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Cypraea guttata surinensis

A print from 1845 shows cowry shells being used as money by an Arab trader.

Cowry or cowrie, plural cowries, is the common name for a group of small to large sea snails, marine gastropod molluscs in the family Cypraeidae, the cowries. The word cowry is also often used to refer only to the shells of these snails, which overall are often shaped more or less like an egg, except that they are rather flat on the underside.

Many people throughout history have found (and still find) the very rounded, shiny, porcelain-like shells of cowries pleasing to look at and to handle. Indeed the term "porcelain" derives from the old Italian term for the cowrie shell (porcellana) due to their similar translucent appearance.^[1] Shells of certain species have historically been used as currency in several parts of the world, as well as being used, in the past and present, very extensively in jewellery, and for other decorative and ceremonial purposes.

Some species in the family Ovulidae are also often referred to as cowries. In the British Isles the local Trivia species (family Triviidae, species Trivia monacha and Trivia arctica) are sometimes called cowries. The Ovulidae and the Triviidae are somewhat closely related to the Cypraeidae.

Shell description[link]

Shells of various species of cowries; all but one have their anterior ends pointing towards the top of the page in this image

The shells of cowries are usually smooth and shiny and more or less egg-shaped, with a flat under surface which shows a long, narrow, slit-like opening (aperture), which is often toothed at the edges. The narrower end of the egg-shaped cowry shell is the anterior end. The spire of the shell is not visible in the adult shell of most species, but is visible in juveniles, which have a different shape than the adults.

Nearly all cowries have a porcelain-like shine, with some exceptions such as Hawaii's granulated cowry, Nucleolaria granulata. Many have colorful patterns. Lengths range from 5 mm for some species up to 19 cm for the Atlantic deer cowry, Macrocypraea cervus.

Human use[link]

A live map cowry Cypraea mappa in East Timor

The shells of cowries (especially Monetaria moneta) were used for centuries as a currency in Africa. Huge amounts of Maldivian cowries were introduced into Africa by western nations during the period of slave trade.^[2] The Ghanaian unit of currency known as the Ghanaian cedi was named after cowry shells. Starting over three thousand years ago, cowry shells, or copies of the shells, were used as Chinese currency.^[3] They were also used as means of exchange in India.

The Classical Chinese character for money(貝) originated as a stylized drawing of a cowrie shell.^[4] Words and characters concerning money, property or wealth usually has this as a radical.

The Ojibway aboriginal people in North America use cowry shells which are called sacred Miigis Shells or whiteshells in Midewiwin ceremonies, and the Whiteshell Provincial Park in Manitoba, Canada is named after this type of shell. There is some debate about how the Ojibway traded for or found these shells, so far inland and so far north, very distant from the natural habitat. Oral stories and birch bark scrolls seem to indicate that the shells were found in the ground, or washed up on the shores of lakes or rivers. Finding the cowry shells so far inland could indicate the previous use of them by an earlier tribe or group in the area, who may have obtained them through an extensive trade network in the ancient past. Petroforms in the Whiteshell Provincial Park may be as old as 8,000 years.

Cowry shells were among the devices used for divination by the Kaniyar Panicker astrologers of Kerala, India.^[5]

Cowry shells are also worn as jewelry or otherwise used as ornaments or charms. They are viewed as symbols of womanhood, fertility, birth and wealth.^[6] The symbolism of the cowry shell is associated with the appearance of its underside: the lengthwise opening makes the shell look like a vulva or an eye.^[7]

Cowry shells are sometimes used in a way similar to dice, e.g., in board games like Pachisi, Ashta Chamma (board game) or in divination (cf. Ifá and the annual customs of Dahomey of Benin). A number of shells (6 or 7 in Pachisi) are thrown, with those landing aperture upwards indicating the actual number rolled.

On the Fiji Islands, a shell of the golden cowry or bulikula, Cypraea aurantium, was drilled at the ends and worn on a string around the neck by chieftains as a badge of rank.^[8]

Large cowry shells such as that of Cypraea tigris have been used in Europe in the recent past as a frame over which sock heels were stretched for darning. The cowry's smooth surface allows the needle to be positioned under the cloth more easily.

See also[link]

• Shell money

References[link]

External links[link]

• cowry.org
• Cowrie Genomic Database Project
• Genus Cypraea on Animal Diversity Web
• Beautifulcowries
•  "Cowry". Collier's New Encyclopedia. 1921. 
•  "Cowry". Encyclopedia Americana. 1920. 

Joanna Newsom
Joanna Newsom in 2007
Background information
Born	Joanna Caroline Newsom (1982-01-18) January 18, 1982 (age 30) Nevada City, California, United States
Genres	Indie folk
Instruments	Voice Harp Piano Harpsichord
Labels	Drag City
Associated acts	The Pleased

Joanna Newsom (born January 18, 1982) is an American harpist, pianist and singer-songwriter from Nevada City, California.

Early life[link]

Newsom grew up in the small town of Nevada City, California. As a child, Newsom was not allowed to watch television or listen to the radio because she was raised by doctors who were "kind of idealists when it came to hoping they could protect us from bad influences, like violent movies, or stupid stuff".^[1] She was exposed to music from a young age. Her father played the guitar and her mother was a classically trained pianist who played the hammered dulcimer, the autoharp and conga drums.^[2][3] Newsom attended a Waldorf school where she studied theater and learned to memorize and recite long poems. This skill helps her to remember lyrics while on tour.^[4]

At the age of five, Newsom asked her parents if she could play the harp. Her parents eventually agreed to sign her up for harp lessons, but the local harp teacher did not want to take on such a young student and suggested she learn to play the piano first. Starting at the age of four, she began playing the piano and later the harp, which she "loved from the first lesson onward."^[5] From her instructor, Joanna learned composition and improvisation. She learned to play on smaller Celtic harps until her parents bought her a full-size pedal harp in the seventh grade.^[6] During her teens, she and the instrument became inseparable, and she describes her relationship with the harp as similar to "an artificial limb or a wheelchair. It’s almost part of me, but more to the point, it serves a purpose, and if it wasn’t there I would wonder what was supposed to fit in its place."^[1]

She studied composition and creative writing at Mills College in Oakland, California. While at Mills, she played keyboards in The Pleased. She dropped out of the school in order to focus on her music.^[1]

Career[link]

In 2002 and 2003, Newsom recorded two EPs, Walnut Whales and Yarn and Glue. These homemade recordings were intended to serve as a document of her early work; she recorded them on a Fisher-Price tape recorder.^[7] These EPs were not intended for public distribution. At the suggestion of Noah Georgeson, her then-boyfriend and recording engineer of the EP, she burned several copies to sell at her early shows.^[7] John Fellman, co-producer of Mission Creek Music and Arts Festival, claims to be the first to have booked a show for her.^[8]

A friend of Newsom's passed one of these CDs on to Will Oldham at a show in Nevada City. Oldham was impressed with Newsom's music and asked her to tour with him. He also gave a copy of the CD to the owner of Drag City, his record label. Drag City signed Newsom and released her debut album The Milk-Eyed Mender in 2004.^[9] Shortly thereafter, Newsom toured with Devendra Banhart and Vetiver and made an early UK appearance at the Green Man Festival in Wales, returning to headline in 2005, 2007 and 2010.

Newsom's work has become prominent on the independent music scene. Her profile has risen, in part, due to a number of live shows and appearances on shows like Jimmy Kimmel Live on ABC.

Her second album Ys was released in November 2006. The album features orchestrations and arrangements by Van Dyke Parks, engineering from Steve Albini and mixing by Drag City label-mate Jim O'Rourke. On a road trip, Bill Callahan recommended she listen to the album Song Cycle by Parks, which led to his being chosen to arrange her work on Ys.

Joanna Newsom at the Sasquatch Music Festival, Washington in May 2005

Joanna is known to debut songs impromptu at her concerts. On March 28, 2009, she performed over two hours of new material at a 'secret' concert in Big Sur, California with fellow Nevada City singer-songwriter Mariee Sioux under the pseudonym 'The Beatles's'. Those in attendance reported that about one-third of her new material was played primarily on piano, with a backing arrangement of banjo, violin, guitar and drums.^[10]

Since late 2006, Joanna has performed a solo harp version of the traditional Scottish song "Ca the Yowes Tae the Knowes".^[11]

Several of the songs on The Milk-Eyed Mender have been covered by her peers. "Bridges and Balloons" was covered by The Decemberists on their 2005 EP Picaresqueties. "Sprout and the Bean" has been covered by The Moscow Coup Attempt and Sholi. "Peach, Plum, Pear" has been covered by Final Fantasy (Owen Pallett) on the 2006 EP Young Canadian Mothers, as well as by Straylight Run. M Ward has played "Sadie" at some of his live shows.^[12]

In 2009, she appeared in the music video for the song "Kids" by the group MGMT.^[13]

On January 12, 2010, an entry cryptically entitled "@!?*(%$#!!" was posted on the Drag City website. It contained a link which led to a short comic strip titled "Joanna Newsom 'Have One on Me'" with a date of February 23, 2010.^[14] Later that day, it was confirmed by Spunk, Newsom's Australian label, that the title and date represented the title of Newsom's upcoming album and its release date.^[15] P-Vine Records in Japan announced that Have One on Me, which was recorded in Tokyo in 2009, would be released in Japan on March 3, 2010, as a three-disc CD set, with a total of approximately three hours of new recordings.^[16] Newsom was chosen by Matt Groening to perform at the edition of the All Tomorrow's Parties festival he curated in May 2010 in Minehead, England.

On February 11, 2010, Pitchfork Media reported that Newsom would be the subject of a tribute book titled Visions of Joanna Newsom which has now been published by Roan Press.^[17] She toured throughout Europe and America in 2010 to promote her latest record, supported by a five-piece band. In December 2010, a tribute album of Newsom covers was released as a digital download. Artists involved include M. Ward, Billy Bragg and Owen Pallett, with all proceeds going to Oxfam America's Pakistan Flood Relief Efforts.^[18]

On July 19, 2011, Newsom's second single, What We Have Known, was released on 12" vinyl. The single was originally the b-side to her first single, Sprout and the Bean.^[19] In June 2011, she filmed her second music video (for the song "Good Intentions Paving Company") with directors Karni & Saul.^[20] Newsom was also chosen by Jeff Mangum of Neutral Milk Hotel to perform at the All Tomorrow's Parties festival that he curated in March 2012 in Minehead, England.^[21]

In late 2011, Newsom contributed vocals to "The Muppet Show Theme" for The Muppets^[22] and appeared on the cover of the 10th anniversary issue of Under the Radar with Robin Pecknold.^[23]

Newsom began 2012 with television appearances on Austin City Limits (on January 21) and Portlandia (on February 7).^[24][25]

Style[link]

Newsom's earlier work was strongly influenced by polyrhythms.^[26] Her harp teacher, Diana Stork, taught her the basic pattern of four beats against three which creates an interlocking, shifting pattern that can be heard on Ys, particularly in the middle section of "Sawdust & Diamonds." After Ys, Newsom said she had lost interest in polyrhythms. They "stopped being fascinating to me and started feeling wanky."^[27]

The media have sometimes labeled her as one of the most prominent members of the modern psych folk movement. Joanna, however, claims no ties to any particular music scene.^[28] Her songwriting incorporates elements of Appalachian music and avant-garde modernism.

Newsom's vocal style (in the November 2006 issue of The Wire she described her voice as "untrainable") has shadings of folk and Appalachian shaped-note timbres. Newsom has, however, expressed disappointment at comments that her singing is "child-like."^[28]

Critics noticed a change in Newsom's voice on her latest album.^[29][30] In the spring of 2009, Newsom developed vocal cord nodules and could not speak or sing for two months. The recovery from the nodules and further "vocal modifications" changed her voice.^[31][32][33]

Collaborations[link]

In addition to her solo work, Newsom has played on records by Smog, Vetiver, Nervous Cop, The Year Zero, Vashti Bunyan, Moore Brothers, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Golden Shoulders and The Roots^[34] and played keyboards for The Pleased.

Personal life[link]

Newsom's family includes her brother Pete, a fellow musician, and sister Emily, who inspired her song "Emily" (and contributed backing vocals). She is the second cousin, twice removed, of Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom of California.^[35] She has dated Noah Georgeson, Bill Callahan and is dating Andy Samberg.^[36]

Discography[link]

Albums

• The Milk-Eyed Mender (Drag City, 2004)
• Ys (Drag City, 2006) US #134, UK #41
• Have One on Me (Drag City, 2010)^[37] US #75, UK #28

Early unofficial recordings

• Walnut Whales (self-released, 2002)
• Yarn and Glue (self-released, 2003)

EPs

• Joanna Newsom and the Ys Street Band (Drag City, 2007) UK #135^[38]

Singles

• "Sprout and the Bean" (Drag City, 2004)
• "What We Have Known" (Drag City, 2011)

Licensing of songs[link]

• In 2004, "Peach, Plum, Pear" played over the credits of the animated short City Paradise.
• In 2004, "This Side of the Blue" was used on a British television commercial for Orange SA.
• In 2006, "Sprout and the Bean" was used in a tourism ad for Melbourne, Australia.
• In 2007, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was used in the PBS documentary Following Sean.
• In 2007, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was sung by an aspiring musician in the film Great World of Sound.
• In 2008, "Sprout and the Bean" was featured in the film The Strangers.
• In 2008, "Clam, Crab, Cockle, Cowrie" was used in a television commercial for HSBC.
• In 2008, "The Book of Right-On" was used in an MTV ad for sexual care and education.
• In 2009, "The Book of Right-On" was licensed for the end credits of the Mexican/Italian film The Best of Feelings
• In 2009, "Sprout and the Bean" was used in a Victoria's Secret Bra commercial.
• In 2009, the harp intro of "Cosmia" was used in the Louis Theroux documentary "A Place for Paedophiles."
• In 2009, "Sprout and the Bean" was used again in a tourism ad for Melbourne, Australia.
• In 2009, a shorter edit of "Inflammatory Writ" was used in ads for the Spanish TV channel La Sexta^[39]
• In 2010, "Bridges & Balloons" was used in an LG commercial.^[40]

References[link]

Interviews[link]

• Tiny Mix Tapes (September 2004)
• KCRW (February 2005)
• The Guardian (October 15, 2006)
• The Wire (November 2006)
• Pitchfork (November 20, 2006)
• The Times (February 20, 2010)

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Joanna Newsom

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Joanna Newsom

• Drag City

Jimmy Lopez in 2009

Jimmy Lopez (born 21 October 1978) is a classical music composer from Lima, Peru.^[1] He has won several international awards and pieces composed by him have been performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Concert Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Peru, and the Lima Philharmonic Orchestra.^[1] In 2000, he moved to Helsinki to study at the Sibelius Academy, and since 2004, has been a member of the Society of Finnish Composers.

Education[link]

In 1998, Lopez began studying at the National Conservatory of Music in Lima, where he worked with the Peruvian composer Enrique Iturriaga. He was admitted to the Sibelius Academy in 2000, and studied there with Veli-Matti Puumala and Eero Hämeenniemi. After being awarded a Master of Music degree, he was admitted to University of California, Berkeley where he is currently studying for a PhD in Composition.^[2] He has participated in masterclasses with Magnus Lindberg, Jouni Kaipainen, Michael Nyman and Marek Kopelent, among others.^[3]

Works[link]

In 2004, a ballet, "Los Magos del Silencio" ("The Magicians of Silence") was produced in Lima and Lopez's "Concerto for Koto and Orchestra" was performed by the Dutch UMA Kamerorkest (Chamber orchestra).^[2] In 2005, a work for four recorder players and three percussion players, "Kraftmaschine", was commissioned by the German A*Devantgarde festival.^[4] In March 2007, Lopez presented several works, "A Wedding Blast", "Varem", "Epiphany" and "América Salvaje" ("Wild America") at a concert held in Helsinki's Temppeliaukion kirkko, conducted by the Sibelius Academy's Roberto Fores, Leo McFall and David Claudio. The compositions included use of traditional Peruvian instruments such as the pututo and the ocarina and inspired by Peruvian culture. "América Salvaje" was commissioned by the Ministry of Education on the occasion of the opening of the Biblioteca Nacional del Perú (National Library of Peru) in 2006.^[5][6]

Awards[link]

• 2001 Boston University Alea III International Composition Prize (USA)^[7]
• 2002 CCA International Composition Competition Orchestra Prize (Taiwan)^[3]
• 2005 Honourable Mention, Irino Prize for Chamber Music (Japan)^[8]
• 2006 Stipendienpreis for Composition (Germany)^[9]
• 2006 SävellYS Composition Prize (Finland)^[10]
• 2008 Nicola de Lorenzo Prize (UC Berkeley)
• 2008 Morton Gould Young Composer Award (given by ASCAP: The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)
• 2008 Kranichsteiner Musikpreis at the Darmstadt International Course for Contemporary Music, Germany.^[11]
• 2009 Georges Ladd Prix de Paris (UC Berkeley)
• 2011 Nicola de Lorenzo Prize (UC Berkeley)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Jimmy Lopez's website (English)
• Interview with Jimmy Lopez on Society of Composers of Peru site (Spanish)
• Review of |Temppeliaukion kirkko concert on 31 March 2007 (Finnish)