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Area of Study 5: Fusions

4 dot points across 4 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What are the key features of the tracks from Anoushka Shankar's Breathing Under Water?

Anoushka Shankar: two tracks from Breathing Under Water (Burn, Breathing Under Water). Indian classical music (sitar, raga, tala, tabla) fused with electronica, programming and flamenco, using drones, layered textures and looping.
A focused answer on the Edexcel A-Level Music set work, two tracks from Anoushka Shankar's Breathing Under Water. Covers Indian classical music (sitar, raga, tala, tabla) fused with electronica, programming and flamenco, drones, layered textures, looping and the features the appraising exam rewards.
14 min answer →

What are the key features of Debussy's Estampes Nos. 1 and 2?

Claude Debussy: Estampes, Nos. 1 (Pagodes) and 2 (La soiree dans Grenade). Impressionist piano music fusing Western harmony with Javanese gamelan and Spanish influences, using pentatonic and whole-tone scales, modality and habanera rhythm.
A focused answer on the Edexcel A-Level Music set work, Debussy's Estampes Nos. 1 (Pagodes) and 2 (La soiree dans Grenade). Covers impressionist piano music fusing Western harmony with Javanese gamelan and Spanish influences, pentatonic and whole-tone scales, modality and the habanera rhythm the appraising exam rewards.
14 min answer →

What are the key features of Familia Valera Miranda's songs from Cana Quema?

Familia Valera Miranda: two songs from Cana Quema (Alla va candela, Se quema la chumbambla). Cuban son fusing Spanish melody, guitar and vocal harmony with African rhythm, call and response, and percussion.
A focused answer on the Edexcel A-Level Music set work, two songs from Familia Valera Miranda's Cana Quema. Covers Cuban son as a fusion of Spanish melody, guitar and vocal harmony with African rhythm, percussion, call and response, and the features the appraising exam rewards.
14 min answer →

What is the Fusions area of study, and how do its three set works blend different musical traditions?

Area of Study 5 Fusions: the three set works (Debussy's Estampes, Familia Valera Miranda's Cana Quema, Anoushka Shankar's Breathing Under Water), and the concept of fusion, blending Western, Asian, African and Latin American musical traditions.
An overview of Area of Study 5 (Fusions) for Edexcel A-Level Music. Introduces the three set works by Debussy, Familia Valera Miranda and Anoushka Shankar, and the concept of fusion that blends Western, Asian, African and Latin American traditions, with the features the appraising exam rewards.
13 min answer →