Transcript Africa - Bath Spa University

Week 12 - Africa
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Birthplace of mankind
Separation of North and South due to
divide of Sahara
Until 100 Sub saharan had no literacy
tradition
Oral-aural culture
Music tied to social context and religious
custom
Ancestors
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Central to mores of Sub-saharan society
is belief that moral life of community is
watched over by the ancestors.
Ancestors communicate through music –
in particular drum.
Music strengthens moral values that
inform community life.
Functions of Music
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Deters individual or community
misfortunes.
Intrinsic to age-set ceremonies
Important for obtaining happiness
Without music to organise community
events society is dead.
Aesthetics
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Africans judge musical performance not so
much for entertainment as social
relevance.
Songs for all activities. How well does the
music aid and effect the activity?
Music both practical and aesthetic.
Praise-singing and aural history is bound
up in music.
Regional Difference
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Big differences between city and rural
areas. Cities have evolved hybrid musics
based on blend of traditional and western.
Traditional areas have retained more of
their traditions.
Religious divides in most areas. Islam and
Christianity vie with traditional gods and
spirits.
Islam South of Sahara
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Both in East and West Africa and especially in
desert and coastal areas.
Big effect of slavery across Africa – Islamic
culture used and accepted slaves long before
the Europeans.
Mixed cultures that are both Islamic and African
are particularly rich culturally – the islamisation
was often only a matter of convenience to avoid
slavery.
Example of Sudan
European Intervention
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Originally Portuguese, then Dutch, then
British,French and Germans in a big carve up in
the 19th century.
Colonisation set Africans against africans.
European armies included lots of Africans.
Example of Boers.
Partitioning of Africa by European powers in the
19th century is still in place dispite independence
in post war era.
Vocal Styles in Sub saharan
Africa
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3,000 different societies and over 1,000 distinct
languages. All have considerable variation in style and
usage.
Also correspondences and similarities.
Vocal music is predominant – central to religious practice
– song words express belief.
Language and music is particularly intimate in Africa.
Musical lines follows contour of speech, instrumental
melodies act as surrogates for vocal melodies.
Antiphonal singing – call and response structure.
Reflects social function of music.
Notes Sets
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Particular societies have note-sets. 5,6 or 7 –
diatonic, anhemitonic or equidistant.
As with speech shape of melody tends to fall –
downdrift. A high tone at the end is lower that
tone at beginning.
Call and response may be structured by
rhythmic cycles.
Variation of patterns in words and melodies by
professionals is highly prized.
Rhythm Aspects
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Organising force of all African expressions
Derived from Speech and drummers ofteb represent a specific
speech-text.
Drums speak. Melody of drums is important. This works with layers
of drums within ensembles.
Interplay of cross-rhythms. Polyrhythmic cycles – or rather
polymetric. The ability to hear two metres concurrently and their
resultant patterns.
Combinations of simple patterns are combined to create complexity.
Master drummer can then invent in the context of the ongoing
patterns and lead into new ideas.
Musical Instruments
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Drums – made in many shapes and forms. Some
societies however do not use drums but stamping sticks,
or body percussion, and foot-stamping.
Idiophones ubiquitous – rattles and shakers.
Flutes made from natural local materials – cane, grass,
gourd, horn, millet.
Single and double reed instruments and natural
trumpets.
Plucked strings – lutes, harps, arched harps and lyres.
Bowed lutes in Eastern Africa and spiked fiddles in West
Africa
Ensemble Playing
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Some instruments typically solo – others
are ensemble – xylophones and
interlocking patterns.
Llamellaphone also use interlocking
patterns –
Ensemble panpipes
New Forms
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African musicians have been enthusiastic in
taking up Western instruments and adapting
techniques to them – also amplification.
Lots is local forms based on blends – Quali,
High-Life, etc.
Great Success of World Music as a sector of
popular music – has made some African
musicians superstars.