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19 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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AFRICAN MUSIC CHARACTERISTICS |
1. Non-Artistic 2. Multi-disciplinary 3. Participation 4. Enculturation |
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NON-ARTISTIC |
a. Work– folk song while working, has rhythm and the work is done in rhythm with oneanother while there is singing and chanting, feeling of teamwork and comradery.This coordinates people, if people are in time with one another, there isefficiency and consistency. For example, postoffice in Ghana recording. There is sorting, and ink stamping b. Spiritual/Religious– The traditional religions prior to Islam and Christianity is still present inAfrica. Mostly ancestral religions, which makes it a big part of ceremonies. c. WarPreparation – Traditional warfare involves warriors fighting each other inclose quarters. In tribal warfare, this often involves rituals and ceremonies,with chanting, drumming, which gets them “prepped” for battle. Without it, they don’t have the “right” mindset or level of bravery. d. Oralhistory recitation – complex social structures and societies as a result of trade. The histories are remembered orally and passed down generations. The format is primarily through poetry, crystallized in poetry and resists mutationand alterations. Reverence, (by singing and instrument) is usually the methodof orally history recitation. e. Recreation– For fun. Dance parties, celebrating harvest, courtship dances or music.Health and stability in families required marriage and families. The “dances”involve drumming men, and the girls will dance. Form courtship bonds andhopefully get married. |
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MULTI-DISCIPLINARY |
Africanmusic tends to be multidisciplinary, music is not often done with itself, butwith some other form of artistic discipline. Most common is dance. Sometimes itis poetry, drama or other art forms. |
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PARTICIPATION |
idea that when these events occur, the entire community is involved. Singing, clapping, dancing, (not many spectators) Again,serves the social function, not for art. |
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ENCULTURATION |
Learningculture through immersion. In Africa, traditionally, music is learned throughthis method. No gender or age barriers |
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MUSICAL ELEMENTS |
a. Polyrhythm– multiple meters at the same time. For example, a 12-beat cycle, adding the3-beat, adding another rhythm in 4-beats. When combined, it’s polyrhythm J b. Repetition– African music tends to be repetitive, short cells that repeat. c. Improvisation– improve, flexibility for players D. Call& Response – Call is soloist, group is response (not always the same) |
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GHANA (WEST AFRICA) |
Bordersin Africa drawn by European colonialist d-bags. Ghana, for example is multipledifferent ethnic groups and dozens of styles of music. These influences “from”Ghana can spread to Togo, Benin (POLYRHYTHMIC AND TALKING DRUMS) |
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POLYRHYTHMIC MUSIC |
Music/Danceof various people throughout West Africa. Instrumentation is drums, bells,rattles, claps, vocals (call and response) also dance; Gankogui (Iron bell,idiophone, because the whole body of the instrument resonates the sound, nodrum skin. This is considered the central instrument, and most important) andAxatase (rattle, made of gourd, pumpkin, squash, calabash is a gourd that youfind in Africa. There are two bulbs, a big one and a small one cut, scooped andthe shell is left to dry. Can be waterproof, grain, very useful and hollow.Weaved with beads on the outside which helps the sound. This is an idiophone aswell.) |
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TALKING DRUMS |
Convey linguistic language through music (drum, vocal, drum, vocal) In various partsof Africa, the hourglass shaped drums, (where you can alter the pitch), you can actually speak actual words and language with these drums. Many African languages are pitched languages. Different ways of hitting the drums can change the consonants. For example, donno drums. When this talking drum is performed,really the only people to understand it must be educated in drum talking.Talking drums gives speech reverence.This is because there may be an important announcement (ie. Royalty). Oral recitation as well, is another form, to give text extra reverence. When the sacred histories are recited, this elevates the text through the talking drums. |
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AGBEKOR |
Music/Danceof the Ewe, sub-genre of West African Polyrhythmic music, used for warpreparation in tribal warfare. Nowadays, it is used for funerals. Funerals arevery important in traditional African culture. It involves dancing, and theentire community participates. Many Ewe people are Christian. Traditionallyhowever, spiritually, when someone passes away, the person becomes part of theancestral spirits. They are believed to have great power, such as weather,fertility. The funeral is essential and a vehicle of bringing someone to theafterlife (revering the spirit). |
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NIGERIA |
Juju (or Highlife in 1920s, became Juju in1950’s) – Nigerian popular music genre with origins in the 1920’s, derived fromtraditional Yoruba drumming (esp. Talking Drum) and Western Music · Dominant form of popular music in Nigeria until1990’s · When technology (essential to pop music) wasintroduced to Nigeria, although introduced by White colonialists, this wentfrom basic ass white folk music then adopted to Native African traditions. · What we know today is a combination of westernmusic, includes synthesizers, guitars, and Yoruba drumming. · People now listen to this for the reason fordancing · Palm Wine Highlife – Early acoustic form of Juju- One vocalist accompanied by guitar and lightpercussion (shakers, hand drums) - Called Palm Wine because African musicians wouldperform in drinking establishments, and were not paid in money, but in alcohol.(low key kinda rude unless u wanna be drunk I guess) - Style is very relaxed, serene popular music tochill. - King Sunny Ade (KSA) is a Juju artist in Nigeriamost popularly known 1950’s 60, 70’s electronic amplification allowedheavier percussion |
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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO (CENTRAL AFRICA) |
- CentralAfrican rainforests (the Congo) and traditionally the people were the pygmypeople |
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PYGMY |
Pygmies– general term describing the many ethnic groups of forest dwellers in the rainforests of central Africa · Pre-Agrarian – don’t actually use agriculture,very primitive technology. All of what they eat comes from animals, take plantsfrom the ground, don’t plant themselves · Egalitarian – sharing· Nomadic – move after a few months afterdepleting resources of A. Houses are made of plant material, easy to construct,dome shaped roofs, possessions are portable · Hunter/gatherers |
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PYGMY MUSIC |
· Ritual/Performance event – for the forest toheal itself, imbalanced caused by hunting, but the song restores balance withthe forest · Composed songs – repetitive, rich mathematicallyadvanced · Rich Polyphony · Egalitarian (woowooowoowooo and one soloist) |
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ZIMBABWE |
SHONA MBIRA - (Shona) – among the 60 millionBantu-speakers who dominate central and southern Africa - (Mbira) – lamellophone [sub category ofidiophone] common to the Shona and other ethnic groups in Zimbabwe (almost likea thumb piano) it is a wooden board are the metal prongs, which stick slightlyoff the board and are held down by a metal bar. They are raised by a thinnermetal bar and you can pluck and are tuned to a different pitch according tolength. - Thesinger (religious leader) uses the religious music to go into a trance into aspiritual world, otherwise known as Shamans.The religious concept behind this is called “shamanism” . (xylophone sounding thing sounds like you're goin thru a jungle) |
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UGANDA |
AKADINDA - - Akadindais a xylophone from Uganda, large heavy log xylophone (idiophone)- (L-H),rested on banana tree stocks. When the bars are hit, and two bars are hit, itsan unattractive sound. The pieces of reed in between the stock allows the soundto resonate nicely. - Rhythmicinterlocking, where all players are perfectly timed. This makes it sound likethe players are playing fast, however, because the rhythms are shifted, thiscreates a composite rhythm. - Thisis court music- Enanga (chordophone) is a zither,contained on the surface of the instrument and plucked. What is the purpose ofthis music? This is oral history recitation. Composed on poetry, and he isreciting it. · Call andresponse in dancing (pretty much sounds like an explosion of rain and xylophones) |
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SOUTH AFRICA |
- Colonyof the British and Dutch. A big part of the dutch legacy is spoken by more thanhalf white people in South Africa, called Afrikaans.Lmao. White South Africans I s2g. - Apartheid: time during the 20thcentury, where Black SA’s and White SA’s were separated by law. Thanks whitepeople. There were certain places that Black ppl were allowed to live, and not,worked and not work, not allowed to vote????? WOW WHITE PEOPLE. This ideologyoppressed black people. Nelson Mandela led the resistance, an educated andskilled lawyer imprisoned for 28 years. music style: MBUBE |
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MBUBE |
a genre of choral performancecommon among migrant workers of South Africa. Over the decades, competitionswere created since the 1920’s. This created sophistication in the genre, becamehighly developed. · Call andresponse – lead singer, “Controller” and the group responds. The otherthing is the concept of choral bombing, where suddenly the whole choir singsvery LOUD (Mbube Vocal Choir). · JosephShabalala – visionary, very competitive in the competitions, and thought“why have amateurs doing this?” if I wanna win, PROFESSIONALS ARE BETTER. Theybecame an amazing choir by dedicating their time to it rather than miners,believed choral bombing was not refined. He took Mbube to a differentdirection, and got rid of the aggressive sound in his choral group, and createda sound called “tip-toe” like a cat. This became isictamiya! This group became LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO. They startedin the 1960’s. (Isictamiya sounds very Lion King-esque) |
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SENEGAL |
Jali – more so profession than genre, apoet/praise singer and oral historian from the Mandinka of West Africa (hereditary)- Songabout Timbuktu??IDK??????WHAT? Female vocalist is singing the oral history, thesophisticated job. The Male vocalist is playing the stringed instrument andinterjecting commentary after each line of lyrics. For example, the woman willsing the history, and the male vocalist will “interpret” for you.- Theyare referred to as “praise singers” because they praise ancestors, and alsoimportant individuals who pay them. - Forexample, w: blah did this. M: that’s why you’re important.- Korainstrument is the stringed instrument, Chordophone (like a harp)- Balafonsimilar to a xylophone, is an idiophone made up of other ones strung together. - WithJali music, the kora player or balafon will accompany the singer: · Birimintingo – flashy solo introduction· Kumbengo – when the singer begins and the musicis simple ́(basically you sound like you on some Eat Pray Love BS) |
