Anthony Seeger illustrates the musical and cultural traditions of the Suya Indians in his paper, “What Can We Learn When They Sing? Vocal Genres of the Suya Indians of Central Brazil.” Music is a very important aspect of Suya culture, but musicians and anthropologists have found it difficult to document why their music is so important. One of the reasons that makes it so difficult is that in some cases, the Suya Indians’ performance of one song can last up to fifteen hours. Also, their ceremonies can last days. In Northern Gê speaking societies (such as the Suya), their “ceremonies involve months of (intermittent) ceremonial activity.” Researchers would not be able to gather sufficient data if there were making a short ethnographic trip.
