Waila: GenesisMusic: Waila bandHeres a program from our archives.Sounds a bit like a polka band, but actually it’s a Native American group, members of the Tohono O’odham nation in southern Arizona. For over a hundred years, this has been their traditional music, and an important part of their culture. I’m Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet The music is called Waila, a name derived from the Spanish word for dance.Joaquin: And it actually started out back in the days when the missionaries came through and needed music for church services so they taught O’odham to play fiddles. So O’odham would play fiddles for mass and then after mass go over the hill, as we used to say, and play for social occasions. They were playing tunes that people could dance to.Angelo Joaquin, Jr, is director of an annual Waila Festival in Tuscon, Arizona. He says that after the missionaries came, the U.S government formed reservations, and native children were sent to military-style boarding schools. There they learned to play woodwind instruments and drums. Nowadays, Waila bands also have electric guitars, saxophones and accordions. Waila is related to the ‘norteno’ music of the Southwest, which came from northern Mexico. Joaquin: And the music was heavily influenced by Germans and other Europeans who came through in the mid-1800’s to work on the railroads and other things here in the southwest and they brought their accordions, they brought their polkas.More on Waila on future programs. Weve been listening to a program from our archives. Im Jim Metzner and this is thePulse of the Planet.
A German - Native American Musical Hybrid
The Waila music of the Tohono O'odham Native Americans in southern Arizona sounds surprisingly like polkas, and there's a good reason why.
Air Date:05/31/2021
Scientist:
Transcript:
Waila: GenesisMusic: Waila bandHeres a program from our archives.Sounds a bit like a polka band, but actually it's a Native American group, members of the Tohono O'odham nation in southern Arizona. For over a hundred years, this has been their traditional music, and an important part of their culture. I'm Jim Metzner, and this is the Pulse of the Planet The music is called Waila, a name derived from the Spanish word for dance.Joaquin: And it actually started out back in the days when the missionaries came through and needed music for church services so they taught O'odham to play fiddles. So O'odham would play fiddles for mass and then after mass go over the hill, as we used to say, and play for social occasions. They were playing tunes that people could dance to.Angelo Joaquin, Jr, is director of an annual Waila Festival in Tuscon, Arizona. He says that after the missionaries came, the U.S government formed reservations, and native children were sent to military-style boarding schools. There they learned to play woodwind instruments and drums. Nowadays, Waila bands also have electric guitars, saxophones and accordions. Waila is related to the 'norteno' music of the Southwest, which came from northern Mexico. Joaquin: And the music was heavily influenced by Germans and other Europeans who came through in the mid-1800's to work on the railroads and other things here in the southwest and they brought their accordions, they brought their polkas.More on Waila on future programs. Weve been listening to a program from our archives. Im Jim Metzner and this is thePulse of the Planet.