephant dung that interposes the canvas creating support at the bottom, acrylics or oil paints, resin, collages images of cutouts from magazines and map pins.

The canvas used is a medium that allows the acrylics to show well and enhance the feel of the texture of the end product. The black icons are painted in acrylic over the fixed collaged elements. Ofili later fixed the pins into the elephant dung using an adhesive to secure the linen.

The crafty use of elephant dung brings in the theme of afro-centricity which celebrates and embraces the African culture and heritage. His canvasses denote an urge to embrace the uniqueness of the black culture. The awesome painting is built up in layers consisting of cut outs of heads of men with afros. It is classical due to the well blended variety of media.

Texture is another valuable element for an artist to consider as it engages another factor away from sight. It may be tactile or visual. Tactile involves the sense of touch while visual involves how our eyes perceive the artwork.

Ofili in his painting, Afrodizzia, was able to incorporate this element through his use of elephant dung and cutouts from magazines. This incorporation of texture helps stimulate the viewer’s tactile nature. It is used skillfully to bring in contrast, arouse the viewer’s senses and bring in a composition with harmony, unity and variety (Doy 15).

A contextual factor related to the painting afrodizzia is that contrasting colors once well used can create a vibrant full of life artworks. If overused, they could bring in confusion in the artwork.

Key knowledge of elements and principles of art and design is paramount in the interpretation of artworks. Having a clear understanding of the two enables the viewer to interpret art pieces well grasping the theme, meaning and intention of the painter.

Some viewers feel deeply lost in the interpretation of Afrodizzia. While some viewers feel Ofili tried to incorporate Africa’s lifestyle in his work, others feel that the use of elephant dung depicts primitiveness and lacks creativity as depicted by his cutouts from magazines.

The study diamond (technique, effect, context and meaning) in the artwork helps the viewer understand the painting. There is flow right from the way it is accomplished to the result, the context in which it is produced and what is meant to be conveyed.

The four factors relate and when well thought of help in coming up with unique yet appreciated artworks. The artist can never go wrong with the study diamond.

Work Cited

Doy Gen. Black visual culture: Modernity and postmodernity. London: I.B. Tauric & Co. 2001.

Hindi FM

With the population of Indians in Oman growing steadily over the past decades, it is clear that there is an urgent need for an FM radio station playing exclusively Hindi songs to satisfy their desires. When asked for their opinions about the need for a Hindi FM channel, several respondents gave their opinions as described in this paper.

One of the respondents who gave out his opinion concerning the issue is Faiq Raz Ansari. Faiq believes that the need for a Hindi FM station Is overdue considering that many of the people are forced to listen to Hindi songs from a radio stations based in one of the neighboring countries.

The need for a Hindi Fm station in Oman is not only confined to the need to listen to the music but is important also for listening to news updates, as well as traffic jams and sports in the Hindi tongue. According to Faiq, a Hindi Fm will also enable the listeners be updated business wise according to the story he gives of a friend who is kept updated by a station based in one of the countries neighboring Oman.

Anu Shaikh of wadi Kabir also gives praises to the elegance and beauty of the Indian music. In his opinion, Indian music’s appeal has crossed borders, and in fact, the music is being listened to by people from a variety of ethnicities.

To sheikh, a Hindi radio station in Oman or Muscat is long overdue considering that even the local population is in favor of the Indian music.

Both recent and old Indian music has a good appeal among the people and, therefore, it is only when there is a FM station playing the music that listeners can be satisfied. To Shaikh, the Hindi language is gaining international stature and the opening up of a Hindi FM station in Oman will satisfy many anxious people.

Rannesh Rahman who is an administrator of projects in Oman claims that the many Indians living in Oman will be delighted to have a Hindi Fm station at their disposal.

Hindi music is enjoyed by all in Oman according to Rahman as it is played in the local restaurants, taxis and even on national television. A Hindi Fm station in Oman can also serve as a good medium of diplomatic communication for the dignitaries from India, Pakistani and even Bangladesh considering that they make the majority of the expatriates in Oman.

Ramachandran Nair is excited about the possibility of having a Hindi Fm station in Oman. He believes that the move is set to expand the popularity of the Indian entertainment that had lagged until the introduction of satellite channels.

Many expatriates living in Oman and especially from the south of Asia favor the Indian entertainment and mostly the Hindi songs. The move to open an FM station playing Hindi music is welcome considering that Hindi music and entertainment in general brings forth a good sense of entertainment to all regardless of age and ethnicity.

There is a large number of Indians in the Sultanate. Nair believes that they will find great comfort in listening to the station if it uses several regional Indian languages.

According to Sanjana who is a coordinator in charge of co-curricular activities in an Indian school in Muscat, many fans will be delighted if a Hindi FM station is opened in Oman. To him, Oman is a cosmopolitan state just like UAE and the delay to open such a radio station has been restrictive to many enthusiasts.

He suggests that even FM stations using regional Indian languages should be introduced in Oman, as it is the case in the UAE. The radio stations that exist in Oman such as Oman Fm and Hi FM do try in keeping people informed according to Sanjana , but they are not entirely successful as most of the people turn on their private music systems to listen.

A Hindi channel will be welcomed by the majority of the Indians, Pakistanis and people from Bangladesh who reside in Oman. The FM station will not only entertain the people but also inform them accordingly according to Sanjana.

Himanshu V. Mandalia of Darsait believes that the Hindi music lovers’ cries will be answered by the opening of at least one Hindi FM channel in Muscat. Music becomes effective a remedy to drivers especially in traffic jams.

Therefore, with the opening of a Hindi FM channel, drivers and other people at home will be saved from boredom by listening to a variety of melodies such as Bollywood songs, ghazals, and bhajans among others.

Most of the lovers of Hindi music are forced to listen to them in mp3 players or their phones according to Mandalia but then they are not satisfied considering that their collections are limited a gap that can be effectively filled by the introduction of a Hindi FM channel in the Sultanate.

Thulasdoss Ramachandran of Al Khuwair in Muscat believes that it is a good initiative to have a Hindi Fm station in Muscat. Even though the thought is striking late, Ramachandran views it as the crucial time to have a Hindi station in Oman considering that the habit of listening to Hindi FM radio in Oman is widespread even to the locals who not only listen to the music but also the news updates.

As Ramachandran claims, a big number of the local drivers in Oman understand and speak the Hindi language. For him, a Hindi Fm station introduced in Oman will be a definite hit to both the local populations and the expatriates from India, Pakistani and Bangladesh.

C. C. Ramachandran Nambiar of Ruwi also believes that the opening a Hindi Fm station will be a great gift to the Indians and other people from the South Asian nations.

He suggests that, upon the opening of the station, more sots be given for the broadcasting of old Indian melodies by singers such as Mohammed Rafi, Kishore Kumar among others. This is because according to him, the recent music is lacking in the soothing effect that oldies have on both the mind and the body and instead appear like dialogues.

Sachin a senior project architect at Al Khuwair is confident that, since Hindi songs’ popularity cuts across Oman and other sections of the globe, the implementation of a Hindi Fm channel in Oman will be welcomed by not only the Indians and related communities but also the locals.

The station according to Sachin will also help in strengthening the bilateral ties between the Oman and the Indian states. The popularity of the Hindi language is also increasing, and Sachin is certain that the Hindi FM station will be well received in Oman. This will help in the filling of the vacancy left in the entertainment in Oman.

Suddapali Bhaskara Rao of Ruwi posits that there is a need to have a multi- lingual channel in the Sultanate. Rao is eager to experience the satisfaction that will come along with the opening of the station to both locals and the foreign expatriates.

Hindi- Urdu music will be well received considering that many people already appreciate it in Oman. Taxi operators are among the people that Rao believes will benefit a lot with the opening of the channel as well as their passengers.

The effort should also aim at the opening of similar stations in the future that will use the regional languages as most of the expatriates are from the southern Indian states. Rao maintains that the pleasure of listening to music has not faded with time as people claim.

According to Arshiya Adbul Khader of Al Khuwair, FM stations have increased allover including the Sultanate. Oman has experienced steady growth, which has resulted to regional expansion, forces people to travel to different places for work.

FM stations can take advantage of the travel time that most people have at their disposal. Khader alludes to the success of the Hindi FM station in the neighboring emirates like Abu Dhabi and Dubai as proof that a similar effort will succeed in Oman.

Sukumar who works as a General Manager in Muscat is optimistic that a Hindi FM station, which is a long-standing aspiration of the people in Oman- both local and foreign expatriates, will be well received. The large number of expatriates who are mostly from South Asian nations will view it as a treat.

Listening to Hindi songs, jokes etc will be a treat to the Indians and others who understand the languages and will definitely refresh their minds. The local people of Oman also love the Indian music. As a result, the Hindi Fm channel will be well received in the country.

Traffic congestion

Traffic congestion is a major problem in Muscat. Here, are some of the opinions of the City residents on what measures they believe can help deal with the traffic chaos. M. V. Sajeev a senior Executive at Tuwi agrees that while the deployment of traffic officers at the Sheraton intersection can help in controlling traffic, it is not a good idea considering that they are also humans.

Traffic bottleneck to him is caused by the irresponsible motorists and not the concerned authorities or failure in the infrastructure. Motorists often ignore the traffic rules.

This causes the traffic nightmare in Muscat. What can save the situation according to Sajeev is only when the traffic department commits itself in a campaign aimed at educating motorists on the necessity of obeying these rules and care for each other.

Mohammed Sajeer, a Senior Sales Executive in Muscat, believes that the deployment of traffic police officers will help ease the traffic turmoil at the Sheraton crossing. Carelessness and ignorance among motorists is majorly responsible for the problem. This even results in accidents as that lead to further traffic delays according to Sajeer.

P.K Ashraf laments that despite the traffic lights being the simplest instructions for motorists to follow; they are often ignored by motorists who speed according to their wishes.

According to Ashraf, deployment of traffic police officers at the Sheraton crossing will ensure that traffic is managed at the intersection where most of the traffic problems and delays are experienced mostly during the morning hours and the evening hours. The presence of traffic offers at the intersection will definitely ease the situation, as motorists will not ignore the traffic rules anyhow.

Ajith Mathew of Al Ghubra states that the Sheraton intersection is the most problematic signal points in the city of Muscat. Having traffic police officers monitoring the crossing will ensure that the motorists who violate traffic rules at the crossing resulting to traffic snarls will be brought to book.

Ajith Mathew, however, claims that the problem is not solely at the Sheraton but on the entire stretch (From Darsait to wadi Kabir). He urges the authorities to come up with a long lasting solution to ensure that the problem is dealt with finally. A corridor stretching from Wadi kabir to Al Mera roundabout will bring substantive relief to motorists according to Ajith Mathew.

Sakheer Hussain, a Chief Accountant at Ruwi, is one of the many people badly affected by the traffic snarl at the Sheraton crossing. Motorists are forced to sit in traffic jams for long hours, and otherwise productive time is wasted in the traffic jams.

Hussain suggests that the congestion at this point can be reduced by increasing the capacity of the road or by reducing the volume of traffic. Posting of traffic officers at the crossing, as well as the construction of flyovers and the widening of roads might help. The introduction of regulations barring some vehicles such as heavy vehicles from plying certain routes in the city will also help ease the traffic turmoil.

Sunaina Sema Ahluwalia who works as an Author and a communications Consultant in Muscat claims that the Sheraton intersection is one among several spots in the city that are known for creating nightmares to motorists.

The poor lighting in the city especially during the morning and night times often makes the situation worse. The stationing of cops at these strategic points can bring great relief to motorists according to Ahluwalia.

Moeen Qureshi, an advisor and amp; COO in Muscat claims that the experiences of the traffic bottlenecks makes him confident that the deployment of traffic police officers can help greatly. Qureshi alludes to studies taken in other major cities that confirm that the deployment of these officers in managing traffic works wonders especially in the knotty crossings.

He calls upon the authorities to come up with diversion routes that will assist in ensuring that many vehicles do not use the Sheraton crossing which a point of concern. The posting of traffic police officers will help as a more lasting solution is brewed according to Qureshi.

Anu Shaikh, a businessperson at Wadi Kabir, counts the traffic turmoil experienced at the Sheraton crossing, Ruwi Hugh Street, Honda road junction as among the major civic life problems of the time in Muscat. During normal hours, the roads are usually congested according to Shaikh, which intensifies during rush hour.

She admits that the Sheraton crossing is one of the most knotty intersections in the city where an immediate intercession is required. Manual support such as that offered by the traffic police officers will be of great help. However, the upgrading of the traffic signal system to cater for the future expectations will bring a permanent solution.

Mohammed Osama Rawat admits that the Sheraton crossing is a major point of concern as far as traffic problems are concerned for a number of years. The existing traffic signs such as the yellow demarcations are usually ignored by motorists.

As a result, they are ineffective when it comes to managing traffic at such spots. Rawat blames the authorities for not coming up with a supplementary plan after the initial one failed miserably. In his opinion, traffic police officers should be deployed at the junction and other similar spots in the city to control the snarl.

Thulasdidos Ramachandran of Al Khuwair is certain that the Sheraton crossing is the most challenging signal zone in Muscat. Motorists are forced to seat in their cars for long hours in the whole stretch according to him.

He posits that there is a necessity in posting traffic police officers at the crossing and at other crossings until Wadi Kabir roundabout. An alternative to that is if the Muscat Municipality comes up with a permanent traffic improvement plan such as road widening or even the construction of flyovers.

Ramachandran Nair of Ruwi is of the opinion that the deployment of traffic police officers will only bring about a temporary solution to the problem of traffic congestion in Muscat.

The distance between the traffic signals placed in the area may make it challenging and time consuming for the officers to manage the place. According to him, the movement of heavy vehicles in the CBD should be restricted more so during peak hours in an effort to control the snarl.

Lastly, Suddapalli Bhaskara Rao of Ruwi is quite certain that the posting of traffic police officers at the Sheraton crossing will ensure better management of traffic in Muscat.

The placement of traffic signals at close distances is also a problem that is responsible for the snarl according to Rao. Traffic officers will ensure the smooth flow of traffic as well as deal with those who neglect the traffic rules at the point.

The “The Godfather” movie is a showcase of film excellence. The research focuses on the mise-en-scéne (movie overview) of how a real life mafia family forces its illegal powers on the community. The research centers of the movie show the family as the driving force of many groups, especially the Corleone mafia family.

The “The Godfather” movie excellently complies with all award-winning influential characteristics of film production. Christian Messenger (2002) emphasizes the movie to be a mafia film genre. The film is based on a true story of a mafia family. The movie setting is within the United States.

Most of the actors are gangsters members eager to implement their evil deeds on society during the 1940s. The lighting is perfect; the scenes are excellently lighted to ensure all important details are seen by the movie viewers. The decors easily catapult the Godfather Movie goers back into the Early American period.

The movie props and scenes bring the reality of the 1940s New York era where internets and computers have not been invented yet (Phillips 2002). The costumes of the actors vividly show how people, specifically the 1940s mafia families of New York society lived. The movie scenes directly show the forceful power of the mafia families.

The Corleone mafia family focused on corrupting government officials, politicians and judges. The corruption was done to prevent the local government’s harassment of the mafia family’s illegal casino and bar businesses. The props and scenes also show the reality of the rivalry among the different mafia families fighting for or against the new drug trade.

The film focuses on Vito Corleone (played by Marlon Brando) as the Godfather. The Godfather’s son, Michael Corleone, is played by Al Pacino. Further, Mark Winegardner (2005) theorized the film’s editing was very appropriate. There is no scene that showed irregularities.

The story moved from one scene to another in exquisite fashion. There were no jumps or obvious mistakes as one scene moved on to the next scene. The movie viewers can easily get the flow of the story from the beginning to the end. There are no confusion mistakes precipitating into the film.

As proof, Marlon Brando won the best actor award for his efficient and effective role as the movie’s Godfather. In terms of editing, the movie editors effectively and efficiently corrected any editing errors caused by the lighting and other factors in the film production.

In the same manner, the movie editors effectively and efficiently refined the film quality output by choosing the appropriate props for each film scene. The editor was very proficient in ensuring that the costumes of the movie actors were very realistic when they avoided creating scenes that depicted the unprofessional imitations of the 1940s New York mafia crime era.

Furthermore, Mark Winegardner (2005) reiterated the sound used was very effective and efficient. The movie audiences can easily distinguish the words uttered by the actors. In fact, the movie audiences can effortlessly hear the word whispered by the different actors.

The movie goers will definitely admire the voice of Marlon Brando as he utters each word with sincerity, authority and professionalism. The Godfather’s voice is wonderfully characterized as distinctively authoritative. Initially, Michael Corleone speaks in a voice that shuns the evil deeds of his own family.

However, the murderous attacks by the rival mafia families on Michael’s father and the successful murder of his brother, Sonny (played by James Caan), promp Michael Corleone to seek revenge. Michael changes his manifesting voice from being a law –abiding citizen to sound and act as a person doing his share to kill the killers and other threats to the Coreleone family.

Furthermore, Vincent LoBrutto (2002) proposed the score elicited seriousness in the captivating Godfather movie’s audiences. The music played during the wedding of the Godfather’s daughter incorporates happiness to a murder- genre film. The Corleone family and their invited guests are seen dancing and drinking wine as the wedding unravels.

The music gets horrifyingly serious as the mafia murders are taking place. The music props the movie scenes to a higher level of professionalism. In terms of score, story, costumes, props, and other aspects of entertaining as well as informing the movie audiences on the realities of the Corleone mafia family’s criminal acts in New York during the 1940s.

The score catapults the film scenes to bring reality to the Godfather movie audiences. In the end, the movie audiences feel they received more than their movie ticket payments because of the excellently done score, story, costumes, props, and other aspects of entertaining as well as informing the Godfather movie.

Likewise, Vincent LoBrutto (2002) stated the film’s cinematography should receive a perfect scorecard rating. The movie cameras perfectly focused on the important parts of the Godfather movie. The movie cameras created film scenes that are very realistic.

The Godfather movie audiences will not feel they are watching the movie; the movie audiences are persuasively personally captivated by each cinematographically perfect movie scene. The lighting simulates a real life scenario. The movie film is not rushed or carelessly shot. The lenses of the film cameras were perfectly engineered to bring out a more realistic movie scene.

As proof, the Godfather movie won both the best picture award and the best actor movie award. The success of the movie triggered a popular demand for a sequel. In response, the Godfather II sequel and the Godfather III sequel were filmed to satisfy the movie goers’ popular demand. Also, Christian Messenger (2002) mentioned the film “The Godfather” was placed in context. The film focuses on the New York crime life.

The film depicted life during the 1940s. The film shows the human aspirations, hopes, and dreams of the 1940s era. The film focuses on the importance of each family member contributing one’s own share to ensure the family’s survival. The presenter of this essay has personal influences or biases that affected the presenter’s opinion.

The presenter abhors seeing and encouraging illegal acts. The father will do whatever it takes to protect one’s family. Similarly, the children will do their share to protect one’s family. Evidently, the film is poignantly enjoyable. The long wedding scene brings happiness, bright future, and hope to the mafia movie genre.

The revenge of Michael Corleone on the person who ordered the killing of his father, Marlon Brando, brings justice to the story. Michael avenged his father by killing the corrupt police officer and the enemy who ordered the killing of his father. In addition, the class lessons have changed my opinion on the film. The lessons show the painstakingly importance of perfection in the production of the movie.

The lessons placed importance on the synchronization among the actors to bring out the essence of the mafia genre story. The lessons place equal importance on all the work done behind the camera. It is highly recommended that the Godfather movie receive a perfect score of four for the movie.

The movie’s generating the best actor award shows how well the movie was made. The movie’s capacity to captivate the best picture award indicates the movie deserves the perfect rating. In addition, the film’s excellent depiction of a real 1940s mafia family in New York is one of the reasons precipitated to the movie’s success.

Based on the above discussion, the “The Godfather” movie is a symbol of film excellence. The movie overview vividly shows how a mafia family forces its illegal powers on the community. The movie characterizes the family as the driving force of the Corleone mafia syndicate. Indeed, the “The Godfather” movie excellently complies with all the award-winning influential facets of film production.

References

LoBrutto, V. (2002). The Filmaker’s Guide to Production Design. London: Skyhorse Press.

Messenger, C. (2002). The Godfather and American Culture. London: Suny Press.

Phillips, W. (2009). Film: An introduction (4th ed.). New York, NY: Bedford St. Martin’s.

Winegardner, M. (2005). The Godfather Returns. London: Random House Press.

The Roman Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum has had a great impact on western architecture. The construction of the three dimensional elliptical amphitheatre took place between 72 AD and 80 AD in Rome (Hopkins & Beard, 2011). The constructors used various materials such as concrete.

The concrete used was obtained from a local limestone lighter than marble laid the foundation of the Colosseum. In effect, using limestone in concrete gave the amphitheatre a strong foundation. The walls were made of marble and bricks while the floor was made of sand.

Sand in Latin is known as arena, thus, the English word arena has its origin from the Latin word of sand. The most distinct technique used in construction is the use of arches. Effectively, these arches allow the creation of wedges in the amphitheatre giving it the oval shape (Coarelli & Gabucci, 2001).

Morale in Rome was low due to the death of Emperor Nero, one of the Roman Emperors held in high regard. Therefore, Vespasian, the new emperor, had to find a way to restore the Romans’ morale. Subsequently, he destroyed the palace built by Nero and started the construction of the Colosseum. Effectively, the Colosseum is representative art depicting the greatness of Rome (Coarelli & Gabucci, 2001).

According to Hopkins and Beard (2011), the Colosseum depicts the might of the Roman Empire. Using arches in construction artistically reduced the weight of the building since the amount of materials required in construction reduced. Alternatively, the materials used in constructing the Colosseum were light enough to allow the amphitheatre stand without a lot of support.

In addition, the arches allowed support of the tiered seating. Moreover, the passageways of the arches allowed easy access in the amphitheatre. The Colosseum served the people of Rome in their best sporting activities organised by their leaders. In effect, the Colosseum is historically important in the construction of modern day sports stadiums such as modern football fields.

In addition, the artistic use of light materials in the construction of the Colosseum plays the traditional role of inspiring the modern day theatres and stadia construction (Coarelli & Gabucci, 2001).

The Doryphoros

The Doryphoros is a three dimension stone sculpture of a naked human-like six feet tall man standing. Polykleitos of Argos sculptured the Doryphoros using bronze between 480 BC and 415 BC. The main process of creating this masterpiece was by sculpturing. However, sculptures require addition techniques such as the knowledge of proportionality and balance in order to stand on its own.

Therefore, for Polykleitos to create a sculpture of a human being in what is known as a chiastic pose, technical expertise in proportionality was fundamental. On the other hand, the use of balance is evident in the sculpture since the weight of the body is on one foot, and the other foot is flexed at rest (Moon, 1995).

The Doryphoros depicts the principle of proportionality in a human figure on an individual capacity. In this regard, the sculpture is a classic example of representation art because it brings out the ideal attributes of the human being in terms of proportionality. The representation is further depicted by the sculpture’s creation in that; it follows the general attribute of the relationship in all human body parts once divided.

The sculpture is a quintessence of the perfect male human form. The perfect proportional body parts and the muscles define the beauty of an athlete in ancient Greece. In addition, the artistic impression of a cool and calm youthful demeanour of a nude man, presents a sensation of nobility the Greeks identified with.

In effect, this special identification differentiated the Greeks from what they called barbaric neighbours. In traditional Greek philosophy, beauty and the goodness in an individual went hand in hand; this is a character exemplified by the sculpture of Doryphoros. In addition, the artistic impression of Doryphoros as an attractive human being went in conjunction with perfection and morals of the Greeks, a religious philosophy among ancient Greeks (Moon, 1995).

References

Coarelli, F. & Gabucci, A. (2001).The Colosseum. Michigan: J. Paul Getty Museum Publishers.

Hopkins, K. & Beard, M. (2011). The Colosseum. London: Profile Books Limited.

Moon, W. G. (1995). Polykleitos, The Doryphoros, and Tradition. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press.

The distinction between great and mediocre art is often subjective and it often cannot be accurately determined by any qualitative or quantitative measurement. The articles presented in this packet touch upon a series of questions such as artistic taste, evaluation of art, and creative courage.

The central idea that the authors emphasize is that artists and critics should focus on what they consider to be beautiful, but not on the assessments made by other people who often can be biased, prejudiced, or simply superficial.

Both evaluation of art and creativity require freedom of mind, courage, and ability to go beyond the limits of convention. This is the main idea that permeates each of the readings.

The idea that the value of art cannot measured objectively is eloquently illustrated in the article by Jamie Katz who shows that how a seemingly ordinary painting can be transformed into a real masterpiece only because its authorship was attributed to Diego Velazquez (Katz, 62).

The main paradox is that for a long time, this picture did not attract the attention of art critics or historians, even though it was not hidden or concealed from them (Katz, 61).

It grew to fame only because a single person liked it and conjectured that it could have been created by a famous Spanish painter. The issue is that the painting, itself remained unchanged; it did not acquire any new qualities.

Although the author does not pose the question explicitly, the readers may ask themselves what might have happened to this painting if its authorship had not been ascertained. This example suggests that the value of an artwork is often determined on the basis of very subjective criteria.

This is why people should primarily pay attention to their own feelings about a certain work of art, rather than to the authoritative opinions of critics. The thing is that these people often change their opinions. People, who prefer to blindly follow popular trends, deprive themselves of an opportunity to see the value of art.

This idea is also reflected in the article Alice’s Wonderland written by Rebecca Mead. This author tells the story of a woman who attempts to establish her own art collection. Alice Walton did not wish to buy pictures that were popular among other art collectors or dealers; she decided to collect the paintings that she liked, namely those ones dedicated to American history (Mead, 34).

Certainly, Alice Walton could have made a different choice, for example, she could collect artworks that were praised by critics. Nevertheless, such a choice would run contrary to her own artistic sense. Again, this article illustrates an idea that people should be more independent or courageous when forming their judgment about a work of art.

Unfortunately, very often people are rather unwilling to make their own judgment about paintings, films, books, or musical compositions. This is a problem that has been relevant at any time or place. Moreover, it manifests itself in various areas of art.

Thus, this argument can be equally applied to people who are engaged in creative work. Adam Gopnik whose article focuses on van Gogh’s life and work, shows that an artists “bets his life” on his work (55). Moreover, not every person has the courage to depart from existing tradition and create art forms as it was done by Vincent van Gogh who was appreciated only by a very few people, for instance, Paul Gauguin.

He was an artist who realized that his paintings would not enjoy popularity during his lifetime. Moreover, he did not expect that his works would earn his material prosperity. In this article, Adam Gopnik describes his life as “making something that no one wants in the belief someone someday will” (55).

This quote indicates that art requires courage and determination, and these are the qualities that not everyone possesses. Under such circumstances, an artist has to follow instinct, intuition, and understanding of art. The choice made by Vincent van Gogh may not look very attractive to many artists who may prefer short-term popularity to the mere prospects or hopes of long-term recognition.

The majority of people are more likely follow an established trend instead of creating their own artistic style. Probably, the only thing that motivated van Gogh was hope that someday his paintings will find their audience. Such hope is not sufficient for the majority of people.

Creative courage is important for every form of art, including cinematography. In his article Method Man, John Lahr discusses the life and work of Elia Kazan. This person was able to find a new approach to filmmaking and it enabled many actors to show their best qualities.

Moreover, he helped many writers such as Tennessee Williams to improve their creative work (Lahr, 54). He can be regarded as a person who shaped modern cinematography, even though his methods were very popular.

Yet, the example of Elia Kazan shows that creative work can sometimes be the only thing that can defend a person. His testimony in HUAC (House Committee on Un-American Activities) ruined his reputation among other actors and directors (Lahr, 90). For many people, Kazan’s testimony equaled to betrayal of people who trusted him.

It is possible to provide several arguments in favor or against this decision. The ethical aspects of this testimony can be disputed from various perspectives. Yet, Elia Kazan justified it by his willingness to continue his work that he enjoyed most of all.

His films enabled him to withstand the criticism that he faced because of his testimony in HUAC (Lahr, 91). Again, one can remember about Adam Gopnik’s claim according to which an “artist bets his life” on his work (55).

This argument can be applied to Elia Kazan did not want sacrifice his work for the sake of his reputation and even friendship with many other people. Such a step can be taken only by a very few people. For such individuals their creativity and their work are probably the only things that make their life truly valuable.

Creativity and art critique require courage, determination, and sometimes even willingness to become isolated from others. An artist has to ready for misunderstanding or lack of appreciation. His or her understanding of art has to be the major guide.

Similarly, people, who want to make their own evaluation of art, must be able to take independent decisions that may run contrary to popular opinion. Such decisions also require courage and willingness to adhere to one’s artistic taste. Moreover, these articles also illustrate that an artist is a person who is willing to stake his life and reputation on his or her work.

Works Cited

Gopnik, Adam. “Van Gogh’s Ear: the Christmas Eve that changed modern art”. The New Yorker 4 Jan. 2010: 48-55. Print.

Katz, Jamie. “The Painting in the Cellar” Smithsonian Magazine 10 Apr. 2011: 61-66. Print.

Lahr, John. “Method Man: Elia Kazan’s singular career” The New Yorker 10 Dec. 2010: 88-94. Print.

Mead, Rebecca. “Alice’s Wonderland” The New Yorker 27 Jun. 2011: 28-34. Print.

The main idea of the essay The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction is that the traditional ritual meaning of art can be lost due to the modern technical facilities and chaotic print of the works. I consider this statement as a valid and well-grounded. For Benjamin, every work of art should be unique in order to create the spiritual connection with the audience. In the age of mass-products, the real value of art is neglected. Although reproducible works are popular and accessible, only original art has the ritual ground.

Although, in general, I agree with Benjamin, it would be wrong to insist upon the statement that all products of the mass-culture are empty and meaningless. The successful life of the reproductions, different interpretations of well-known works of art demonstrate a tendency of simplification of our life. It is the basic of modern civilization.

It is obvious that, seeing the authentic work, we can have more profound experience. However, in case if someone cannot visit the famous galleries, one has a possibility to become acquainted with the works of art by observing the reproductions. I think that the geographical distance is one of the key moments which should be taken into account, talking about the negative side of reproductions.

Benjamin says that all human artifacts can be repeated by other humans. However, the process of mechanical reproduction led to the enormous print. It is difficult to argue with the author, as today we are witness of the chaotic production of the famous pictures, for instance, Mona Lisa or Sunflowers of van Gogh on the paper, clothes, glasses, etc. But, also we can see that the mass-production became iconic for the whole population.

Therefore, it would be absolutely wrong to insist on the statement that modern art is something outlive and soulless. Perhaps, reproductions do not contain the same aura as the authentic works, but they still can inspire people.

I do not agree with the fears that reproduction can reduce a creation of the original works. In all times, people were appreciating the authentic works of great masters. Although, the mechanical print of the works of art have a significant influence, today, the originality is still essential and people of all nationalities admire the best examples of the world heritage that cannot be out-of-date, in spite of the world-wide prevalence of the secondary works and reproductions of the famous artifacts.

The Movie Fight club is popular among young people who are known for their reluctance to read. It retells the story from its original source of adaptation, a novel called Fight Club. The movie is full of violence, suspense and people who are disgruntled with modern social, political and economic systems.

There is a general suggestion in the movie that the answer to all these problems cannot be found through self improvement but through self destruction. It turns out that the protagonist has been inflicting self damage as the person he is fighting is no other than himself. The movie portrays the illogical overindulgence of men’s movement and the degrading effects of consumer culture.

In fight Club, Druden is symbolic of rebellious force dedicated to tearing down the unreliable and middling way of modern life. The violence shown in the movie depicts fabricated realities, materialism and consumerism that is often sold to the public through media commercials (Fincher, 1999).

Druden observes that he is part of what he calls middle children of history who have been raised by television to believe that they will at some point in their lives become rich and famous people, something that will never happen.

The movie rails against consumerism. When the protagonist discovers that his followers have discovered his true identity, he resolves to put an end to project mayhem (Fincher, 1999). Tyler is eventually isolated by this move and is left powerless both economically and politically.

His indifference towards suffering is symbolic of capitalism that ends’ being oppressive towards common workers by reducing them to objects whose sole purpose is to facilitate financial transactions. The family is not an exception in this absurd treatment of human beings by the capitalist system.

The protagonist notes that his own father managed family like a business entity by serially divorcing and starting up a new family at the end of every six years. He also notes that his father disappeared at some point in his lifetime; this is symbolic of removal of God from western civilization. The protagonist’s confusion leads him to be sexually attracted to Druden.

The movie uses political themes to show the future of contemporary politics. Like zeitgeist, the movie shows that authoritarian institutions evolved from revolutionary left-wing movements.

This suggests that people should not blindly follow today’s upcoming movements such as gay liberation, feminism, anti-globalization etc that purport to be a cure against postmodern political oppression. The proposed radical solution can turn out to be a permanent social and political problem should the cure fail to work (Fincher, 1999).

The final part of the movie ends where the protagonist realizes that Druden was his hallucination and that his total disappearance is conditional. He should not try to take any sleep inducing pills to solve his sleep problems. Any attempts to cure his alleged illness will only aggravate his sleep disorder which will only mean more schizophrenic hallucinations for him.

This is symbolic of solutions suggested by contemporary movements as to how the society should cure its political, social, economic and personal problems through unconventional means. The movie reflects zeitgeist by being able to highlight the decline of western culture and masculine crisis. It cautions people against overdependence on things and consumerism by extension.

Works Cited

Fincher, David, dir. Fight Club. Perf. Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, and Helena Bonham-Carter. 20th Century Fox: 1999. Film.

Thesis

Drumming is practised in a different manner among various communities depending with their corresponding traditions and music¹. The subject of drumming in Haiti, its transition and assimilation in Cuba, as well as its general effect on Cuban music will be analyzed within this paper.

The existence of various instruments in these two nations and the rest of the world creates another area that may require exploration. In connection, the significance of the analysis is discussed within the paper and further details given with regards to how drumming is done in the country: This led to the development of Afro Cuban jazz.

Drumming in Haiti is a section of culture that has significantly influenced music in the modern setting. A proper understanding of this art helps appreciate the Haitian culture, as well as recognize its influence on music. An extensive knowledge on the history of drumming in Haiti, the transition process, as well as the influence on modern music is essential for analyzing this topic.

In that sense, this paper will cover the history of drumming in Haiti, the different types of drums used as well as their rhythm and meaning to the cultures in Haiti and Cuba. The study also looks at the transition and effect of the art in Cuba and how other cultures borrowed from this Haitian way of life.

Introduction

Music involves the use of various types of instruments in order to bring out its desired elements. The drum is played either by the use of a stick or directly by the player’s hands.According to various sources, the use of drums for musical purposes is known as drumming.

Drumming in Haiti began as a normal practice during Vodou, which is a sacred performance linked with the henotheistic religion. However, the practice transitioned to Cuba with time and led to the emergence of afro Cuban jazz. From that point, many other cultures borrowed the custom, which is currently a common practice around the world.

Haitian Vodou

Brief history

As a developing country, Haiti’s economy grew from the days of slavery that was conducted by slave dealers. The slaves fetched from Africa would have a stopover in this region bordering the Caribbean Sea and Cuba. The slaves had their way of worship.

However, this was considered backward by the westerners who imposed Catholicism to the slaves². The slaves, for that matter, established ways of worship that would deceive the slave dealers in order to worship their gods secretively.

The African slaves used various types of drums to call on different spirits. In addition, the assigned names to spirits, and call on them for guidance and protection. More so, they consulted the spirits that are believed to grace their ceremonies, which resulted in the emergence of voodoo.

Drumming as a culture

Haiti is a country known for its emphasis on culture and the continued practice of various rituals borrowed from the ancient Haitians. Vodou, also referred to as voodoo is a practise commonly associated with Haitian culture.

The practice is normally considered an exotic perception associated with black magic due to its involvement with the spirit world. However, it is difficult to ascertain the validity of the statement as local participants refer to it as clean practice or culture.

Haitians use drumming as a method of connecting with the spirits with an aim of inviting them into their ceremonies. The involvement of the media in practice imprints this notion of black magic to various people. However, the practice of voodoo goes back to over 6000 years and has its roots in Benin, West Africa³.

The practice of music remains an integral part of the voodoo religion in Haiti. Voodoo as practised in Haiti has rich rhythms and beats that have characterised Haitian culture for ages. The religion remains an integral part of Haitian culture to-date despite the misconceptions from other religions.

It still incorporates the use of drums and various other instruments. However, it is necessary to note that the extensive use of different drums in voodoo ceremonies has helped to transform the culture⁴.

Aspects of Haitian music

Drums

The use of drums is symbolic in many traditional cultures. They were mainly used to mark religious ceremonies. In jazz, the use of the name “drum” refers to a host of drums used to produce a rhythm or used together in a certain performance.

Drumming as a form art practised in Haiti involved the use of various types of drums. They were mainly used for voodoo, a religious ceremony unique with the Haitians.

The drums used in voodoo integrate various techniques that are distinctive to the skill of play. For instance, the Siye is a technique used by the player in voodoo. It involves wiping a drum from an edge to the centre using the fingers to produce a distinctive moaning sound that adds to the rhythm.

These drums were divided into groups in accordance with the spirits they were used to summon. The drums commonly used include the Tanbou, Ti Baka, and Maman among others.

In a real life situation, each drum corresponds to the existing spirits; hence, determines the purposes attached for each drum. Some were played in singular while others were played in groups consisting of a number of drums.

For instance, there are groups that are referred to as:

• The Rada Batterie
• The Petwo battier

The conga drums

The Rada Batterie:

This assembly of drums includes three drums. These are the Maman, Boula and the Segon. This ensemble included other instruments. In this study, however, the focus is put on the drums. The similarity of the three drums is their conical and slender nature, which has also been replicated among several drums globally.

The Maman:

Maman is French word meaning mother. The Maman is the tallest, as well as the deepest sounded member of the three drums within the group. For that matter, it plays the leader’s role in Haitian drumming and specifically in this group of drums.

It is believed to take its cue from the ceremony’s officiating priests, as well as the present spirits. Over several decades, the drum has been used among the people; hence, it is recognized as one of the best drums within the region. In fact, its magnificent look has attracted several replications around the world.

The other uniqueness is its play in that the weaker hand of the player taps the drum directly while the stronger hand plays it with a stick (Baget) of different shapes to produce clicking sounds. While playing the instrument, the player uses both hands, or does it in intervals.

The Segon:

Segon is derived from a French word that means second. It was the middle drum in the group in terms of the role-played and size. It served to produce a base for the Maman to generate its counterpoint. The Maman, just like the Maman, was originally played with bare hands and a stick, but the style of the stick was noticeably different.

The evolvement of music led to the Segon being played with bare hands, specifically in the USA. Recent developments have also seen the Segon replaced with the conga (see picture 1) drums, which are a common feature in both Haiti and the USA today.

The Boula:

This drum remains the smallest in terms of size and the role-played in the assembly of the three. It serves to boost the rhythm by playing the famous ostinato pattern. The player uses two sticks to play the Boula unlike the Maman and the Segon.

The Boula produces an extremely high tone but in agreement with the other two drums. However, Boula’s parts look effortless as compared to the other drums. However, first-class knowledge is required to play it correctly.

The Petwo Batterie:

This group originally consists of two drums, which include the Ti Baka and Gwo Baka. The drums resemble the modern congas but are slender and have slightly tapered bottoms than the modern congas. Therefore, it takes a fully oriented person to identify the difference between some of these drums.

They two drums resemble in appearance; however, are of different dimensions. The skins for the drums have counter hoops made from stiff vines. Their function is to stretch the skin by aid of an existing rope. In addition, there exist wooden wedges lying inside the drum with an adjustable rope for controlling the tension of the skin.

However, the evolvement of music has seen the addition of a drum referred to as Kata to this group. As such, these drums produce a high tone and lead the other instruments in the ensemble. The player uses two sticks. This drum is claimed to hugely increase the rhythm of any music it is added to by the musicians and audience who have listened or played it.

The Tanbou:

This is one of the most common drums played in Haiti. This drum traces its origin to ancient African’s systems of Vodun⁶. It remains a key instrument in the production of various rhythms. In addition, the Tanbou is easy to play, as its techniques are straightforward.

It is a main indicator of the continued preservation of ancient Haitian culture despite the apparent modernization in other communities. The Tanbou is referred to as the Haitian drum due to its role in culture preservation⁵.

Rhythm

The rhythm emerging from the various instruments used is of enormous importance to the Haitian people. Therefore, the differences existing between these rhythms determine the drums that should be used for the various functions.

The rhythm determines the drum and not the other way round. The rhythms in Haiti remain classified and grouped in families according to their regions of origin. The main rhythms include the Petwo family, Dahomey, and YaYa TiKongo families.

The Petwo family:

This rhythm family originates from the southern and central regions of Haiti. The drums in this rhythmic family are played after heating in order to generate the required rhythm.Rhythms in this order include the Kita rhythm. The Kita rhythm involves playing of dual goatskin drums by the use of hands only.

Dahomey and YaYa TiKongo families:

These two families consist of rhythms originating from northern Haiti. The Dahomey rhythm involves the playing of triple cow-skin drums using sticks. Rhythms integrated in this family include the Wandjalé and Chasè among others.

Meaning of the drums and rhythms

The drums and rhythms in Haiti are mainly used for voodoo ceremonies, which are prevalent within the country. The Haitians held such ceremonies with an aim of inviting the spirits that they worshipped so that they could receive guidance and protection from such spirits.

As such, it is correct to note that different rhythms generated from a variety of drum combinations were used to summon various spirits. However, several sources indicate that the Haitians use the drums and rhythms for a number of functions other than as an inducement for spirits.

Transition to Cuba

Cuba borders the Caribbean Sea Haiti.. The slave dealers used these two regions to enhance slavery as a practice. These slaves brought various cultures from their different countries to Cuba. Haiti and Cuba interacted in various activities such as trade. The interactions of various slaves with various musical cultures led to the integration of practises found in the various ways of lives in both Cuba and Haiti.

In addition, these interactions caused the filtration of various cultural practises to either side of the countries with time. Key to these cultural practises is drumming.

The afro-Cuban jazz

The afro-Cuban jazz is a form of Latin jazz that originated from the fusion of different African musical cultures. Afro-Cuban jazz involves the use of various musical gadgets such as the piano, congas and drums. These drums came about from their use by the slaves in Haitian culture.

Musicians accepted and redeveloped this form of music to afro- Cuban jazz around 1943. Afro Cuban jazz remains a common practice in modern day. It is practised both in Cuba as well as other countries such as the United States if America⁶.

The spread of Haiti/Cuba drumming rituals

The Haiti/Cuba rituals are practised in various countries in the modern world. The use of Haitian drums in countries such as the USA amongst others shows a filtration of the culture to other nations.

This happens due to the interaction of various cultures in multinational activities that such as sports, and many other activities. As a matter of fact, these drums prevalent in the modern world, and are frequently used for varying purposes⁷.

Conclusion

Drumming is an art that is still practised in the modern world. Various cultures borrowed from this culture due to its rich history and uniqueness. The widespread use of drumming in religion in Africa and the rest of the world serves to cement the influence of this culture.

It is therefore realistic that the Haitian and Cuban cultural practices have had a significant influence on several societies, which have adopted the use of their instruments.

Bibliography

Brill, Mark. Music of Latin America and the Caribbean. New Jersey: prentice hall, 2011.

Gebert, Lizabeth. Displacements and transformations in Caribbean cultures. Florida: University Press of Florida, 2008.

Geggus, David. The world of Haitian revolution. Indiana: Indiana University press, 2009.

Kallen, Stuart. Voodoo. Michigan: Lucent books, 2005. “List of Caribbean Membranophone.” Wikipedia. Accessed from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Caribbean_membranophones.

Manuel, Peter. Creolizing Contradance in the Caribbean. Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2009.

Prahlad, Anand. The greenwood encyclopaedia of African American folklore. Oxford: Greenwood press, 2006.

Footnotes

1. Peter Manuel, Creolizing Contradance in the Caribbean (Philadelphia: Temple University Press, 2009), 23-29.
2. David Geggus, The world of Haitian revolution (Indiana: Indiana university press, 2009), 55-66.
3. Anand Prahlad, The greenwood encyclopaedia of African American folklore (Oxford: Greenwood press, 2006), 102-107.
4. Stuart Kallen, Voodoo (Michigan: lucent books, 2005), 22-24.
5. “List of Caribbean Membranophone,” Wikipedia.
6. Mark Brill, Music of Latin America and the Caribbean (New Jersey: prentice hall, 2011), 33-34.
7. Lizabeth Gebert, Displacements and transformations in Caribbean cultures (Florida: University Press of Florida, 2008), 44-48.

Tintoretto’s Susannah and the Elders takes as its topic the Apocryphal tale of an honorable young Jewish matron sexually blackmailed by elderly public servants and saved from execution by Daniel’s literally divinely inspired interrogation . Tintoretto chooses the moment when Susannah’s lustful admirers try to spy on her while bathing, to encapsulate the longer story and showcase a stunning nude in a private moment.¹

With a cramped focus and high contrast in brightness, it is superbly effective at riveting the eye on the gleaming skin of the heroine and providing a sense of impending doom for the dutiful woman.

The picture thus succeeds admirably at capturing the materiality of glowing fleshskin, water, silver, mirror, and greenery, while still being very clearly much an artificial construct of the studio and paintbrush, because the artist’s most urgent purpose is to explore and represent a magnificent woman’s figure.

Although probably originally much brighter, the colors nonetheless seem muted. The natural items pictured; for example, vines, trees, and duck pond, exhibit the same color intensity and range as the bodies and bald head of the dirty-old-men magistrates.

The only exceptions seem to be the glowing body of Susannah, and her “ornaments of display”². This is a clear signal of the artifice of the artist, but it does not detract from the picture, because these elements of the setting merely set off and highlight the nude’s serene self-absorption.

These muted background colors, combined with the nude’s brilliant paleness, focus attention on her. The lurking perverts are almost a second thought, concealed behind the fragile-seeming espaliered wall, and blending in, as they do, with the underbrush³. For the artist, they are less interesting than the central figure, and their lack of obtrusiveness both fits the narrative and helps attention to concentrate on Susannah.

The clothing of the left-hand elder forms a pumpkin-colored mass, with a fungus-like bare pate thrusting out towards the viewer. This figure appears to be the ground to the left of the espaliered wall .⁴ The figures and objects in the landscape are clearly delineated with both line and hue.

The most striking example of this, apart from Susannah, is this mushroom-like elder’s cranium, outlined perhaps with a brush, to distinguish it from the background.

Figuring out this background takes effort. Unlike in a Da Vinci, such as La Gioconda (or Mona Lisa) wherein the landscape, although not always strictly realistic, is at least plausible, the background seems almost irrelevant.

Susannah’s setting evokes, for modern viewers, simplified theatre-in-the-round sets: the vining plants espaliered onto the (notably skinny⁵) wall are the only explic. It reference to an orchard sweltering in the full heat of summer, as the Biblical story indicates.

However, her small supposedly private space is beautifully detailed, and this draws the eye to admire her body and to the intimate personal objects next to her feet. This is not the way space presents itself to the eye in the natural world, and is clearly showing the imprint of the artist, but it works to create a sort of tunnel vision on the naked beauty.

The space in the painting seems very shallow, in spite of the vistas of garden and pond visible to the rear. The attention of the painter and of the viewer is funneled dramatically in on the constricted bathtub-sized area where Susannah is bathing.⁶

This cramping really leaves Susannah with nothing to do but give herself a sponge bath and admire herself⁷ Since the artist is not as concerned with the action of the narrative as he is with exploring the pleasure of a lovely woman revealed, the claustrophobic space is not a detriment.

The light is uniform and nearly directionless. The body of Susannah is bright but without any indication of the source of illumination. From the artist’s perspective, since his goal is the elevation of her form, this otherworldly illumination is not a drawback.

It is in the use of reflective surfaces that the Venetian touch is perhaps most evident. The mirror could enhance beauty, reveal something not otherwise visible to the viewer, or tell some moral truth⁸ Susannah’s mirror reflects only her toiletries and towel, not her nakedness.⁹

This habit of the Venetian painters of titillating expectations using mirrors and then disappointing them or fulfilling them in unexpected ways is described by Cranston. The light reflects from the shiny pate of her Peeping Tom, too.

The water reflects her thigh as well as the rocks or hummocks on which Susannah is sitting. It is clear, lucid, clean-looking, and still. Tintoretto uses a very thin line of blue-tintedish white to delineate where the water surface is broken.

The actual water of Venice would have been darker¹⁰, and opaque.¹¹ A and additionally, as Hills points out, the tidal waters would have been moving.¹²

All this play with reflection is a tour-de-force, a demonstration of the artist’s mastery of the medium. It also fits into the pattern set by other Venetian painters such as Titian, of using reflections to send a variety of messages about reality, truth, identity, age, beauty, purity and deity, as detailed by Cranston. The subtext of the mirror, which is a very artificial element in the painting, would not be missed; the nude at the center of the picture is self-sufficient

Although neither artist’s brushwork nor the canvas substrate is obtrusive in this, painting, the use of canvas rather than board represents a new direction for Venetian artists . It was appropriate to the locale. It is not a fresco, which would be appropriate for the dry mountainous area of Florence, and the canvas was apparently a better match with the wet environment of Venice.

Tintoretto’s use of oil-based paint was also part of a growing trend away from tempura at the time. This medium may explain the fact that most of the scene appears to be viewed through smoked glass.¹³

The tea-dipped atmosphere, everywhere but the figure of Susannah, endows the scene with antiquity and unreality. It is yet another way to focus the eye on her beauty, or what Tintoretto presents as her beauty. Her muscular appearance seems to reflect his lack of female nude models.¹⁴ As a result, although magnificent, she suggests a man with breasts added.

This problem does not apply to her lovely face and elaborately braided hair, however, and the overall effect is one of sensuality.¹⁵ Here again, whether we notice that the lighting and color seem like artifacts of the studio, or ignore it, Susannah as an almost sculptural nude is the central point of the picture, not the realism of her setting or female secondary sexual characteristics.

There are a number of objects clamoring for tactile appreciation: beads, delicate linen cloth, and silver containers all suggest the merchant wealth of Venice. The water looks deliciously cool and clean to touch or drink. However, in general, it is Susannah’s own flawless, and uniformly- colored, flesh that appeals most strongly to the sense of touch.

How the picture balances the challenge on the one hand; representing material things, people, and places and on the other hand; being a made, material item is, as for all paintings of that era – and perhaps all paintings of all times – a work in progress; a continual striving. Although the scene is, overall, not very naturalistic, and seems to reflect some sort of studio set, this does not detract from the impact of the picture.

Susannah almost floats above the hummocks, and only her submerged leg seems to actually touch the surface of the planet. It seems likely that her figure was sketched and perhaps pre-painted from a model in a studio, not in any sort of outdoor setting. The physical location of her observers also seems uncertain and uncommitted. They are part of the substance of her landscape rather than actors in her surrounding setting.

However, none of this diminishes how the composition involves the viewer in the heroine’s quiet moment of comfort and relief from the heat. In a more modern painting, with no need to justify a nude, no surroundings would even be needed. Her observers could appreciate her beauty¹⁶ without backstory or moral lesson.

As a painting, in an era when artists attempted to portray the material world with maximum fidelity, while also conveying multiple layers of deliberate meaning and spiritual truths, this painting it shows its craft; its materiality. The cues to the fact that this is a painting include the vagueness of the perspective, the loose relationship between the figures and gravity, the mysteriously source-less lighting, and the masculine proportions of the studio nude.

However, Tintoretto captures with loving accuracy her peaceful, contented expression, her gleaming trinkets, their peekaboo in her mirror, the fragility of her towel, the subtle feel of still water on skin, and water reflecting skin.

The result of the artist’s artifice is a frankly erotic glimpse into the private toilette of a lovely woman possessing enviably beautiful (or desirable, depending on one’s gender) skin, hair, and easy acceptance of self, in an all-too-fleeting moment, in a setting that is almost irrelevant in its admittedly loose connection to nature or reality.

Works Cited

Cranston, Jodi. The Muddied Mirror: Materiality and Figuration in Titian’s Later Paintings. State College: Pennsylvania State University Press, 2010. Print.

Da Vinci, Leonardo. Mona Lisa. The Louvre, Paris. Oil on Wood. 2012.

De Young Family Foundation. “The Novelty of Painting in Oil on Cavas.” 2012. De Young Family Foundation. Web.

Hills, Paul. Venetian colour:marble, mosaic, painting and glass, 1250-1550. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1999. Print.

Knickerbocker, Amy. “Tintoretto’s “Susanna and the Elders“: Image vs. Text, Part II.” 2012. Artist in an A-Frame. Web.

Larmann, Ralph. Painting in Renaissance Art. 2012. Web.

Raffety, Michael. “Masters of Venice Show Brings Paintings Never Before Seen In USA.” 2011. Mountain Democrat Newspaper. Web.

Reisch, Bruce I. and Philip Stewart. Grape Breeding. 2001. Web.

The Holy Bible. “The Book of Susannah Chapter 1.” King James Version. Vol. Apocrypha. University of Virginia, 2012. Web.

Tintoretto. Susannah and the Elders. Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna. Oil on canvas.

Titian. Venus with a Mirror. Natonal Gallery of Art, Washington. Oil on Canvas. 2012. Web.

Women’s Health Information & Resource Center. Our Bodies, Ourselves. 2012. Web.

Footnotes

• ¹ This piece may have been meant to be a sort of private erotica for one of the wildly successful Venetian traders.
• ² Bath linens, cosmetics, and jewelry; all those conspicuous consumption trifles scattered on the ground.
• ³ Perhaps Tintoretto is making the point that a beautiful woman’s personal landscape is going to inevitably include the lustful gaze of men.
• ⁴ These are vines of uncertain species, with a flower that is not unambiguously that of a grape. In fact there is little to suggest an orchard, but perhaps the translation should be ‘garden’, or even ‘’arboretum’, since there were both mastic and holm trees mentioned in the Biblical storyon the property.
• ⁵ This insubstantial wall may reflect the Venetian tendency to build thin-walled, light filled structures that did not weigh heavily on the human-created real estate.
• ⁶ This space actually seems small by comparison to many modern spa-style bathtubs designed for use in private homes.
• ⁷ The mirror is set up in such a fashion that it could have captured aspects of Susannah which are normally not seen by oneself, This sort of potential for self-scrutiny eerily foreshadows the sort of female auto-examination made popular by that perennial 1970s classic “Our Bodies, Ourselves”. It is appealing to wonder whether the artist was hinting at such a thing for the prurient benefit of his wealthy patron/customer.
• ⁸ Cranston notes the possibility that Venus is reflected at a more advanced age in the mirror, in Titian’s Venus with a Mirror, also known as the Mellon Venus
• ⁹ It is interesting to wonder whether this innocent image tells us that Susannah is entirely virtuous and free of any forbidden desires
• ¹⁰ It would reflect the dark bottom,
• ¹¹ It would carry the centuries-old load of human waste and detritus.
• ¹² The winds, tides, or activity of boats would generate ripples, even waves, on the surface of the sea.
• ¹³ Well conserved Florentine tempura paintings or frescos have an almost Crayola-like brightness, with jewel tones and a brightness of color that seems absent from this Tintoretto
• ¹⁴ This was a common problem at the time, due to prohibitions against a man seeing a woman other than his wife undressed. There is another layer of potential meaning, however, suggested by the inclusion in Cranston of the words of Ghiberti regarding his erotic response to a hermaphroditic statue. Is it possible that this sort of cross-gender appeal was embedded in this and other nudes of ambiguous gender?
• ¹⁵ In fact, in the context of today’s world, with female athletes and body builders advocating strongly for a more inclusive perspective on womanly attractiveness, her appearance of physical strength is rather appealing. She would make a valuable addition to the rowing team of any college.
• ¹⁶ Of her face and hair (the body would be a true woman’s body in a more contemporary treatment).