Transcript Africa - West Ada

The traditions and culture of music in
Africa
Why Study Other Cultures?
But First…
The African continent comprises of
approximately 20 percent of the world's land
mass and has a population of roughly 1.223
billion people, according to a census
completed on July 1, 2016.
There are 5 main regions of
cultural music associated with
Africa, as studied by Western
Musicologists.
A Background of Cultural Significance
Musical traditions are extremely varied through out the continent. Traditional
music varies by region as well as by tribe.
Music and dance traditionally are so integral a part of life that they cannot not
be seen as separate from everyday living, so much so that many African cultures
have no separate word for music.
North Africa
Islamic Influence on Northern Africa
North African music has strong Arabic influences due to the Islamic
expansion during the middle ages.
Not considered to be traditional African music because it is so different
from the music of the rest of the continent due to much foreign
influence.
Music is almost always accompanied by Arabic songs.
The music of North Africa employs the use of the zither, lute, and rabab.
Sub-Saharan Africa
Otherwise known as the rest of the continent.
Eastern Africa
Music consists of rich rhythms important in dance as well as everyday life.
Some tribes use slow, elegant rhythms while others choose fast rhythms.
Clapping accompanies music and dancing throughout this region. In some
dances, dancers carry small drums that they play.
Eastern African Instruments
Kenyans have traditionally made a wide
variety of intricate musical instruments
out of gourds, shells, leaves, horns,
hides, and other natural materials
In more modern times they have used
wood, plastic, tin, and iron.
Children learn to make instruments
with seeds, leaves, shells, or anything
they can find.
Eastern African Instruments
The Thum is very popular.
Eastern African Instruments
The most popular
instrument is the drum.
Drum ensembles of
various-sized drums are
often used but usually no
more than six drummers
participate.
Activity: Independent Research
http://www.singingwells.org/
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/ama-browse.pl
West Africa
West African Culture – the Mali people
West African Culture – the Mali people
Mali’s recorded history began with the Ghana Empire, which extended across
the borders of present-day Mali and Mauritania during the 4th and 11th
centuries. The Ghana Empire’s golden age began after camels were
domesticated and able to transport salt, gold and ivory as far as the Middle
East, North Africa and even Europe.
Malian music and literature have both been heavily influenced by longtime oral
storytelling. Traditional storytellers called griots often perform at weddings and
other special events.
West African Culture – The Groit
It is hard to generalize one style of music from this area; Liberia alone holds over 20
different tribes each with their own customs.
Court culture thrived in West Africa, giving birth to griots which are similar to
European bards. Griots are professional historians, story tellers, musicians, advisers,
and singers all in one, who travel from village to village performing.
They memorize traditional songs and stories that have been passed down from
generation to generation only orally; they hold a wealth of knowledge.
Griots still exist and keep oral traditions in West Africa today.
Instruments of West Africa
West Africa is often described as having the most complex instruments and rhythms on the
continent. Traditional music is usually performed by ensembles rather than solo singers.
The kora is a famous musical instrument from West Africa. The kora is a lute with 21
strings. Kora players usually come from griot families.
The talking drums of the Yoruba tribe come from this area. They are hour glass shaped
drums held under the arm that mimic speech. Traditionally, they were used to communicate
with others over long distances.
The djembe, a loud, goblet-shaped hand drum used for solos, also hails from this region.
Kora
Yoruban Talking Drum
Djembe
Dagomba Dance Drumming
Drumming energizes people to dance at
social functions.
Music may be for individuals to dance
solo or for groups to do traditional
choreography.
http://sites.tufts.edu/dagomba/
Activity: Independent Research West Africa
http://www.growingintomusic.co.uk/mali-andguinea-music-of/
http://www.our-africa.org/mali/people-culture
Central Africa
Non-Pygmy Music
Non-pygmy tribes use
many instruments such as
• zithers
• makata sticks
• gongs
• harps
• drums
• lyres
Pygmy Tribes
There are many different Pygmy tribes
• the Twa, Bambuti, Batwa, Bayaka and the Bagyeli
'Ba -' means 'people'
The tribes live scattered over a huge area in central and western Africa
• Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo (Brazzaville), Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic,
Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
Different Pygmy tribes speak different languages, generally related to those of neighboring nonPygmy peoples.
There are a few words which are shared between even widely separated Pygmy tribes, suggesting
they may have shared a language in the past, for example the name of the forest spirit, Jengi.
Pygmy Music
Traditional music among the Pygmies is vocal and rich in polyphonic
harmony.
Pygmy songs describe life hunting and gathering, and survival. The elephanthunting song features split sticks, used to mark time, and a group of men and
boys singing in a chorus.
The choral music is built up from continuously varied repetitions of a short
basic ostinato that takes shape as different voices enter and fill out the texture.
Activity: Independent Research Central Africa
http://www.pygmies.org/
Central Africa
Southern African Culture
The Khoisan
• Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, Lesotho, and parts of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and
Mozambique
• The Khoi and the San
The music of this area features a less polyphonic texture than the music of other African cultures,
both in vocal and instrumental music.
• Prominent harmonic intervals include parallel fifths and octaves alongside
• Rhythms less complex than those of Western and Eastern Africa.
“Hocket" technique
• Individual notes of a melody are sung by different musicians, and a technique similar to yodeling.
Isicathamiya
The “C” is pronounced with a dental click
Secular a cappella choral singing developed in South Africa by migrant Zulu
communities
Isicathamiya groups sing in four-part harmony, typically led by a tenor soloist
Joseph Shabalala and his ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo were the
musicians through whom global audiences were exposed to the genre