Rafael Vargas - Ne Porâ Che Paraguay

Title of piece: Ne Pora Che Paraguay

Performer: Rafael Vargas
Culture or Orgin: Paraguay/Guarani
Orchestration: Midi instruments- vibe setting on keyboard, trumpets, percussion, bass line, some organ sounds, male vocalist

This piece is  a very interesting number that the Paraguayan people love. The lyrics are performed in a Native American dialect continuum known as Guarani. Guarani is spoken in remote parts of Paraguay, Bolivia, Argentina, and Brazil. Any Paraguayan would know this piece and have a sense of pride for it. The lyrics are essentially about the pride people of Paraguay feel to be from such a beloved, beautiful country. Alhough this dialect is not spoken by all Paraguayans, the song is well-known. This dialect is spoken in the Amazonian Rainforest tribes and is a very unique, ancient dialect.

As far as the authenticity of the piece according to Koops article, I have a few thoughts. The first model of authenticity Koops mentions is the continuum model. This has to do with the way the music is performed in its home setting. I listened to a few more recordings of this piece and I feel that the instrumentation was more authentic because they consisted of real instruments and sounded much more in the style of flamenco guitar with subtle hints of mariachi. Being that this recording used midi instruments, I thought it sounded more like the music you would hear in a video game. The version I have posted here is the most popular version of the song. I find that very interesting. I do feel that this piece was not changed in its integrity of authenticity, so for that I believe the continuum model of authenticity reflects the true nature of this piece.

The second model of authenticity is the twofold historical/personal model. This is with attention to intent, sound, and practice of the original. In this regard, I feel that the authenticity of this piece is lessened due to the fake quality of the instrumentation. Some cultures may love this sound, but the piece seems to have originated with guitar, bass, and live percussion. The fact that this recording consists of midi instruments takes away from the historical authenticity. The problem with this assessment is that I, of course, have no professional knowledge on the historical performance practices of this piece. For all I know, this piece could have originated with midi instruments. The fact that I was able to find some "less popular" versions of the song, have led me to the conclusion that the guitar, bass, and percussion were the original instrumentation of the song.

Koops also lists the threefold model of authenticity which has to do with: reproduction, reality, and relevance. Once again, the authenticity of this recording fails according to reproduction, if it was originally performed on live instruments. According to the reality model, this music does indeed reflect an actual musical practice in the world. The most important of the threefold model is relevance. Relevance has to do with the piece generating individual meaning in the act of music making. In this aspect, this piece is definitely authentic as it does indeed generate individual meaning. 

The last model Koops lists in his article is to move beyond authenticity. This takes the process of verifying authenticity a step further. The teacher should as questions like: "How was the music produced? For whom? By whom? What context? What purpose? With what influences?" (Koops, 26). These questions help to address all of the definitions of authenticity. In asking myself these questions regarding this particular piece I have determined that this piece is extremely authentic and an exceptional example of world cultural listening. Although the instrumentation may be a synthesized, the musical quality of the vocal performance and the passion behind the meaning of the song carry through.