Musical description
惭颈驳谤补鈥檚 structure is one of the simplest on the album. It consists of a verse theme played over a bass A recurring pattern, often on guitar., A repeated phrase that sets and maintains the rhythm and tempo of the piece. and a A collection of usually three notes played together.. There are three contrasting instrumental interludes that add variety and interest. This prevents the structure from becoming repetitive.
Form and structure
The structure of Migra is a variation on a Music which has general appeal and is often linked to styles of the 1950s. Driven by a strong rhythmic element. structure. The structure is:
- introduction
- verse
- interlude 1
- verse 2
- interlude 2
- interlude 3
- verse 3
- interlude 2
- interlude 1
Instrumentation/timbre/sonority
Migra combines rock and Afro-Cuban instruments. Carlos Santana employs a few electric guitar Guitar effects are electronic devices that modify the sound of the instrument eg, wah-wah pedal. , preferring to maximise the output from his humbucker pick-ups and tube-driven amplifiers. There is some use of An electrified setting that can create a more fuzzy or gritty tone. and An electric guitar effects pedal that changes the tone and frequencies of the guitar signal to create a sound that mimics the human voice. on the guitar. Other instruments include keyboards, bass guitars, drums, percussion - including sleigh bells and The term is used to describe the ensembles of Cuban musicians and performers. - trumpets and trombones.
Harmony and tonality
The A pattern of sharps or flats at the beginning of a piece of music indicating which are to be played. on the original score is B鈾 major but the piece itself is in F major. The entire song is based around a single F chord. The third of the chord is omitted - A chord that doesn't include the third, eg in a C major chord only the pitches C (I) and G (V) are played. - so in certain places it is unclear as to whether the song is in F major or F minor. This is called It is unclear whether the music is major or minor. .
Examples of tonal ambiguity include, in the melody, A鈾 at bar 11 - minor third - closely followed by A鈾 at bar 12 - major third.
Tempo, rhythm and metre
The The speed that the music is played at. is fairly quick and marked at 125 Beats per minute.. The time signature is A time meter made up of four beats in a bar. and the key rhythm is known as the Bo Diddley beat - which derives from the fundamental A cuban rhythm heard in jazz which is sometimes described as a 3 - 2 rhythm owing to the three augmented strikes, then two faster strikes. rhythm found in samba music:
The drum beat heard in the intro establishes the underlying rhythm of the song. It is played by the tom tom.
The vocal melody combines A dot after the note increases its value by half again. with Rhythm patterns where stressed notes are placed off the beat. in the opening of the verse before changing to straight quavers. Here鈥檚 an example of syncopation on the word 'Migra':
In interlude 3, the drum pattern is altered to play a laid-back rock rhythm, as shown here:
A more complex bass A recurring pattern, often on guitar. is also heard in interlude 3. The bass riff changes from straight crotchets and quavers to dotted rhythms and syncopation.
Dynamics
The overall The volume of the music. level is between moderately loud - A dynamic level meaning to play moderately loud - can be shortened to mf. - and loud - Shortened to f when written in the score. It means to play the music loud. . Interlude 3 is quieter than previous sections.
Texture
During the verse, the two voices sing in Two parts with matching rhythms and pitch or played in octaves.. There is also a Where one melody is answered by another. exchange between the vocals and the guitar. The brass section works together to provide chords in interlude 3, which is an example of A texture based on chords..
Melody
There is tonal ambiguity in the melody due to the frequent interchanges between A鈾 and A鈾. This gives the music a bluesy feel.
The simple bass A recurring pattern, often on guitar. is introduced in bar 9. It consists of only two notes, F - tonic - and E - leading note. The vocal melody has a limited five-note range from C to G and is also heard here for the first time.
A catchy An instrument that produces sound from compressed and expanded air in the bellows, while the keys on the side open holes for the air to release and sound. melody is heard in interlude 1. It uses a limited range of notes within a perfect fourth, F - tonic - and B鈾 - subdominant. Notice the use of Notes added to decorate a melody.:
An excerpt of the accordion and electric guitar duet with turns and mordants to decorate the melody.
The two trumpets enter for eight bars in interlude 2. They are playing in parallel thirds. The melody is decorated with a A type of ornament which suggests the performer plays the printed note, immediately the one immediately above and then the printed note again..
A more complex bass riff based on the root - fifth - and flattened seventh of the chord is heard in interlude 3.
An excerpt of the developed electric bass guitar melody.
The guitar plays an Composing music on the spot or during a performance. and A highly skilled performer. solo. The following techniques can be heard: A trembling sound created by fast repetition of the same note., A musical effect whereby the pitch pulsates. , An electric guitar effects pedal that changes the tone and frequencies of the guitar signal to create a sound that mimics the human voice. , A slide between two notes., Rhythm patterns where stressed notes are placed off the beat. and runs using the full range of notes.
Lyrics
Migra is slang for the US Immigration authorities. Although it is normally considered to be an example of a protest song, the essential message here is one of peace. For example, a chant-like feel is achieved when the same lines are repeated.
Most of the words are in Spanish. The only lines sung in English are:
People, people, let鈥檚 start together, let鈥檚 do it right.
People, people, let鈥檚 love one another, I know we know how.