One thing that strikes me as funny before I begin is the similarity of the two titles of the pieces being compared. Despite coming from different cultures the meaning gathered just from comparing the titles is quite uncannily analogous. When translated to English, “Quitate Tu” means, in essence, “get out of here,” or “leave.” “Move,” on the other hand, is quite self explanatory, but it could mean one of two things. The first could be the parallel meaning to “Quítate Tu.” However, the second meaning could imply movement as that carried out during dance. All trivial analysis of the titles aside, these two pieces belong to two distinctly different cultures yet contain many similar elements. Nonetheless, the very dissimilar treatment of these elements gives the two pieces tremendous differences.
The first piece, titled “Quítate Tu,” is a salsa tune. It was composed by Bobby Valentín and Johnny Pachecho, the bassist and director, respectively, of the group who perform this song, the Fania All-Stars. The salsa genre comes from Latin culture and is a combination of many Latin rhythms and previously existing genres. The salsa movement exploded in New York City in the late 60’s and early 70’s, which is the time period of this recording, which was captured live in a ballroom/dance club called The Cheetah.
The second piece is “Move,” by Miles Davis and is taken from his album Birth of the Cool. However, the composer was not Davis but a fellow by the name of Denzil Best. The piece was recorded in 1949 during the hey-day of the cool jazz movement, a genre which arose during the Second World War. This album is considered one of the main representations of the genre, and achieved widespread popularity during that time.
The main elements that I will mention are the use of syncopation in both the bass lines and the melody, the texture of the pieces, solos and improvisation, form, instrumentation, and finally, the musical purpose, and how all the previous elements determine the way the piece is listened to and used.
In salsa, the syncopation takes place in a distinct manner, much different from that of American jazz such as in “Move.” The bass line in salsa is the voice that carries out much of the syncopation. This is because the rhythm section produces the background music upon which the audience dances. Without the syncopation provided, the crowd would not be able to dance to salsa in the particular style that has been developed for this genre. Another point to take into account is that there is an ostinato bass line. Therefore, the examples of syncopation are repeated over and over throughout the song, with only the chords and notes varying. However, the melodic voice usually does not have much syncopation, and the accents usually fall on the beats. Excerpt A1
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| This is the main vocal melody of “Quítate Tu.” The lyrics say: “Quítate tu pa’ ponerme yo, quítate tu. Quítate tu pa’ ponerme yo, quítate tu.” |
In jazz, and specifically “cool” jazz, such as that which Miles Davis wrote and performed uses syncopation in a much different way. The rhythm section, as opposed to the rhythm section in Latin ensembles, plays straight quarter notes, keeping the pulse and beat, and tying the ensemble down. Upon this rhythmic base is the melodic theme of the song, played by the brass section. The melodic line is the line which contains syncopation in “Move.” Also, apart from the actual melodic theme presented in the song, there are many instances of improvisation, and during these plenty of syncopation is used, offsetting the beat of the melody and making it more interesting for the listener. Excerpt B1
The texture of both pieces is also similar. Both pieces feature a homophonic texture, with a rhythm section, featuring drums, bass, and piano, laying down a background, and a melodic voice presenting the main theme over the rhythm. This texture is used widely, especially in popular music, because of its simple nature, and because it allows for a distinct melody to be presented, and hook the listener.
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| The first four bars of the main melody of “Move” played by the horns. Shows the amount if syncopation used. |
Both pieces, “Quítate Tu” and “Move,” feature a wide use of improvisation. However, in the first piece, most of the improvisation is done with vocals. In this song, the singers are on the spotlight and the rest of the band takes the back seat, letting them lead the crowd and get them riled up. However, in the second song, “Move,” most of the improvisation is done by brass instruments such as trumpets. The solos in “Move” are based on the pre established theme and chords that have already been presented. Excerpt B2 In both cases the solos are used in order to add a sense of unpredictability for the listeners, and to show of the musicianship, and in the case of the singers, humor, of the performers. Also, in the case of “Quítate Tu,” the improvisation is used to remove the tediousness of a 16 minute song. Excerpt A2
The form of both pieces is quite different as well. “Quítate Tu” is a live recording, in a dance hall. I think it is reasonable to assume that there was much dancing going on, judging from the genre of music, as well as the warm crowd reception in the recording. The song has been written in such a way that the form is simple and straightforward, so as to not detract from the rhythmic patterns that keep the dancers going. The form then, is a simple sequence of verse-chorus-verse-chorus, with no changes during the piece. This keeps the dancers going and does not distract them from the task at hand, having a good time on the dance floor. However, in order to avoid having the piece become monotonous and seemingly unending, the verse is made up entirely of vocal improvisation, and many of the singers incorporate humor into their parts. This helps to keep the piece from falling into a mundane sequence.
The form of “Move,” on the other hand, is quite different to that of the latin piece. “Move” is a 32 bar song, a form very widely used during this time period, and for this genre of music. This and the 12 bar blues form were the two standard forms for jazz music. The 32 bar song is effective because it exposes the main themes clearly and concisely, and the melody is almost always catchy and snappy. It is a simple form used mainly in pop music, so it is not overly complicated or convoluted.
The instrumentation of both ensembles also varies quite a bit, with the “Quítate Tu” featuring a typical Latin salsa ensemble, and “Move,” a classic jazz performance ensemble. The Latin ensemble features a wide percussion body, with multiple musicians. These musicians play instruments the clave, timbales, cowbells, conga, bongo, maracas, and güiro. Also in the rhythm section is the bass, and the piano. Melodically, instruments such as the trombone, trumpet, and vocals are the main players, but there is also another instrument featured, similar to the guitar, called the cuatro.
The ensembles in “Move” uses a drum set, bass, and piano to provide the rhythmic base, while the trumpets, trombone, French horn, tuba, alto and tenor saxophone provide the harmony and melody. All in all, a classic jazz ensemble.
The musical purpose of the pieces is achieve by using the elements in different ways. The purpose of “Quítate Tu” is very different from the purpose of “Move,” and this can be seen immediately once the piece starts. It is evident at the start of the Latin piece that it is a live setting, and the hustle and bustle make it seem almost like a party. This, in reality, is not far from the truth. The concerts and shows that bands like the Fania All-Stars played were, in essence, parties. Salsa music is made for dancing, and this is the main activity at these events. All the elements of music analyzed point toward this point. For example, the tempo is significantly slower than that of “Move”, facilitating the dance steps. The length of the piece is a very good indicator that this is a piece to dance to. “Quítate Tu” clocks in at a whopping 16 minutes and 45 seconds. It is evident that a salsa song this long, that does not feature many rhythmic and melodic changes is played in a live setting and for the sole purpose of dancing. Also, the form, as discussed earlier, is quite repetitive, making for a simple song that lends itself well to dancing. The syncopation in the bass line is like the compass for the dancers. It is what guides the dancers in their endeavor. As long as the bass lands on beat one, the dancers will be able to find the groove and move along to the music.
It would be quite difficult to try to dance to the jazz piece due to the quick tempo. It would also be quite amusing to watch hundreds of dancers in a crowd shuffle along to this song. However this is not the purpose of “Move,” which belongs to the cool jazz genre. All the musical elements point towards the fact that the piece should be enjoyed as a pop song. The song is quite short, especially when compared the first song. “Move” is 2 minutes and 35 seconds, giving it a brief and concise aspect, like many other pop songs of that time and even today. The bass line does not feature much syncopation, if any, because it is a walking line, and serves as the base for the melodic line. This is a quintessential pop song, and the use of the elements of music proves this.
Both pieces, “Quítate Tu” and “Move,” use many of the same musical elements, however, the way in which these elements are applied differs tremendously, and the cultural differences make the pieces even more distinct. These are two pieces, highly typical of each respective genre, that work as models for other songs of the same style.
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Full recording. |
Full recording. |
Bibliography
“Move,” Birth of the Cool, Miles Davis.
“Quítate Tu,” Fania All-Stars Live at the Cheetah Volume 1, Fania All-Stars.
Miller, Terry, and Andrew Shahriari. World Music A Global Journey. 1st ed. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.
World Music The Rough Guide. 1st ed. London: Rough Guides Ltd., 1994. Print.
Davis, Miles, and Troupe Quincy. Miles: The Autobiography. 1st ed. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1990. Print.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cool_jazz
Images
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http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/a8/Birth_of_the_Cool.jpg
http://es.woodbrass.com/images/woodbrass/GUIRO+LP+243.JPG
http://www.queeninstrumentosmusicales.cl/nuevo/nuevocarrito2/images/cuatro_ven_nacio.jpg
http://xenical120mg.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/doc-1450.jpg
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fa/Miles_Davis_by_Palumbo.jpg
