MUS 2420 Lecture Notes - Lecture 25: Pentatonic Scale, Falsetto, Strophic Form
Document Summary
Chant of the ethiopian christian church has spread around the world. The ethiopian church maintains close relations with the coptic church of egypt. The ethiopian christian sacred language ge"ez (guhz-uhz) liturgy, and music tradition grew out of its own creativity in a unique cultural context. The overthrow of the last ethiopian emperor in 1974 diminished that status of the church, which was followed by natural disasters such as drought, famine and civil unrest. These events forced many ethiopians to establish diaspora communities. Ethiopian christian chant features a flexible relationship between music and worship. Many changes to the chant have occurred in diaspora. Some centuries old practices and associations have shifted as a result of political and economic pressures, but christian belief remains central. Ritual moves often can move between old and new. The ethiopian chant, called zema literally meaning a pleasing sound" a song or a melody is attributed to saint yared, a 6th century holy man.
