Voices ResourcesA website for the worldwide community around the journal Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy

The large room was full of people: Argentineans, Brazilians, Chileans, a Cuban, a Peruvian and Uruguayans. Sorry, and a British/American: Clive Robbins, the main guest of the Congress. They included music therapists: professionals and students; psychologists, musicians, music educators, and other professionals interested in music therapy.

The Congress was over. The central door had been closed. Something was about to happen. There was a mysterious atmosphere. All foreigners who came to Montevideo (Uruguay) were anxious. What would the surprise be? Suddenly, the big door was open and many men, only men, started singing. They entered the room parading along the corridor, dancing, playing instruments and singing, getting the Uruguayans - who knew the lyrics - to sing enthusiastically and, all of us, to dance together.

The potent voices were opera like, with a very good emission. Their intensity led us to imagine they were singing in the street - in a fortissimo. Their clothes were long, very colorful and their faces painted as colorful as their clothes, but with non-symmetrical designs.

Arriving at the stage, they continued singing, dancing and playing for a long time. And we, Brazilians - almost the only non-Spanish speakers in South America -, although living in the same continent, were surprised at this special and almost unknown (for us) musical/cultural manifestation, which is a part of the Uruguayan Carnival.

But, this space was the same stage where many music therapists paraded presenting their works; sharing their ideas, and where many discussions had taken place. They were the narrators of the present Latin American Music Therapy History, which is sometimes voiceless on the international scene, where Spanish is not one of the official languages in World Congresses.

From here on, I would like to join in - as someone who sings from Latin America - forming a choir, with the Voices of De Backer and Sutton, who explored the subject of the use of English by non-English Speakers, in a Main Issue published in March (2004).

They presented, in that article, "a good overview of the difficulties of using English as a first, second or third language". But, here, this problem will be discussed only from the point of view of those who have this language as the second or don't have access to it.

English is sometimes, the only official language of music therapy international congresses and it is a big problem for some who intend to take part in these events. Music therapists know it is important to understand and speak this language to be part of 'the international music therapy scene', as the above authors say; or, to be up to date about what is happening around the world, being able to read in English and, what is most difficult, to write in English, if they wish to share or exchange their ideas with other professionals.

Music therapists should be aware that those who cannot understand, speak or read in English will be isolated from the rest of the music therapy world. But, in the international congresses, the organizers could make an effort, in order to have, at least, the main conferences translated to Spanish or to other languages spoken by the majority of music therapists who attend the congresses.

It is interesting to remember that the World Federation of Music Therapy has some guidelines and requirements in its Constitution, about proposals to host the world congress and, one of them is that "plenary sessions should be in English, Spanish and the language of the host country". But, there is an observation about Spanish, that is, "depending on reasonable numbers of Spanish speaking participants at the congresses". This is a very difficult point because when music therapists from countries where Spanish is the language don't see it as one of the official languages in the information folder of a congress, they don't make their enrolments. The World Federation also says: "every effort should be made to provide simultaneous or consecutive translation at all other sessions". However, knowing that the simultaneous translation is the most expensive in a congress, I consider it an impossible point to follow. But, alternatives can be found as such, for example, having bilingual music therapists or music therapy students doing this work.

Although English isn´t the most spoken mother-tongue in the world, it is the dominant language and the common one for music therapy. Then, at this time, while the inclusion is being discussed worldwide, it would also be important to consider the possibilities to include not only Spanish speakers, but, also, those from other languages, to join the music therapy international community.

But, it is also important that music therapists be aware that they also have to make an effort in order to understand and speak English better, so they can share their ideas, and be included in this kaleidoscope of sounds and cultures, in which music therapists from around the world form part.

But, coming back to Murga, I have to say that there are many types of it, and among them, those, which present the main events of a society, giving entertainment or giving voices to protests. Now, it can give Voices to congratulate and acknowledge the hosts of the Latin American music therapist´s community in Uruguay: Mayra Hugo (Uruguayan) and Diego Shapira (Argentinean) and their team, organizers of the II Congreso Latino Americano de Musicoterapia, held last July.

Glossary

1. La Murga

   When the first Spanish settlers arrived in Uruguay from the Canary Islands they brought La Murga with them - a phenomenon of the carnival which has a dynamic form and where different elements of music-theatre are valued equally: the poetry, the narration, the dance, the music, the picturesque words, the clothes and commedia dell'arte. Its history is old, as old as that of the carnivals.

   The Uruguayan people developed their own form of La Murga combining a cappella singing with rhythms imported to Uruguay by the African slaves. Modern Murga interpolates absurd and grotesque elements with songs and stories in a constant interplay between characters and choir.

   The first manifestations of the Murga are tied to the presence of Negro slaves. The aristocracy later took part, creating the first official carnival in the late 1850's.

   In recent years, the Murga came out of the carnival to be present year round. Its songs and music played an important role in the military dictatorship and they were also used to improve the Latin Americanism. Nowadays they are used to protest about the difficult social situation, or, further, with less political compromise, having the goal of entertainment.

2. Murgueros

   People who participate in La Murga.

References

Bruni, Luis (n.d.). Murga porteña. Pascaleyluis.com. Retrieved August 30, 2004, from http://www.pascaleyluis.com/article46.html

De Backer, Jos and Sutton, Julie (2004). Exploring the Problem of English for the non-English Speaker: Two Voices in Dialogue. Voices: A World Forum for Music Therapy. Retrieved April 12, 2004, from http://www.voices.no/mainissues/mi40004000136.html

The Multicultural Choir (n.d.). La Murga Multicultural. Retrieved August 30, 2004, from http://home.vicnet.net.au/~mchoir/frmurga.html

World Federation of Music Therapy (1999). Constitution of the World Federation of Music Therapy, Inc., Revised, 1999. Retrieved August 30, 2004, from http://www.musictherapyworld.org/modules/wfmt/od_const.htm.

How to cite this page

Barcellos, Lia Rejane Mendes (2004). Latin American Music Therapists Sing La Murga. Voices Resources. Retrieved January 15, 2015, from http://testvoices.uib.no/community/?q=fortnightly-columns/2004-latin-american-music-therapists-sing-la-murga