Call and response in the context of "Call and response (music)"

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⭐ Core Definition: Call and response

Call and response is a form of interaction between a speaker and an audience in which the speaker's statements ("calls") are punctuated by responses from the listeners, for example in protest gatherings and marches where calls such as "what do we want?" and "when do we want it?" form a vehicle for promoting the issue underlying the protest. This form is also used in music, where it falls under the general category of antiphony.

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👉 Call and response in the context of Call and response (music)

In music, call and response is a compositional technique, often a succession of two distinct phrases that works like a conversation in music. One musician offers a phrase, and a second player answers with a direct commentary or response. The phrases can be vocal, instrumental, or both. Additionally, they can take form as commentary to a statement, an answer to a question, or a repetition of a phrase following or slightly overlapping the initial speaker(s). It corresponds to the call and response pattern in human communication and is found as a basic element of musical form, such as the verse-chorus form, in many traditions.

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Call and response in the context of Litany of Loreto

The Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary is a Marian litany originally approved in 1587 by Pope Sixtus V. It is also known as the Litany of Loreto (Latin: Litaniae lauretanae), after its first-known place of origin, the Shrine of Our Lady of Loreto in Italy, where its usage was recorded as early as 1558.

The litany contains many of the titles used formally and informally for the Virgin Mary, and would often be recited as a call and response chant in a group setting. They are used to recite or sing at the end of the Rosary, and as a separate act of Marian devotion. In the latter case, for example, they can form the main element of a celebration of prayer to the Virgin Mary, be a processional song, or form part of a celebration of the Word of God.

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Call and response in the context of Son cubano

Son cubano (Spanish: [ˌsoŋ kuˈβano]) is a genre of music and dance that originated in the highlands of eastern Cuba during the late 19th century. It is a syncretic genre that blends elements of Spanish and African origin. Among its fundamental Hispanic components are the vocal style, lyrical metre and the primacy of the tres, derived from the Spanish guitar. On the other hand, its characteristic clave rhythm, call and response structure and percussion section (bongo, maracas, etc.) are all rooted in traditions of Bantu origin.

Around 1909 the son reached Havana, where the first recordings were made in 1917. This marked the start of its expansion throughout the island, becoming Cuba's most popular and influential genre. While early groups had between three and five members, during the 1920s the sexteto (sextet) became the genre's primary format. By the 1930s, many bands had incorporated a trumpet, becoming septetos, and in the 1940s a larger type of ensemble featuring congas and piano became the norm: the conjunto. The son became one of the main ingredients in the jam sessions known as descargas that flourished during the 1950s.

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