CH 3

Section Five:
African Music
Population over 800
million (2000 estimate); QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (LZW) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
extremely diversified
languages & cultures;
Continuously changing
for thousands of years.
Introduction to World Music, SMSU 1

Cultural Groups
Many ethnic groups, languages and style
areas throughout continent
Ideally the songs, language, oral literature,
instrumental music, theater arts and dance QuickTime™ and a
should all be explored together. are needed to see this picture.
Sharing occurs between groups with

cultural similarities (language, region, etc.)
Outside influence started long ago, mostly
in Northern and Eastern Africa

North Africa
& the Sahara
Desert QuickTime™ and a
Much Muslim and

Arabic influence

The
Savannah
Region
QuickTime™ and a
Mostly indigenous TIFF (LZW) decompressor

culture, with some

Arabic influence;
much sharing of
culture between
peoples
The Rain
Forest Region
QuickTime™ and a
Less influenced by
outsiders;
Musically diverse

The Congo
Basin
QuickTime™ and a
Stylistically are needed to see this picture.
simplified
compared to other
large regoins

East and
South Africa
Cattle area; simpler QuickTime™ and a

music; drums less

important, much
use of xylophones,
harps, lyres

Madagascar
SE Asian QuickTime™ and a

influence; also
French and Indian
influence

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 QuickTime™ and a
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

Much Research Has Been New
Since the 1930s, an increase of

studies, especially interlocking
drumming patterns
QuickTime™ and a

Cultural Elements
Music and dance are inseparable

Ancestor reverence (worship?);
specialists recounting stories of
powerful families and important rulers.
QuickTime™ and a
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)
Dance/Music Usage
Dances often serve ritual purposes,

marking stages of life involving music
(initiation rites, weddings, funerals,
ancestral ceremonies, etc.) or trance states QuickTime™ and a
Often, dances are social with only veiled

ritual purpose, if any.

Dances Typically in Groups and in
Circles or Lines
QuickTime™ and a

Musical Traditions
Generally learned through oral

tradition to students deemed worthy
of training by virtue of ancestry.
In socially stratified societies, musical
QuickTime™ and a
professionalism by jalolu (Griot) or by

specialized court musicians.

Musical Qualities Found in Much
African Music
Repetition
Chorus, some solo
Participation: call-and-response, QuickTime™ and a
overlapping, some parallel singing TIFF (LZW) decompressor

Rhythm: well-blended, maintained,

polyrhythm, polymetric, syncopation
Accompanied by body movement such
as hand-clapping, dance and work.
Musical Qualities (cont.)
Forceful approach
Little ornamentation
Pentatonic scales, some hexatonic
Aesthetic often includes buzzing, rattling
QuickTime™ and a
sounds
Subject matter includes animals stories,
love, dance, relationships
Songs are often integrated into story-
telling.
African Rhythm Characteristics
Always at least two rhythms going on
3:2 relationship is central
Cross-rhythms: conflicting rhythmic patterns &
accents QuickTime™ and a
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,
Introduction 1979.
to World Music, SMSU 17
Example: Ake
(Nigerian Work Song)
Instruments/Voices QuickTime™ and a

Function/Importance within Culture
Musical Characteristics
(Form, melody, harmony, rhythm, etc.)

Musical Instruments
Idiophones: clap-sticks, bells, rattles,

struck/shaken gourds, stamping tubes,
xylophones, mbiras (thumb pianos).
Membranophone: drums of all sorts. QuickTime™ and a
Chordophones: musical bow, lute, lyre,

harp, and zither.
Aerophones: flute, whistle, oboe, and
trumpet.
Idiophones
QuickTime™ and a

Xylophones
QuickTime™ and a

Harps
QuickTime™ and a

Ghana
QuickTime™ and a

Ghana: Geography and Economy
Near equator, coastline, in rain forest,
heavily wooded hills, many rivers.
“Ashanti” area; cocoa, minerals, timber.
North: low bush, savannah; 64-102
degrees QuickTime™ and a
Agriculture, fishing, forestry. Major cash

crop is cocoa, also crops are rice, coffee,

cassava, peanuts, and corn. Export
cocoa, gold, timber, and various minerals.

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
QuickTime™ and a
Agbekor signifies enjoying life, and

sacred oath to ancestors to fight
bravely; “clear life”

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 QuickTime™ and a
groups, theatrical performing companies)

The writer visited Anya Agbekor Society

of Accra, dedicated to remembering old
family members.

Agbekor: basic drumming patterns
The first pattern is played by the double bell:
QuickTime™ and a
It is ubiquitous to nearly all of Africa.

Agbekor: drumming patterns (cont.)
The next pattern to feel is the rattle & handclap pattern.
QuickTime™ and a
What division of the meter are we stressing?

Is it what you thought we would be playing?

Agbekor
full
background
pattern
QuickTime™ and a

A Performance at a Wake
Ten Drummers at one end

Columns of dancers face the
drummers
QuickTime™ and a
Singers behind the dancers in a

semicircle
300 onlookers

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 QuickTime™ and a
manner of the ancestors

Several more songs
The adzokpi section begins; pairs of
dancers or groups dance in front of
the lead drummer.
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.
QuickTime™ and a
Vulolo, or slow drumming TIFF (LZW) decompressor

Vutsotsoe, up-tempo section

Final adzokpi section, elders, patrons,
etc. enter the dance floor for a while.

Agbekor Instruments
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture. QuickTime™ and a
Axatse
Gankogui
Kaganu
Kidi
Sogo
Atsimevu
Source: www.dancedrummer.com
Conclusions about African Music
Traditions
African music-cultures strongly
linked to community
Construction and playing of musical
instruments
QuickTime™ and a
Spontaneous performances
Music serves functions
Fosters group participation

Mande People of Mali
Lambango (CD 1:13) Mariatu Kuyateh,

Kekuta Suso (kora), and Seni Jobateh
Griots (Jalolu) = professional musicians QuickTime™ and a

who transmit oral history (of Mande people)

through song.
Kora = indigenous African “spiked-bridge”

harp
Kora
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor QuickTime™ and a
are needed to see this picture. TIFF (LZW) decompressor

Dagbamba of Ghana
Lunsi = hereditary clan of drummers;

serve as verbal artist, counselor, cultural
expert, etc.
QuickTime™ and a
Gung-gong & lunga drums (specific

names for double-headed drums)
“Nag Biegu” (CD 1:14)

Shona of Zimbabwe
Mbira = “thumb piano”
QuickTime™ and a
QuickTime™ and a
are needed to see this picture. QuickTime™ and a
Mbira is often placed inside a

Deze (gourd resonator)
“Nhemamusasa” (CD 1:15) Introduction to World Music, SMSU 38

BaAka People of central Africa
(Congo Basin)
“Forest People,” “pygmies,” a unique
culture
“Makala” a Mabo (net hunting) song QuickTime™ and a
(CD 1:16) TIFF (LZW) decompressor

Improvised, open-ended polyphonic

vocal musical style with all people
participating. How does this express
the culture?
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.
QuickTime™ and a
QuickTime™ and a
TIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor are needed to see this picture.
VERY popular drum world-wide
Mamady Keita
http://www.radioceros.
com/ondemandvideo/mamadykeita/mamadykeita
.htm Juju Music

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. QuickTime™ and a

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?
QuickTime™ and a
III. What is a griot, and what instrument are they associated with? TIFF (LZW) decompressor
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?

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Section Five:

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 1

should all be explored together. are needed to see this picture.

Sharing occurs between groups with

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 2

Much Muslim and

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 3

Mostly indigenous TIFF (LZW) decompressor

culture, with some

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 5

Stylistically are needed to see this picture.

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 6

Cattle area; simpler QuickTime™ and a

music; drums less

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 7

SE Asian QuickTime™ and a

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 8

Sahara). Many types of African harps,

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 9

Since the 1930s, an increase of

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 10

Music and dance are inseparable

The social roles of the so-called

Dances often serve ritual purposes,

Often, dances are social with only veiled

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 12

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 13

Generally learned through oral

professionalism by jalolu (Griot) or by

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 14

overlapping, some parallel singing TIFF (LZW) decompressor

Rhythm: well-blended, maintained,

Integrally tied to dance, and so in some variety of

Instruments/Voices QuickTime™ and a

Function/Importance within Culture

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 18

Idiophones: clap-sticks, bells, rattles,

Chordophones: musical bow, lute, lyre,

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 20

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 21

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 22

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 23

Agriculture, fishing, forestry. Major cash

crop is cocoa, also crops are rice, coffee,

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 24

Agbekor signifies enjoying life, and

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 25

groups, theatrical performing companies)

The writer visited Anya Agbekor Society

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 26

The first pattern is played by the double bell:

It is ubiquitous to nearly all of Africa.

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 27

The next pattern to feel is the rattle & handclap pattern.

What division of the meter are we stressing?

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 28

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 29

Ten Drummers at one end

Singers behind the dancers in a

Introduction to World Music, SMSU 30

manner of the ancestors

Vulolo, or slow drumming TIFF (LZW) decompressor

Vutsotsoe, up-tempo section