Conch (instrument)
Conch, or conque, also known as a "seashell horn" or "shell trumpet", is a wind instrument that is made from a
The
Various species of large marine gastropod shells can be turned into "blowing shells", but some of the more commonly used species include triton ('trumpet shell'), cassis ('helmet shell') and strombus ('true conch')."[2]
Prehistory
Shell trumpets have been known since the
India, Nepal and Tibet
The sacred chank,
Mesoamerica
Throughout Mesoamerican history, conch trumpets were used, often in a ritual context (see figure). In Ancient Maya art, such conches were often decorated with ancestral images; scenes painted on vases show hunters and hunting deities blowing the conch trumpet. Quechua (Inca descendants) and Warao still use the conch.[7]
The Caribbean
The
The Pacific Ocean area
The
Conch shell trumpets were historically used throughout Oceania,[2] in countries such as Fiji. The shells are still blown in Fijian resorts as a performance for tourists. The Fijians also used the conch shell when the chief died: the chief's body would be brought down a special path and the conch would be played until the chief's body reached the end of the path. In New Zealand, a type of conch with a wooden mouthpiece called the pūtātara is the main instrument used to herald guests in traditional welcoming ceremonies.[10][11]
Australia appears to be the only country in Oceania where conch shells were not used as a musical instrument, despite the widespread availability of shells.[12]
Africa
Austronesian settlers to the island of Madagascar brought along their conch shell which eventually became the antsiva (in the west coast) or bankora which was blown customarily as part of ceremonies such as circumcisions and funerals.[13] It was also incorporated into Merina royal regalia exclusively blown by male slaves to herald a royal's arrival, signalling mourning in time of death or even to mark battles.[13][14]
Europe
Wales
Cragen Beca is a conch shell trumpet. It was blown to call the legendary character Rebecca and her ‘Daughters’ to action during the infamous Rebecca Riots in Carmarthenshire of the mid-19th century (1839 – 43).[15]
Malta
In Malta the instrument is called a bronja, colloquially known as tronga. The shell of a sea snail is modified, with a hole at one end, and when blown it creates a loud noise. The tronja was generally used to inform the people that the windmills on the islands are operating that day due to being a windy day, which allows the grain of wheat and other grains to be ground.[16][17]
Modern use
Carlos Chávez uses the trombone as a substitute for the conch in his 1940 piece Xochipilli.[18] American jazz trombonist Steve Turre also plays conches, in particular with his group Sanctified Shells.[19] The group released its first, eponymous album in 1993.[20][21][22][23]
An Indian conch, partially processed via an Echoplex delay, was featured prominently in the score for the film Alien (1979). Initially, composer Jerry Goldsmith used the conch during a scene depicting the extraterrestrial environment of a derelict spaceship. However, director Ridley Scott was so impressed by the eerie effect that he requested its use throughout the rest of the score, including during the main titles.[24]
Various conch shells performed by musician, Don Chilton are featured prominently throughout the soundtrack of the film Where the Crawdads Sing (2021) composed by Academy Award winning composer Mychael Danna.[25]
Media
References
- ISBN 9781884365836.
- ^ ISBN 9780521565226.
- ^ ISBN 9780802844774.
- ISBN 9781905863297.
- ^ a b Clark, Mitchell (1996). "Some Basics on Shell Trumpets". Perfect Sound Forever. Furious. Archived from the original on 2013-10-21. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
- ^ Nahuatl dictionary. (1997). Wired humanities project. Retrieved August 31, 2012, from link Archived 2016-12-03 at the Wayback Machine
- ISBN 9780292788404.
- ISBN 978-0-8248-2856-1.
- ISBN 978-0-8248-3002-1.
- ^ Harwood, Brenda (19 November 2020). "Call for community to gather for powhiri". The Star. Archived from the original on 15 November 2022. Retrieved 15 September 2023.
- ^ "Taonga Puoro - Musical Instruments". Auckland War Memorial Museum. Archived from the original on 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2023-09-15.
- Web Archive.
- ^ a b The Museum of Art and Archeology of the University of Antananarivo. "Antsiva (marine conch)". Archived from the original on June 24, 2010. Retrieved November 26, 2010.
- ^ Schmidhoffer, August (4–8 October 2005), "Some Remarks on the Austronesian Background of Malagasy Music" (PDF), The 2005 International Forum of Ethnomusicology in Taiwan, Taipei: Soochow University, Taiwan, archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2011, retrieved 4 December 2021
- ^ "Amdanon // About". 2021-02-28. Archived from the original on 2023-08-05. Retrieved 2023-08-05.
- ^ Lanfranco, G. (1983). "Tal-Mitħna tar-Riħ" (PDF). L-Imnara. 2 (2). Rivista tal-Għaqda Maltija tal-Folklor: 37. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 April 2017.
- ^ Testa, Frank. "L-Imtiehen". schoolnet.gov.mt. Archived from the original on 18 April 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
- ^ Conklin, Dorothy Rice. 1995. "Percussion Instruments in Two Compositions by Carlos Chávez: Xochipilli: An Imagined Aztec Music (1940) and Chapultepec: Three Famous Mexican Pieces (1935)", p.60–61. DMA diss. Greensboro: University of North Carolina at Greensboro.
- ^ "Steve Turre's Sanctified Shells Band, from allaboutjazz.com, 2003-04-10". 10 April 2003. Archived from the original on 2009-01-11. Retrieved 2009-08-13.
- ISSN 0743-1791
- ^ All Music Guide to Jazz
2nd ed.,OCLC 35201244
4th ed.,OCLC 50477109 - Barry Dean Kernfeld, Stanley Sadie
1st ed. (1988);OCLC 16804283
3rd imprent of 1st ed. (1994);OCLC 30516743
2nd ed. (2002);OCLC 46956628 - Schirmer
9th ed, Laura Diane Kuhn (ed.) (born 1953) (2001);OCLC 44972043 - ^ Mike Matessino, CD-booklet Alien: Complete Original Motion Picture Soundtrack, Intrada (MAF 7102), 2007
- ^ Korpan, Andrew (2022-09-01). "Oscar-Winning Composer Mychael Danna Talks Creating a Sound Reminiscent of the North Carolina Marshes". Coastal House Media. Archived from the original on 2023-09-22. Retrieved 2023-08-04.