Transcript Slide 1

The fourth area of study looks at
aspects of world music
 We will look specifically at Indian, African and Celtic
music.
 Our second set work is Yiri by Koko.
 We will be studying this work through listening,
analysis and composition tasks.
Learning Objectives
 To consolidate learning on features of African
instrumental and vocal music.
 To develop an understanding of the musical themes in
Yiri by Koko
 To develop an understanding of the three main
musical elements in Yiri by Koko.
 To develop an understanding of
Background to the set work ‘Yiri’
 The musicians in the group Koko are:
 Madou Kone: vocals, balaphone, flute
 Sydou Traore: vocals, balaphone
 Jacouba Kone: djembe
 Francois Naba: vocals, tam-tam, dundun, maracas
 Keresse Sanou: talking drum
 Tidiane Hema: vocals, maracas
Burkino Faso
 This set work comes from Burkina Faso, which is a
landlocked nation situated in West Africa. It is
surrounded on all sides by other countries: Mali, Niger,
Benin, Togo, Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire.
 Renamed by President Thomas Sankara in 1984,
Burkino translates as ‘men of intengrity’ and Faso
means ‘father’s house’ and its inhabitants are called
Burkinabe.
Musical themes
 The themes in music from the region of Burkino Faso
conjur up some of mankind’s greatest battles in life,
including the fight for survival and looking after the
environment.
 In addition the music focuses on creation, community
celebrations and friendships.
Yiri by Koko:
Three clear musical strands
The balaphone ostinati- in combination, these
produce a complex polyphonic texture.
2. The drum ostinati- in this work they play a
relentless one-bar pattern (albeit with a little
variation at the beginning of the bar of:
two semiquavers- quaver-two semiquavers- quaver
3. The vocal line- this is a simple pentatonic call and
response structure
1.
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
0.00 – 0.18 Introduction
-Free tempo
-High balaphone improvised solo (softly)
-Monophonic texture
-Solo is in Gb major (fast high and low rolls on every
note) – repetitive and simple.
0.18 – 0.34 -Moderate tempo established by two balaphones
-Major tonality
-Strong rhythmic basis (built on two-bar phrases)
-Heterophonic texture
-Semiquaver and quaver rhythms
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
0.34 – 1.09 -Large talking drum, small talking drum and djembe
play an ostinato.
- Balaphones play a melody.
- Lower balaphone plays an ostinato (bars 17-20)
- Occasional djembe fills in this section
- Melody includes syncopated rhythms and lots of
repetition of the tonic and dominant notes.
- Bar 21 – simple melodic phrases are repeated with
slight variation in short two-bar phrases.
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
1.09 – 1.25
- Chorus A1
- Voices in unison
- Melody is short, simple and repetitive.
Semiquaver, quaver, semiquaver rhythm is a feature
of the vocal writing.
- No harmony.
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
1.25 – 1.44
-Short instrumental for balaphone (solo break) and
drums play continuous ostinati as before.
- Chorus A 2
- Voices in for second verse (music much the same as
before).
- Voices out, then solo instrumental break on
lower pitched balaphone.
- Some variation in balaphone melody.
1.44 – 2.01
2.01 – 2.10
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
2.10 – 2.45 -Solo with choral responses
- A solo voice (call). Dramatic and new melody
features long held notes and short punctuated notes
on ‘Yiri’.
- The drum ostinato continues.
- Vocal melody has triplets.
- Lower balaphone plays the same ostinato as bars
17-20.
-Voices (choral response) in unison after the call at
bar 63.
- New melodic riffs in balaphones.
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
2.45-3.14
- Solo voice (call) again with long held notes.
- Drums same as before.
- Balaphone now plays a rhythmic three-note
semiquaver melodic figure creating cross-rhythms.
- Bar 71- solo voice.
- Main features: triplet idea, syncopated rhythms,
semiquaver-quaver rhythms.
- Vocal response from the choir in unison
- Solo voice (call) with some varied balaphone
rhythms in a solo break.
3.15-3.19
3.20-3.28
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
3.28-3.59
- Instrumental solos carry on.
- New melodies on the balaphones.
- Short three-beat (one-bar) rest before we have the
next chorus.
- Chorus B1
- Full choir in unison singing ‘Yiri’ with some short
instrumental interjections to break up vocal lines.
- Dialogue effects between voices and instruments.
4.00-4.31
4.31-4.45
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
4.45-5.20
- Instrumental as a balaphone break.
- Riffs with variations.
- Quite extended and is based on the original
melody with variations.
- More virtuosic with rapid figuration featuring
octave leaps and semiquaver and demisemiquaver
patterns.
- Chorus A3
- Full choir again in unison with instrumental
interjections.
5.20-5.36
Close analysis of ‘Yiri’
Timing
Analysis
5.36-6.24
- Instrumental ending played as a balaphone break.
- This is very syncopated and the drums re-enter at
bar 153, one bar before the coda.
- Coda
- Five two-bar phrases mostly in octaves end with
dramatic rests observed by all instruments.
- This has the sense of a strong riff.
- There are some differences in notes on occasions
(see bars 154-end) creating an heterophonic
texture.
- Drums play an ostinato (bar 153 -)
- Piece concludes with a final ‘ting’ on the bell.
6.24 to
end
Plenary
 We will continue to analyse Yiri during tomorrow’s
lesson.
 You will then answer a 10 mark essay question.