1. Music of Sub-Sahara Africa Lucie Stanton MUS226

2. Introduction Africa is made up of over fifty counties Sub-saharan Africa is built out of many different societies with diverse music. During the twentieth century influences from Latin American, the Caribbean, and Europe became evident. Some populare styles include highlife, soukas, and mbaq’anga

3. Principles of Music Call and response is a common method used in Sub-saharan music. It alternates between the leader and the chorus parts. Sub-Saharan music is typically very dense sounding with overlapping textures. Musical pieces are often long and used repeated melodies and heavy use of rhythm. This is known as ostinato.

4. Musical Ceremonys Bira is a type of religious ceremony that involves spiritual possession. Interaction with passeed relatives in done during these ceremony. In a Molimo ceremony a trumpet is used during a pygmy ceremony for the forest. Elima is a pygmy puberty ceremony in which women sing.

5. Popular Instruments African musicians often combined European,Latin American, North American musical instruments. The often used trumpets, drums, and stringed instruments. Lamellaphone are a class of instrument used in classical music that is mostly used in Southern Africa.

6. South Africa Music is South Africa is distinctly different then that in others parts of Africa. It typically uses less percussion and more choral work. Urban black South Africa music was influenced by western music such as ragtime and jazz.

7. Music of the 20 th Century African Musicians often looked to Eurpoean and western music influences when developing modern music. European colonialism during the twentieth century brought new attitudes towards music and let to the creation of new styles. During World War II elements of Western and African began to be integrated in highlife music, a popular urban dance band music.

8. Conclusion Because there is so much socio-economical diversity in Africa there is also a diversity in their music among societies. Further more, different regions have been influenced by others and this has caused shifts and developments amongst genres.