Dance Fast!

Which is first? Chicken or egg?

Which is first? Music or dance?

My friend's daughter, hardly two years old, reacted to all kind of music by starting to dance. The movements aren't complex, she just started to move, bending her knees and swinging her arms. Sometimes, when the adults reacted to her by clapping hands, she would imitate the hand clapping. She reacted to all kind of music indiscriminately.

Drillbot bottom shaking moving... uhyeah! :D

Last month, during another friends' wedding party, the little girl couldn't resist the charm of the live dangdut wedding singers and didn't stop dancing for ages. Her parents whose music taste barely include dangdut were a bit mortified. But, who could resist the age old drive to move your body to the rhythm?

Which is first? Names or Sound?

Which is first? Language or Music?

A discussion turned into the subject of language one night, particularly about onomatopoeia, the formation of a word from a sound associated with what is named. The formation of different languages on the surface of this planet are most probably caused by the different characteristic sounds of nature that human perceives. It shapes their basic pronunciation on most of things, which affected on how they shape words that would help them describe the unseen and unheard ideas inside their mind, and in turn also affected them in forming the language they are using to communicate with each other. These were the conclusion we made that night.

Among the things that were discussed before we reached the conclusion was mantra. I have a penchant for mantras. I think it's incredible what a set of words can do to human, psychologically, and in turn physically. I love listening to live or recordings of Murottal recites, Arias, and also to Puja. I am aware of the manners and customs and historical cultures behind those mantras and arias, but still the chants praising the Lord almighty drowned me in bliss and calmness regardless the language being used. So I listen to them whenever I can. Some people I know would consider this blasphemy, and me a murtad or even syirik for this.

I read somewhere, and this also had been proven, that physical movements accompanying an effort of reciting, will make your brain remember what you recite faster. I used to read my notes and textbook loudly (enough for myself to hear) while walking around the house, walking around the school yard, and walking around the school corridors :D I didn't do so bad in tests and exams :D If you happened to see people thrashing their head about in pendulum-like movements while reciting the Koran or the Torrah, now you know why. It enables them to remember the text they're reading a lot easier and faster.

Human body could also be considered as a musical instrument, and I'm not referring to the sexual nuances :p Your heart beats a rhythm. Your whole system is moving accordingly to this individual and certain rhythm. They call it the biorhythm. And apparently humans aren't the only ones entitled to it, plants and animals have it too. So when someone says, "The rhythm of nature", I'd believe him. We're basically a bunch of rhythms trying to tune in with one another. Isn't it awesome?

La guitara... ohohoh

So close is the connection between the sound of music to our body, especially our primal awareness to rhythm, why deny yourself to a dance? Your feet might be all left and you might be tune deaf, but I think your body will never be rhythm deaf. So give in to it. If you're shy in public, find a nice quite place and just dance! :)