[78-L] Alpine madness

[Malcolm Rockwell]

For those wishing more info on yodel you should read "Yodel-Ay-Ee-Oooo - 
The Secret History Of Yodeling Around The World" by Bart Plantegna. It's 
a fun read, very tongue-in-cheek (which is not  easy to do when you're 
yodeling).

http://www.bartplantenga.com/home-yodel.php

There's also Hawaiian falsetto singing, kaohi or or ha'iha'i, which I 
believe originated with the introduction of cowboys to the Big Island 
(of Hawaii) with either early 1800 Spanish or Mexican vaqueros, Germans 
or early US cowboy (from Montana) influences - take your pick.
Then there's the rock-n-roller, from Dr. Hook (ie, The Dr. Hook Medicine 
Show from the early 70s), I think, who can sing a quadruple pitch yodel. 
Very difficult... very impressive. I cannot remember the title of the 
tune I've heard, though.
Malcolm

*******

bruce78rpm at comcast.net wrote:
> Thank you for that fascinating information. I am sure you will be pleased to hear one of the Greatest Canadian C&W Singers and Yodelers of all time 
> on this 1935 Buff Bluebird. The two fantastic Yodeling riffs at the middle and end are well worth waiting for. 
>
> http :// www . youtube .com/watch?v= gUFhXPzgiyI 
>
> Bruce 
>
>
>
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: goldenbough @ arcor . de 
> To: 78-l at 78online.com 
> Sent: Friday, January 1, 2010 8:53:58 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern 
> Subject: Re: [78-L] Alpine madness 
>
> . 
>
> The yodel is one of several forms of 'language surrogates' for communication 
> at long distances. Other forms are: drum languages in Africa, whistle languages 
> on the island of Gomera in Spain or in West Africa, and also bugle calls of the 
> armies or hunting horn signals. The Alpine yodel is strongly related to the Eusko 
> Irrintzi (Basque Signal cry) in the Pyrennee Mountains. 
>
> Except for the whistle language of Gomera , of which no 78 exists, I have examples 
> of all others on 78s. 
>
> Today, you can still hear the yodels in the Alps. In summer, young or old maids 
> keep up to about 50 young cows, from June to September, on the high meadows, 
> and hikers can stay overnight in their shacks and sleep in the attic right above the 
> stable in the same cabin. 
>
> Wanderers will, every now and then, holler this 'yodel-ay ee hoo' - which simply means, 
> 'Anybody there?' or 'I am here' . Then you may, or not, get a response. 
> The yodel as a language used to be more complex, but meanings are now forgotten. 
>
> The whistle languages are more complex. Like, you can ask, 'Can you help me 
> finding my animals? I am over here with 50 sheep here, but 10 are missing.' And the 
> reply would be like, 'I have to take my sheep back to the stable, and then I'll come 
> over to help you in an hour' . 
>
> One of the most intriguing 78s that I have of that kind is a probably 1912 African recording 
> of a Bantu in Bera language, plus drum and whistle languages. One one side the guy says, 
> 'I will give to the village 20 goats in compensation' - then he drums this phrase in the drum 
> language and whistles it. The flip side is similar: 'The people have beaten my innocent friend' . 
> (Record of the Lindstroem Co., Berlin) 
>
> Back to the subject of the yodel in American music. Being an Austrian, I was attracted to 
> early Country Music because the Carter Family sounds exactly like the music you find in the 
> Alps, or the harmony singing of the Blue Sky Boys a.o. is exactly what you find as 'Zweigsang' 
> or 'Dreigsang' in any village tavern nowadays - except that it's sung in Austro-Bavarian dialect! 
> Compare the two albums with Austrian field recordings that Christ Strachwitz made for his 
> Arhoolie label. 
>
> Anyway... 
>
> Yodel-deedel-doodle-day Yodelday-yee-hee ay-oohoo. 
> (Happy New Year To All!) 
>
> Benno 
>