Eric Mareschal. La musique des Hmong. Paris: Musée Guimet, 1976.
Mareschal's La Musique des Hmong has long been cited as one of the first and most comprehensive sources on Hmong music Laos. Unfortunately, it also also been almost impossible to get. I try every couple of years to get a copy to no avail. There are only a few copies in international libraries and no one is willing to lend it out. I recently found out that Eric Mareschal has uploaded a .pdf of the work to the website Scribd.
For someone like me who is interested in Hmong music and history, this is a pretty monumental event. I've only skimmed the contents, but the amount of detail the book contains is incredible. Mareschal documents secular and ritual songs (including musical transcriptions), qeej performances, and other types of instrumental music. Both Hmong Daer and Mong Leng music is included. The texts of these performances are highly valuable in their own right, but the musical transcriptions hold the potential for an interesting comparison with contemporary practices.
I don't think the full impact of the availability of this text will be realized for quite some time. It will take a while for people to realize it is available and fact that it is in French adds another barrier. Still, I am excited to spend some time with this text to see what it holds.
Showing posts with label online. Show all posts
Showing posts with label online. Show all posts
Friday, February 17, 2012
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Hmong language and dictionary resources
One of the best Hmong (and Mong) dictionary resources, Jay Xiong's Hmong-English Dictionary Software, is now available for free (although, a $5 donation is suggested). It not only includes the ability to search definitions in both Hmong and English, but also provides sound clips of consonants, vowels, and tones. You can also search the dictionary online at his website and hear sound clips of common words. The print version of the dictionary is also worth the price.
Jay also promotes Tony Vang's Hmong Tutorial that includes a book and software that covers the basics of speaking and writing Hmong. I haven't used it myself, but it sounds like a good place to start for people who want to start learning Hmong language.
It's sad to see that the Saturn School White Hmong Dictionary has been taken offline. Along with the dictionary, it also featured folktales and proverbs--useful information for people interested in Hmong culture. Koua Lee's online Lomation Hmong Text Reader is still available and provides both a sound file of the word and a definition. (Type in the word, or copy and paste some text and click 'Read'. Moving the mouse over the word (after clicking 'Read') causes the definition to pop up.) It's especially handy for getting a quick sense for a sentence since it can pull up definitions for several words at once.
For those interested in a print dictionary, Yuepheng Xiong's recent Hmong-English/English-Hmong Dictionary is probably the best available. You can find it at his book store (ABC Hmong) in both pocket and standard size (although the standard size doesn't appear to be available online at the moment).
I've recently come across a couple of new online Hmong dictionaries, but I won't link them here since it appears that they have scraped their content from other sources without attribution (not to mention, both featured several incorrect definitions). I even contacted the owners of the website to voice my concerns about their potential copyright violations but received no response. You can find my updated collection of Hmong dictionary links here, which includes link to specialized dictionaries for law, health, and religion.
Jay also promotes Tony Vang's Hmong Tutorial that includes a book and software that covers the basics of speaking and writing Hmong. I haven't used it myself, but it sounds like a good place to start for people who want to start learning Hmong language.
It's sad to see that the Saturn School White Hmong Dictionary has been taken offline. Along with the dictionary, it also featured folktales and proverbs--useful information for people interested in Hmong culture. Koua Lee's online Lomation Hmong Text Reader is still available and provides both a sound file of the word and a definition. (Type in the word, or copy and paste some text and click 'Read'. Moving the mouse over the word (after clicking 'Read') causes the definition to pop up.) It's especially handy for getting a quick sense for a sentence since it can pull up definitions for several words at once.
For those interested in a print dictionary, Yuepheng Xiong's recent Hmong-English/English-Hmong Dictionary is probably the best available. You can find it at his book store (ABC Hmong) in both pocket and standard size (although the standard size doesn't appear to be available online at the moment).
I've recently come across a couple of new online Hmong dictionaries, but I won't link them here since it appears that they have scraped their content from other sources without attribution (not to mention, both featured several incorrect definitions). I even contacted the owners of the website to voice my concerns about their potential copyright violations but received no response. You can find my updated collection of Hmong dictionary links here, which includes link to specialized dictionaries for law, health, and religion.
Friday, November 09, 2007
Hmong Voices oral history videos online
Videos are now online from Hmong Voices, a project by the Center for Multicultural Cooperation to collect and disseminate Hmong oral history. From the website:
Other episodes focus on the passage of California State Assembly Bill (AB) 78 (the impetus for the project) and individual oral histories of the Secret War. I am especially pleased to see the CMC take advantage of the Internet Archive for distribution of the videos, as opposed to YouTube (although, I notice that they also uploaded them to Google Video.) The Internet Archive is a non-profit, online library that allows for the free distribution of digital media without generating ad revenue for corporations. It supports embedding and multiple formats making it competitive with other online video services. (It's where I've placed my videos online--although, I've also tried out GV and YT). Of course, uploading to sites like Google Video and YouTube (which is now owned by Google) means more views and a wider audience--so perhaps is makes sense to utilize both: generating interest on the commercial sites and redirecting viewers to the non-commercial sources for the rest of the content. Both CMC and Hmong Voices are on MySpace, another great place way to reach a young and diverse audience (although it too is full of ads).
New developments on the Internet make digital distribution of rich media cheap and easy and it is exciting to see educators, researchers, filmmakers, artists, etc. take advantage of these new channels of communication. At the same time, we need to think hard about where our content goes and who benefits from it. Is free distribution worth supplying YouTube with free content and ad revenue? What is the security, dependability, and scalability of these resources? For instance, it appears that the Hmong Cultural Center has begun relying on YouTube alone for the online archiving and distribution of their excellent videos. Another problem with with resources is that they provide no standard way to organize the materials. There is no reference librarian to properly archive the content, and it's up to the users to provide meaningful organization (something lacking from the Hmong voices videos on the Internet Archive). These are issues that will hopefully correct themselves (e.g. social taxonomies) as people become more familiar with new Web interfaces and applications, but they should be addressed upfront in any planning for future projects.
In the meantime, here are some good old fashioned non-ad-supported collections of Hmong oral history online:
Since 2004, a variety of partners have made it possible to develop the Hmong Voices Project, which brings together Hmong youth and elders to record oral histories and create digital stories documenting the history of the Secret War in Laos, the Thai refugee camps, immigration to the Central Valley, and integration into American life.There are several episodes, only a few of which are available online at the moment. (I assume you can contact them to purchase hard copies of the video). I was able to view the DVD this fall and was impressed by scope the material. For example, one episode features an emotional interview with Gen. Vang Pao (hopefully to be included among the online videos soon.) In the meantime, you can view them at the CMC website, or find them via search at the Internet Archive. Episode 2 (embedded below) is a particularly effective narrative about the Secret War and its aftermath told in Hmong and English by people who experienced it firsthand:
Other episodes focus on the passage of California State Assembly Bill (AB) 78 (the impetus for the project) and individual oral histories of the Secret War. I am especially pleased to see the CMC take advantage of the Internet Archive for distribution of the videos, as opposed to YouTube (although, I notice that they also uploaded them to Google Video.) The Internet Archive is a non-profit, online library that allows for the free distribution of digital media without generating ad revenue for corporations. It supports embedding and multiple formats making it competitive with other online video services. (It's where I've placed my videos online--although, I've also tried out GV and YT). Of course, uploading to sites like Google Video and YouTube (which is now owned by Google) means more views and a wider audience--so perhaps is makes sense to utilize both: generating interest on the commercial sites and redirecting viewers to the non-commercial sources for the rest of the content. Both CMC and Hmong Voices are on MySpace, another great place way to reach a young and diverse audience (although it too is full of ads).
New developments on the Internet make digital distribution of rich media cheap and easy and it is exciting to see educators, researchers, filmmakers, artists, etc. take advantage of these new channels of communication. At the same time, we need to think hard about where our content goes and who benefits from it. Is free distribution worth supplying YouTube with free content and ad revenue? What is the security, dependability, and scalability of these resources? For instance, it appears that the Hmong Cultural Center has begun relying on YouTube alone for the online archiving and distribution of their excellent videos. Another problem with with resources is that they provide no standard way to organize the materials. There is no reference librarian to properly archive the content, and it's up to the users to provide meaningful organization (something lacking from the Hmong voices videos on the Internet Archive). These are issues that will hopefully correct themselves (e.g. social taxonomies) as people become more familiar with new Web interfaces and applications, but they should be addressed upfront in any planning for future projects.
In the meantime, here are some good old fashioned non-ad-supported collections of Hmong oral history online:
Tuesday, May 15, 2007
The real "Hmong Idol"
Yes, I know that "Hmong Idol" was over a year ago, but a recent YouTube clip got me thinking about it again. It's a Hmong dub version of "American Idol" featuring the talentless crowd-favorite, Sanjaya, singing the Lee Pao classic, "Ntuj no tuaj lawm." (I've written previously about this song and its myriad interpretations on YouTube, and I hope to write more soon.)
Of course, the real winner of the 2005 "Hmong Idol USA" contest was, Pagnia Xiong - a talented young singer whose performances can also be found on YouTube, including this classy rendition of "Plaub sab phab ntsa." (Brief interview of Xiong from Asian Wisconzine).
With it's wide vocal range and sustained phrase endings (providing ample opportunity for extensive R&B obbligati), "Ntuj no" actually wouldn't be a bad choice for an "American Idol" audition. A girl from Pagnia Xiong's hometown (Sarah Krueger of Eau Claire, WI) actually made it to Hollywood Week this year, and it doesn't seem improbable that someone like Pagnia couldn't make it there, too. Whoever it is, I just hope they're a Melinda, not a Sanjaya. (If Melinda doesn't win this season, there is no justice in the world.)
Of course, the real winner of the 2005 "Hmong Idol USA" contest was, Pagnia Xiong - a talented young singer whose performances can also be found on YouTube, including this classy rendition of "Plaub sab phab ntsa." (Brief interview of Xiong from Asian Wisconzine).
With it's wide vocal range and sustained phrase endings (providing ample opportunity for extensive R&B obbligati), "Ntuj no" actually wouldn't be a bad choice for an "American Idol" audition. A girl from Pagnia Xiong's hometown (Sarah Krueger of Eau Claire, WI) actually made it to Hollywood Week this year, and it doesn't seem improbable that someone like Pagnia couldn't make it there, too. Whoever it is, I just hope they're a Melinda, not a Sanjaya. (If Melinda doesn't win this season, there is no justice in the world.)
Monday, March 12, 2007
Lomation.com - free, online White Hmong dictionary and text reader
[Update: The Lomation website has moved in a new direction, but the White Hmong Text Reader and Dictionary is still available here. For a more recent information about online Hmong language and dictionary resources, check out this post.]
Inspired by the need for Hmong language learning resources, Koua Lor and his wife, Pa Houa, began developing the framework for what would become www.lomation.com - home to a free, online White Hmong dictionary and text reader. Their goal - use computer technology to make language learning fun and simple. Work on the project began in 2000, but stopped a year later when it appeared that there wasn't a strong demand for Hmong educational materials. When Koua was asked by his brother, Dr. Bee Lo of UW-La Crosse, to develop software for a Hmong language course he taught, the project was resumed. The course was a success and since then, Koua and Pa have continued to work on the software. In May of 2006, they released a version of the dictionary and reader on the web, and in early March of 2007, they released a major update.
The Hmong Text Reader with integrated Dictionary (HTRiD) presents the user with a text box into which White Hmong in RPA can be entered. Clicking the "Read" button processes the text - resulting in a word-by-word spoken rendition based on sound files recorded by Pa. (Around 1,800 words have been recorded so far.) By placing the mouse cursor over the words of the text, a small window appears with English definitions and example uses of the selected word. (The home page of the website also features a box where single words can be entered to find English definitions.) The mouse over feature is limited to analyzing the text word-by-word, but often the examples offered with the English definition include common uses in expressions. While the dictionary is not exhaustive, for a quick, easy-to-use, FREE online tool - the results are impressive.
Dedicated to preserving the Hmong language, Koua and Pa continue to improve the HTRiD as a labor of love, and it looks like they might be posting more frequently to the blog-like home page of the website (including a recent post on what syllables are possible in the Hmong language). Their generosity is a great service to all of us who hope to learn more about Hmong language and culture.
Inspired by the need for Hmong language learning resources, Koua Lor and his wife, Pa Houa, began developing the framework for what would become www.lomation.com - home to a free, online White Hmong dictionary and text reader. Their goal - use computer technology to make language learning fun and simple. Work on the project began in 2000, but stopped a year later when it appeared that there wasn't a strong demand for Hmong educational materials. When Koua was asked by his brother, Dr. Bee Lo of UW-La Crosse, to develop software for a Hmong language course he taught, the project was resumed. The course was a success and since then, Koua and Pa have continued to work on the software. In May of 2006, they released a version of the dictionary and reader on the web, and in early March of 2007, they released a major update.
The Hmong Text Reader with integrated Dictionary (HTRiD) presents the user with a text box into which White Hmong in RPA can be entered. Clicking the "Read" button processes the text - resulting in a word-by-word spoken rendition based on sound files recorded by Pa. (Around 1,800 words have been recorded so far.) By placing the mouse cursor over the words of the text, a small window appears with English definitions and example uses of the selected word. (The home page of the website also features a box where single words can be entered to find English definitions.) The mouse over feature is limited to analyzing the text word-by-word, but often the examples offered with the English definition include common uses in expressions. While the dictionary is not exhaustive, for a quick, easy-to-use, FREE online tool - the results are impressive.
Dedicated to preserving the Hmong language, Koua and Pa continue to improve the HTRiD as a labor of love, and it looks like they might be posting more frequently to the blog-like home page of the website (including a recent post on what syllables are possible in the Hmong language). Their generosity is a great service to all of us who hope to learn more about Hmong language and culture.
Tuesday, May 09, 2006
Qeej for sale online?
[update: link no longer active]
$294.95 through Novica.com (apparently associated with National Geographic). Little information about it in the description except that it was made in Thailand. They do mention that words can be played on the instrument. From the website:
"Brass inlays add beauty to this qeej, hand-crafted of rain tree wood and bamboo. A wind instrument, it is unique to the Hmong people and figures in ceremonies to connect with the spirit world. It is vital in funerals, and its tones emulate the sounds of the Hmong language. Thus it is sometimes used to communicate in "words." This instrument features six bamboo pipes."
My favorite part: apparently it is "on sale" from $454.95 (as if everyone is comparison shopping in villages across Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam before purchasing their qeej online.)
Update 7/11/06: No more qeej available on Novica.com.
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