Both the “Polacca” and “Agua Que Va A Caer” show the participatory discrepancy on voice. In Polacca, although we can clearly hear that the vocals are made up of many neutral or female voices singing in unison, the overall sound texture exhibits an amazing consistency and coordination. While it’s clear to hear that the vocals are made up of many neutral or female voices singing in unison, the overall sound texture exhibits a surprising consistency and coordination. Based on the female solo later, it also contrasts the more powerful and incendiary nature of the unison vocals. Interestingly, when I first listened to the song, I didn’t hear a single track where the drums were in sync with the vocals. The ability of the drum timbre to merge with the vocals unnoticed but playing its role there is an interesting and important aspect of the participatory discrepancy, I think. In another piece, this is embedded in the more common way that solo and group voices form question-and-answer phrases. Because of this format, I heard the song and immediately thought of African-Americans singing and dancing and playing the drums at their local festival. In this song, however, what I find more emblematic of the participatory discrepancy is the drumbeat that is used to accompany the song. In fact, I think the drums are not an accompaniment, but an equally important part of the song as the vocals. African folk music has always been known for its complex and interesting drumming. It gives me the feeling that these drums are never written in a score, but are improvised by each musician based on their own interpretation of the piece, their own mood, and listening to the drums of others. So what I can hear are harmonious but disparate drumbeats that form a complicated and perfectly appropriate ensemble. The “Spaced Cowboy” kind of has a similar idea, but the drum pattern is much more weighty than the vocals. Although the drums are much neater than “Agua Que Va A Caer”, the addition of bass and other elements make for an improvisational and rhythmic performance that you can’t help but dance to.
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