Tlingit Music
Music is the performing art that gives one the power to find a unique social
niche. It binds together all the people who care for music less than one roof.
It is about combining the new ideas and with past values to create something
that is different and precious. Just like drama, dance and art, music is also
used to express the true realities.
Tlingit is a small community in North West America. People of this community
like to address themselves as Lingit people. Tlingit is a matriarchal
society and people here have developed a unique quality of hunting and
gathering of various cultures. In this community a very strong cultural
emphasis is placed on the importance of family and kinship. They also
believe in independent tradition of oratory.
Art, craft and spirituality have always been preserved and considered precious by these people. The love for meaningful music a very strongly marked feature of the Tlingit society. It is an integral part of all the ceremonies performed, be it a marriage or a funeral. Tlingit music has given the people of Tlingit a meaningful medium to reach out to the world.
Music is the heart and soul of the Tlingit community. It helps to bring out the emotions and the feelings of an individual. Tlingit songs are also prepared to discuss the history and the glory of the family and it is played then to share the rich past with the new generation. Each clan will have a song of their own. Tlingit music has also been influenced from the heritage of the neighboring tribes like Haida and Tsimshian.
Some of the instruments used in Tlingit music are drums, beating sticks, rattle, hollow wooden pipes, etc. Sometimes people are also found using the bellow shaped instruments which are originally used by the southern tribes. There are many musicians who have helped to spread the message of Tlingit music throughout the world. These professional musicians, composers and song writers have created beautiful compositions that has moved people and hopefully made a change in their lives too.
Tlingit music is very pleasing and is done in an interesting pattern. It is a very old art and is believed to be as old as the Tlingit community itself. Today this music has taken many forms and has diversified. Combined with the modern tunes and technologies many new forms of Tlingit music have been observed. People all over the world like style of music and appreciate it as well. However because of this same reason a decline in the original style of Tlingit music is seen over the past few years.
For every community or tribe the hardest task is to preserve their cultural values but at the same time share it as well. It is the duty of the older people to forward these ethics to the upcoming generations to ensure that Tlingit music remains the most important part of the lives of Tlingit people as well as Tlingit society.
