Festivals as a Soundscape

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Festivals are held worldwide for many purposes. Most festivals have religious origins if not still a religious purpose. Anne K. Rasmussen's book Women, the Recited Qur'an, and Islamic Music in Indonesia, as the name implies, discusses Islamic music in Indonesia. The chapter on festivals was of particular interest to me. Rasmussen wrote, "religious festivals at which competition is the focus exist to reward excellence; however they also serve the function of introducing, teaching, and reinforcing an Islamic praxis on global, national, and regional levels. Festivals and competitive events that feature Islamic arts - from fashion to calligraphy and from recitation to pageantry - are part of a culture of competition that thoroughly saturates the performing arts" (Rasmussen, 2010). These festivals function to reinforce religious tradition and contain many elements of culture as well. This can be seen in other religions and cultures as well.

While I was studying abroad last spring/summer in Japan, I had the chance to go to a festival. It was not a religious festival, rather one in celebration of the birthday of a historical figure, but it contained elements that are also found in Japanese religious festivals. The most prominent event during this festival was a parade. This involved floats that went by with dancers and people playing music (mostly drums and flutes), as well as something that is religious - carrying mikoshi (portable shrines) while jostling around and chanting. The purpose of shaking the mikoshi while chanting is as a gesture for the deity being carried to get in on the fun of the festival. This is common in a lot of Japan's festivals including Bon which is a Japanese Buddhist celebration in August. From my experience festivals are loud, but not necessarily in a bad way. They are filled with music and enjoyment, which adds to the soundscape. Reading about the Islamic festivals in Indonesia being filled with music and performances reminded me of the festivals that occur in Japan.

A short (30 sec or so) video I took of the mikoshi at the festival I went to.

Comments

  1. Aster CareyMay 6, 2020 at 12:20 PM

    Festivals are the best example of soundscapes, and I like that you wrote about this! I remember going to see this festival called "The Dancing Dragons" or something along those lines as a kid with my friends in Boston. This festival was a celebration for Chinese New Year, and I can still remember the sounds, the loudness, the bright colors used on the dragons, and all the different scents. These festivals show a joining of multiple senses that I didn't really realize before.

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  2. Dylan MaratMay 6, 2020 at 7:13 PM

    I feel like the very nature of most festivals means that they stimulate all of the senses. The packed people, the smells, the sound, etc. The religious aspect of many festivals can often bring in the 6th sense as well. For me at least part of the whole appeal of huge festivals is the assault on all of my senses. At the same time this can be overwhelming, so it is important to find a spot that balances right on the edge of over stimulation of the senses. One thing that is interesting to me about this is that this description could apply not only to a religious festival but also things like music festivals.

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