The song that we’re listening to was heard first in a dream. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet, presented by DuPont. The Xavante (Sha VAN-tay) are an indigenous people who live in isolated communities in Central Brazil. When Xavante men reach a certain age, they may go through an initiation in which their ear is pierced and a round piece of jaguar bone is inserted into the hole. It’s through this bone ear plug that the Xavante say they receive the inspiration for their music.
“Men who have been initiated wear the ear plugs and the ear plugs Xavante describe as being like antenna. They literally enable them to tune in to the ancestors when they dream.”
Laura Graham is an associate professor in the department of Anthropology at the University of Iowa.
“And then when a man awakes he wants to grab that song and keep it for himself and so he sings the song quietly, softly one time and then he might sing it louder, he might sing it to his wife or someone intimately related to him in his family. Then once a young man has received a song, then he takes it and shares it with the members of his group. He sings the song softly to the members of his group and then louder. And as the members of the group begin to pick up the pattern of the song, they begin to add their voices to his and join in singing so everyone is singing. And at that point the song is the group’s song and it no longer belongs to the individual.”
Pulse of the Planet is presented by DuPont, bringing you the miracles of science, with additional support provided by the National Science Foundation. I’m Jim Metzner.