Helsinki/Tampere - Group C -- Tory,Ua,Hetta

Khrob Kru Challenges

- can one culture really be trasmitted and evolved into another culture, or being explicitly exported and embraced by another culture. For example, Japan and Korea are growing and growing economically, due to the power of mass media. They claimed that they are exporting their cultures, thus resulting in the unstoppable country income fluxation. (see attached photo as reference)

- the fact that the use oh 'head' as a symbolic meaning of knowledge for being a master of performing arts, does ot implied that the knowledge lies all in head or not embodied knowledges, despite the fact that it is traditional dance or performance that requires all physical movement from the whole body?

Helsinki/Tampere - Group C -- Tory,Ua,Hetta

Keyword : Khrob Kru

Definition and Meaning
Khrob : putting on, covering or in a negative sense means dominating
it also means giving knowledge to
Khru : teacher/ master , the other meaning is heavy

Although Khru is a Thai word, its root comes from Sanskrit , Guru, which is composed of the syllables 'gu' and 'ru', the former signifying 'darkness', and the latter signifying 'the destroyer of that [darkness]', hence a guru is one characterized as someone who dispels spiritual ignorance (darkness), with spiritual illumination (light) -as per Advaya-Tãraka Upanishad (verse 16),
The syllable gu means shadowsThe syllable ru, he who disperses them,Because of the power to disperse darknessthe guru is thus named.
– Advayataraka Upanishad 14—18, verse 5
As a noun the word also means the imparter of knowledge .As an adjective, it means "heavy," or "weighty," in the sense of "heavy with knowledge," "heavy with spiritual wisdom," "heavy with spiritual weight," "heavy with the good qualities of scriptures and realization,"[or "heavy with a wealth of knowledge."

**When combine these 2 words Khrob and Khru together, it creates a new meaning that signifies a special performance enacted by an art teacher / master as an initiation and acceptance to pass on his knowledge to his student / apprentice, by using his hands to cover (khrob) the latter’s crown while giving blessing to the new student. The hand covering is seen as a symbolic protection from all evil spirit.

**Later on, when Indian civilization and Brahmanism were introduced to Thailand, the hand covering the head part would be replaced by the sacred masks of Hindu Gods and deities.

Khrob Khru as Trans-cultural performance
The Indian civilization started assimilating to South-East Asia through navigation and trade expansion from the sixth century onward. And ethnic tribes in this area, the Mons, the Khmer and the Thai tribes embraced and blended Buddhism and Brahmanism with their own culture and beliefs. There are evidences everywhere, architectures, arts, language, literature, music, dances, rituals and religions.
**The Indian influences have transformed many native rites to more elaborate ceremonies, among them, the Khrob Khru rituals. Instead of simple offerings, which can be performed in everyday life, the Indian influences and Brahmans have enlarged the spiritual act and moved it up to the level of the sacred ceremony. They introduced Hindu Gods and Deities and enhanced the Hinduism belief that these Gods are the supreme artists or the Khru of all Khrus. The Gods are represented with the masks and therefore, instead of just using both hands to cover the heads of students, as a symbolic protection of evil, the sacred masks of Gods and Deities was now used. And as ,according to Hinduism, the monarchs is a direct descendent of Gods, this ritual therefore is strictly limited to them. Only with the royal permission that the ceremony can be performed elsewhere.

Helsinki\Tampere - Tory, Ua, Hetta

'Cosmopolitan'

Definition:

1) Having worldwide rather than limited or provincial scope or bearing.

2) Having wide international sophistication.

3) Composed of persons, constituents, or elements from all or many parts of the world.

Source: Lecture, Merriam-Webster Online. 18 September, 2008.

Challenges:

A) 'Cosmopolitan' as a word in popular culture, has become steeped in sexuality and sexual connotations (ie: Cosmopolitan magazine, Cosmopolitan cocktail) - the preferred drink of HBO's 'Sex and the City' characters). As a word, it has become (perhaps inextricably?) linked with associations of 'jet set' free sexual practise, promiscuity.

B) Knowing a little bit about a wide scope of topics\issues...if this preferable to a deep knowledge on a few select subjects? Knowing a little about something is potentially dangerous.

"A little learning is a dang'rous thing;
Drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring:"

-Alexander Pope.

C) Gaining Cosmopolitan knowledge - is this knowledge to our own purposes, to raise our 'culturally hip' status? Aside from ourselves, does this benefit anyone else?

D) Economically linked: 'the jet set elite' - as described in lecture. It takes a certain amount of wealth to fulfill the image of a 'cosmopolite'. Refugees, for exmaple, while perhaps having experienced life in different parts of the world, are not generally considered 'Cosmopolitan'.

Helsinki Group B Challenges (Kristina Jocelyn Ira)

1) Cosmopolitan

- Definition:

adj. 1): having worldwide rather than limited or provincial scope or bearing 2) having wide international sophistication : worldly 3) composed of persons, constituents, or elements from all or many parts of the world
Source: Merriam-Webster Online

adjective 1 consisting of people from many different countries and cultures: a cosmopolitan metropolis. 2 familiar with and at ease in many different countries and cultures.
Source: Compact Oxford English Dictionary Online

- Challenge(s):

· Where does information about cosmopolitan ideals, lifestyles etc. come from? Ideas about what constitute cosmopolitanism inevitably come through the media – so we need to consider whose values exactly are we subscribing to, when we claim to be “cosmopolitan”
· Is cosmopolitanism a state of mind or based on action? i.e. can one never travel and experience other cultures, yet consider oneself “cosmopolitan”? If so, where does one get one’s perceptions/values from? (see above point)


2) Ethnicity

- Definition:

N. 1. ethnic quality or affiliation 2. a particular ethnic affiliation or group
Source: Merriam-Webster Online

(Ethnic) adjective 1 relating to a group of people having a common national or cultural tradition. 2 referring to origin by birth rather than by present nationality: ethnic Albanians. 3 relating to a non-Western cultural tradition: ethnic music.
Source: Compact Oxford English Dictionary Online

- Challenge(s):

· The word “ethnic” has connotations of the “exotic” and unknown, associated with imperialism and superficial cultural tourism (especially in the third definition from OED above). We thus have to be very careful when talking about a person or performance, for example, being “ethnic” – what kinds of values may we be ascribing to them?
· Is ethnicity important at all in today’s globalised society, given assertions that globalisation leads to homogeneity and renders the local/specific less significant?




3) Medium

- Definition:

(N.) 1. Environment
2. Means of communication
3. Physical material or form used by artist, composer, etc.
4. Person claiming to communicate with the dead
Source: Little Oxford Dictionary

We find this a very interesting word to examine in relation to performance and performativity, not least because of the many different meanings it has. Taking sense 2. above for example, the performer can be understood as a medium – for interpreting a play’s text, transmitting a certain message to the audience etc. In a very broad sense, the examining of different mediums of performance would of course be pertinent to performance studies.

As much as a performer can be said to be a medium, a medium (in sense 4. above) is also very much a performer. In many Southeast Asian rituals involving mediums, the costumes, props and music used are highly performative in that they serve to invoke the spirit that the medium is being possessed by, and indicate clearly the transition of the medium between this world and the “otherworldly”. Spirit-mediums and their associated rituals thus constitute some of the most interesting case studies for those interested in anthropological approaches to theatre and performativity, since such rituals are at the heart of the beliefs and traditions of many cultures.

A video clip of a Taoist medium ritual can be found here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LE5xPoHBJM


- Challenge(s):

· What can mediums (in the fourth definition above) teach us about performativity?
· Are there mediums in all cultures and how different are they? What could the similarities and differences mean for intercultural studies and exploration?

Catherine's Keyword

KEYWORD: Gule
Language: Chichewa. A Malawian Language

In loose english translation this word means 'traditional dance'. it refers to music (drummijmg, whistling e.t.c) song, and dance. However Gule also involvesdance drama. as the dances go on, a drama with identifiable characters and a clear narration becomes part of the dance

'Popular' from the oxford english dictionary

Popular

1. Of a belief, attitude, etc.: prevalent or current among the general public; generally accepted, commonly known.

2. Of, relating to, deriving from, or consisting of ordinary people or the people as a whole; generated by the general public; democratic.

3. Of cultural activities or products Intended for or suited to the understanding or taste of ordinary people, esp. as opposed to specialists in a field; spec. (of literature, etc.) intended for and directed at a general readership.

4. Designating forms of art, music, or culture with general appeal; intended primarily to entertain, please, or amuse.

From the Oxford english dictionary
http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50255727

Keyword: Tanghal [meLê yamomo - Philippines]

Tanghal [Tagalog]

Tanghal (verb)

1. To show

2. to exhibit

3. to premiere

e.g. Itatanghal ang bagong dula sa bukas. The new play will open tomorrow.

Tanghal 2 (verb)

1. to exalt

2. to proclaim

3. to exhibit

e.g. Itinanghal siyang kampeon. He is declared a champion.

Tanghal (noun) /--an/ (TANGHALAN) (gerund form)

1. place where a show or program is exhibited/performed

2. Also, a theatre group

e.g. Tanghalang Pilipino (the theatre company based at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines)


Note:
In the 1970s and 80s, there was a popular television singing contest called "Tanghalan ng Kampyon" which used the word Tanghalan in a very clever way. It was used as [1] a venue (actual physical space and the airtime space on television) where singers perform and [2] the TV program proclaims and exalts the champion (winner of the competition).