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The Cultural Meaning of Forest Sounds
Pedro Andi, "Swallows Call the Rain."
Subtitles are set to English but can be changed to Quichua by clicking the settings icon.
Cite video as:
Tod Swanson, "Pedro Andi 'The Swallows Call Rain.'" Youtube video. 6:55. March 30, 2016. https://youtu.be/bWv-Y_b1-fE
Eulodia Dagua, "Weather, Forest Sounds, and the Emotions of Birds, Fish, and Humans"
Amazonian Kichwa thinking on weather and the emotions. Tod Swanson interviews Eulodia Dahua in Pastaza Kichwa. English subtitles.
Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "Eulodia Dagua, 'Weather and the Emotions of Birds, Fish, and Humans.''' Youtube video. 2:30 April 11, 2015. https://youtu.be/RUQE-SnPM1Q
Pedro Andi, "When the Musician Wren Plays the Agoutis Dance."
Cite video as:
Tod Swanson, "Pedro Andi 'When the Musician Wren Plays the Agoutis Dance.'" Youtube video. 1:42. October 26, 2015. https://youtu.be/3z_L46IaVas
Pedro Andi, "Squirrel Cuckoo: A Bird That Lies and Sometimes Tells the Truth."
English subtitles only.
Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "Squirrel Cuckoo: A Bird That Lies and Sometimes Tells the Truth.’" Youtube video. 2:40.
Feb 28, 2021 https://youtu.be/rBWtgWwJLNg.
Delicia Dagua, "Singing with the Toucan's Orphans."
Tod Swanson “Delicia Dagua, 'Singing with the Toucan's Orphans.'" Youtube video. 4:57. April 2, 2013 12:15 PM. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PpSX17f1KK0.
The Sound of the Poison Dart Frog. Kichwa: Canua Sapo.
Tod Swanson interview with Delicia Dagua. Youtube video. 8:12 January 29, 2019. https://youtu.be/uUcsEKd7dBQ
Bélgica Dagua, "Hummingbird Calls Give Joy and Warn of Danger."
Tod D. Swanson, "Bélgica Dagua, 'Hummingbird Sounds Give Joy and Warn of Danger.’” Youtube video. 0:29. October 2, 2015. https://youtu.be/K8esX7GETCY
Bélgica Dagua, "Bélgica Dagua, "Wawa tukuk tsuan: The woodpecker sound that predicts the birth of a crying baby."
Please cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, “"Bélgica Dagua, "Wawa tukuk tsuan: The woodpecker that predicts the birth of a crying baby." Youtube video. 1:21. December 31, 2018. https://youtu.be/qEypv_QYn-g.
Luisa Cadena, "How Monkeys Call Their Relatives."
In Pastaza Quichua. Not subtitled. In this video Tod Swanson interviews Luisa Cadena on how monkeys communicate. Luisa imitates the calls of many species and says that the monkeys are "shunguyuj" meaning that they have a humanlike moral maturity and care for their relatives.
Cite video as:
Tod Swanson, "Luisa Cadena, 'How Monkeys Call Their Relatives..'" Youtube video. 5:1. December 6, 2016. https://youtu.be/Px0tYYgxC5o
Delicia Dagua, "Like a Guan Who Has Lost Her Relatives."
Please cite video as:
Tod Swanson “Delicia Dagua, 'Like a Guan Who Has Lost Her Relatives.'" Youtube video. 6:10. January 18, 2017. https://youtu.be/J83kFXmYeS0
"Oropendola Calls Cause Love and Sorrow." Tod Swanson interview with Luisa Cadena. Youtube video. 6:50. April 16, 2019. https://youtu.be/0XkBl-56vqo
"Oropendola Calls Change Anger to Love" Tod Swanson interview with Luisa Cadena. Youtube video. 5:10. April 16, 2019. https://youtu.be/pAyuQOJGStQ
Eulodia Dagua, "The Sound of the Banded Owl"
Many contemporary as well as archaeological ceramic sculptures are made with their mouths open because they are meant to evoke the concrete memory of a particular sound. Thus the referent of the art is something audible but invisible. In this case it is the sound of the banded owl, a nocturnal bird which is often heard but almost never seen. In this video Eulodia recounts how her father told her that the sound protected their family by scaring away death and harmful spirits with its loud cry.
Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "Eulodia Dagua, 'The Sound of the Banded Owl.'" Youtube video. 2:05. December 7, 2016. https://youtu.be/Ok7WCGbpnn4
Eulodia Dagua, "The Sound of the Cicada"
Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "Eulodia Dagua, 'The Sound of the Cicada'" Youtube video. 3:46. December 8, 2016. https://youtu.be/4HDkB0m6RUA
Eulodia Dagua, "Widowed Toucans Sing Love Songs."
Men and women use toucans to carry their love songs anonymously over distance. The reason they use toucans is that toucans always travel in pairs. When one of them is shot its mate, whether male or female, perches in the top of a tall tree and sings plaintively until a new mate arrives. By the end of the day it has its new lover. This is why toucan songs are particularly effective as love songs.
Cite video as:
Tod D. Swanson, "Eulodia Dagua, 'Widowed Toucans Sing Love Songs.''' Youtube video. 4:26. December 9, 2016. https://youtu.be/_lrLznnM6gI