BLACK AFRICA

World Music Cultures

Verne de la Peña, Ph.D.
2 cultural divisions
(W/ Sahara as border):

 North Africa
 Black Africa
  arbitrary divisions not
Colonization:
based on tribal bounda
 strong western influen
culture
Musical Characteristics:
 Tactile process of music making
 Raspy and percussive timbre
 Strong dualism
 Repetitions with slight variation
Tactile process of music
making
 Perceiving sound through the body
(internalizing sound through the
body) – dance
 Use of body as resonator

Ex. South Africa Swazi Musical bow

Raspy and percussive timbre
 Use of buzzing, jinggling elements in
instruments

Ex. Thumb piano (m’bira – Zimbabwe

Ndau)
Strong Dualism

 in structure: leader-chorus, layering

 in context: music + other

Ex.
Zimbabwe Zezuru Story Song

Ex.
South African Taxi Jive
Repetitions (with slight
variations)
 Complex rhythms using shifting
stress, interlocking parts
 Melodic variation
Ex.
Central African Republic
SOCIAL CONTEXTS AND
FUNCTIONS
 music as a shared experience
(participatory)
 music as documentation of events
 music as educational medium
 music as communication media
Music as shared experience
Ex. Central African Republic Babenzele
Elephant hunting song
Music as documentation of
events
Ex. Burundi
Historical Song
Music as educational
medium
Ex. Zimbabwe Kranga
Didactic song about baboons
Accompanied by m’bira
Music as Communication
Media
Ex. Nigeria Yoruba
Dundun (hourglass shaped “talking
drum”)