1. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Section Five: African Music Population over 800 million (2000 estimate); extremely diversified languages & cultures; Continuously changing for thousands of years.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

2. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Cultural Groups
Many ethnic groups, languages and style areas throughout continent
Ideally the songs, language, oral literature, instrumental music, theater arts and dance should all be explored together.
Sharing occurs between groups with cultural similarities (language, region, etc.)
Outside influence started long ago, mostly in Northern and Eastern Africa
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

3. North Africa & the Sahara Desert Much Muslim and Arabic influence
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

4. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
The Savannah Region Mostly indigenous culture, with some Arabic influence; much sharing of culture between peoples
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

5. The Rain Forest Region Less influenced by outsiders; Musically diverse
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

6. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
The Congo Basin Stylistically simplified compared to other large regoins
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

7. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
East and South Africa Cattle area; simpler music; drums less important, much use of xylophones, harps, lyres
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

8. Madagascar SE Asian influence; also French and Indian influence
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

9. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Early Instruments
Early history: the musical bow
Also plucked lutes; harps.
Rock engraving of an eight-string harp found 18th century bce (south of the Sahara). Many types of African harps, but no harps south of equator.
8th to 14th centuries, bells and gongs found. Written accounts in 1586, gourd-resonated xylophones
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

10. Much Research Has Been New
Since the 1930s, an increase of studies, especially interlocking drumming patterns
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

11. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Cultural Elements
Music and dance are inseparable
Ancestor reverence (worship?); specialists recounting stories of powerful families and important rulers.
The social roles of the so-called talking drums of West and Central Africa (the pitch can be changed by pushing on or squeezing drum)
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

12. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Dance/Music Usage
Dances often serve ritual purposes, marking stages of life involving music (initiation rites, weddings, funerals, ancestral ceremonies, etc.) or trance states
Often, dances are social with only veiled ritual purpose, if any.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

13. Dances Typically in Groups and in Circles or Lines
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

14. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Musical Traditions
Generally learned through oral tradition to students deemed worthy of training by virtue of ancestry.
In socially stratified societies, musical professionalism by jalolu (Griot) or by specialized court musicians.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

15. Musical Qualities Found in Much African Music
Repetition
Chorus, some solo
Participation: call-and-response, overlapping, some parallel singing
Rhythm: well-blended, maintained, polyrhythm, polymetric, syncopation
Accompanied by body movement such as hand-clapping, dance and work.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

16. Musical Qualities (cont.)
Forceful approach
Little ornamentation
Pentatonic scales, some hexatonic
Aesthetic often includes buzzing, rattling sounds
Subject matter includes animals stories, love, dance, relationships
Songs are often integrated into story-telling.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

17. African Rhythm Characteristics
Always at least two rhythms going on
3:2 relationship is central
Cross-rhythms: conflicting rhythmic patterns & accents
Integrally tied to dance, and so in some variety of duple or triple time (4/4 or 12/8)
“Rhythm is to the African as Harmony is to the European”
Chernoff, John Miller, African Rhythm and African
Sensibility, University of Chicago Press,
Chicago, 1979.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

18. Example: Ake (Nigerian Work Song)
Instruments/Voices
Function/Importance within Culture
Musical Characteristics
(Form, melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.)
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

19. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Musical Instruments
Idiophones: clap-sticks, bells, rattles, struck/shaken gourds, stamping tubes, xylophones, mbiras (thumb pianos).
Membranophone: drums of all sorts.
Chordophones: musical bow, lute, lyre, harp, and zither.
Aerophones: flute, whistle, oboe, and trumpet.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

20. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Idiophones
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

21. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Xylophones
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

22. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Harps
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

23. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Ghana
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

24. Ghana: Geography and Economy
Near equator, coastline, in rain forest, heavily wooded hills, many rivers.
“Ashanti” area; cocoa, minerals, timber. North: low bush, savannah; degrees
Agriculture, fishing, forestry. Major cash crop is cocoa, also crops are rice, coffee, cassava, peanuts, and corn. Export cocoa, gold, timber, and various minerals.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

25. Agbekor: Music and Dance of the Ewe People
Originally performed for war
Linked to legend of monkey dance; a monkey beating stick inspired the dance
Agbekor signifies enjoying life, and sacred oath to ancestors to fight bravely; “clear life”
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

26. Learning and Performing Agbekor
Requires special training due to complexity
Rarely performed in villages now, but often performed in societies (mutual aid organizations, school and civic youth groups, theatrical performing companies)
The writer visited Anya Agbekor Society of Accra, dedicated to remembering old family members.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

27. Agbekor: basic drumming patterns
The first pattern is played by the double bell:
It is ubiquitous to nearly all of Africa.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

28. Agbekor: drumming patterns (cont.)
The next pattern to feel is the rattle & handclap pattern.
What division of the meter are we stressing?
Is it what you thought we would be playing?
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

29. Agbekor full background pattern
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

30. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
A Performance at a Wake
Ten Drummers at one end
Columns of dancers face the drummers
Singers behind the dancers in a semicircle
300 onlookers
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

31. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
The actual event
Adzo, dancers sing in free rhythm
Then Vutsotsoe, fast drumming
Various words like “Aa-oo” summon the spirits of the departed ancestors
Dancing shows readiness to act in the manner of the ancestors
Several more songs
The adzokpi section begins; pairs of dancers or groups dance in front of the lead drummer.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

32. The actual event (cont.)
Drummer plays special ending figure.
Groups leaders go to the center of dance and to pour water/libation to call for blessings from deceased member.
Vulolo, or slow drumming
Vutsotsoe, up-tempo section
Final adzokpi section, elders, patrons, etc. enter the dance floor for a while.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

33. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Agbekor Instruments
Axatse
Gankogui
Kaganu
Kidi
Sogo
Atsimevu
Source:
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

34. Conclusions about African Music Traditions
African music-cultures strongly linked to community
Construction and playing of musical instruments
Spontaneous performances
Music serves functions
Fosters group participation
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

35. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Mande People of Mali
Lambango (CD 1:13) Mariatu Kuyateh, Kekuta Suso (kora), and Seni Jobateh
Griots (Jalolu) = professional musicians who transmit oral history (of Mande people) through song.
Kora = indigenous African “spiked-bridge” harp
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

36. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Kora
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

37. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Dagbamba of Ghana
Lunsi = hereditary clan of drummers; serve as verbal artist, counselor, cultural expert, etc.
Gung-gong & lunga drums (specific names for double-headed drums)
“Nag Biegu” (CD 1:14)
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

38. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Shona of Zimbabwe
Mbira = “thumb piano”
“Nhemamusasa” (CD 1:15)
Mbira is often placed inside a
Deze (gourd resonator)
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

39. BaAka People of central Africa (Congo Basin)
“Forest People,” “pygmies,” a unique culture
“Makala” a Mabo (net hunting) song (CD 1:16)
Improvised, open-ended polyphonic vocal musical style with all people participating. How does this express the culture?
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

40. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Djembe
The Djembe is the drum of the Mandinka people (Guinea), and its origins dates back to the great Mali Empire of the 12th century.
VERY popular drum world-wide
Mamady Keita
Music
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

41. Contemporary Musicians Seeking Identities and Names
Many musicians in Africa are fighting Disco and other Western styles, and hoping to keep African elements in the popular music.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU

42. Introduction to World Music, SMSU
Assignment
I. Explain how a cross rhythm works. Give a specific example from a piece we have studied.
II. What is a lunsi, and what instrument is he associated with?
III. What is a griot, and what instrument are they associated with?
IV. How does “call and response” function in an actual social situation?
V. What impressed you most about this section (African music)? How and Why?
Introduction to World Music, SMSU