Mapeh 06 Music 2nd Quarter 30661w

MUSIC OF AFRICA Music has always been an important part in the daily life of the African, whether for work, religion, ceremonies, or even communication. Singing, dancing, hand clapping and the beating of drums are essential to many African ceremonies, including those for birth, death, initiation, marriage, and funerals. Music and dance are also important to religious expression and political events. However, because of its wide influences on global music that has permeated contemporary American, Latin American, and European styles, there has been a growing interest in its own cultural heritage and musical sources. Of particular subjects of researches are its rhythmic structures and spiritual characteristics that have led to the birth of jazz forms. African music has been a collective result from the cultural and musical diversity of the more than 50 countries of the continent. The organization of this continent is a colonial legacy from European rule of the different nations up to the end of the 19th century, whose vastness has enabled it to incorporate its music with language, environment, political developments, immigration, and cultural diversity. TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF AFRICA African traditional music is largely functional in nature, used primarily in ceremonial rites, such as birth, death, marriage, succession, worship, and spirit invocations. Others are work related or social in nature, while many traditional societies view their music as entertainment. It has a basically interlocking structural format, due mainly to its overlapping and dense textural characteristics as well as its rhythmic complexity. Its many sources of stylistic influence have produced varied characteristics and genres. Some Types of African Music Afrobeat Afrobeat is a term used to describe the fusion of West African with black American music. Apala (Akpala) Apala is a musical genre from Nigeria in the Yoruba tribal style to wake up the worshippers after fasting during the Muslim holy feast of Ramadan. Percussion instrumentation includes the rattle (sekere), thumb piano (agidigbo), bell (agogo), and two or three talking drums.

Axe Axe is a popular musical genre from Salvador, Bahia, and Brazil. It fuses the Afro-Caribbean styles of the marcha, reggae, and calypso. Jit Jit is a hard and fast percussive Zimbabwean dance DEPEDmusilayedondrumswithguitaraccompaniment,COPY influenced by mbira-based guitar styles. Jive Jive is a popular form of South African music featuring a lively and uninhibited variation of the jitterbug, a form of swing dance. Juju Juju is a popular music style from Nigeria that relies on the traditional Yoruba rhythms, where the instruments in Juju are more Western in origin. A drum kit, keyboard, pedal steel guitar, and accordion are used along with the traditional dundun (talking drum or squeeze drum). Kwassa Kwassa Kwassa Kwassa is a dance style begun in Zaire in the late 1980’s, popularized by Kanda Bongo Man. In this dance style, the hips move back and forth while the arms move following the hips. Marabi Marabi is a South African three-chord township music of the 1930s-1960s which evolved into African Jazz.Possessing a key board style combining American jazz, ragtime and blues with African roots, it is characterized by simple chords in varying vamping patterns and repetitive harmony over an extended period of time to allow the dancers more time on the dance floor. LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC INFLUENCED BY AFRICAN MUSIC Reggae

Reggae is a Jamaican sound dominated by bass guitar and drums. It refers to a particular music style that was strongly influenced by traditional mento and calypso music, as well as American jazz, and rhythm and blues. The most recognizable musical elements of reggae are its offbeat rhythm and staccato chords. Salsa Salsa music is Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Colombian dance music. It comprises various musical genres including the Cuban son montuno, guaracha, chachacha, mambo and bolero. Samba Samba is the basic underlying rhythm that typifies most Brazilian music. It is a lively and rhythmical dance and music with three steps to every bar, making the Samba feels like a timed dance. There is a set 4of dance—rather than a single dance—that define the Samba dancing scene in Brazil. Thus,4 no one dance can be claimed with certainty as the “original” Samba style. Soca Soca is a modern Trinidadian and Tobago pop music combining “soul” and “calypso” music.

VOCAL FORMS OF AFRICAN MUSIC Maracatu Maracatu first surfaced in the African state of Pernambuco, combining the strong rhythms of African percussion instruments with Portuguese melodies. The maracatu groups were called “nacoes” (nations) who paraded with a drumming ensemble numbering up to 100, accompanied by a singer, chorus, and a coterie of dancers. Maracatu dance Musical instruments used in Maracatu The Maracatu uses mostly percussion instruments such as The alfaia, tarol and caixa-de-guerra, gongue, agbe, and miniero. The alfaia is a large wooden drum that is rope-tuned, complemented by the tarol which is a shallow snare drum and the caixa-de-guerra which is a war-like snare. Providing the clanging sound is the gongue, a metal cowbell. The shakers are represented by the agbe, a gourd shaker covered by beads, and the miniero or ganza, a metal cylindrical shaker filled with metal shot or small dried seeds called “Lagrima fre Nossa Senhora.” Alfaia Drum Tarol Agbe Sakere

Were This is Muslim music performed often as a wake-up call for early breakfast and prayers during Ramadan celebrations. Relying on pre-arranged music, it fuses the African and European music styles with particular usage of the natural harmonic series. Zouk Zouk is fast, carnival-like hythmic music, from the Creole slang word for ‘party,’ originating in the Carribean Islands of Guadaloupe and Martinique and popularized in the 1980’s. It has a pulsating beat supplied by the gwo ka and tambour bele drums, a tibwa rhythmic pattern played on the rim of the snare drum and its hi-hat, rhythm guitar, a horn section, and keyboard synthesizers.

Caixa Miniero or Ganza

Gongue

Afro-Latin American and Popular Music Blues The blues is a musical form of the late 19th century that has had deep roots in AfricanAmerican communities. These communities are located in the so-called “Deep South” of the United States. The slaves and their descendants used to sing as they worked in the cotton and vegetable fields.

The notes of the blues create an expressive and soulful sound. The feelings that are evoked are normally associated with slight degrees of misfortune, lost love, frustration, or loneliness. From ecstatic joy to deep sadness, the blues can communicate various emotions more effectively than other musical forms. Noted performers of the Rhythm and Blues genre are Ray Charles, James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker; as well as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Erykah Badu, Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Charlie Musselwhite, Blues Traveler, Jimmie Vaughan, and Jeff Baxter. Examples of blues music are the following: Early Mornin’, A House is Not a Home and Billie’sBlues. Ray Charles Soul Soul music was a popular music genre of the 1950’s and 1960’s. It originated in the United States. It combines elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and blues, and often jazz. The catchy rhythms are accompanied by handclaps and extemporaneous body moves which are among its important features. Other characteristics include “call and response” between the soloist and the chorus, and an especially tense and powerful vocal sound. Some important innovators whose recordings in the 1950s contributed to the emergence of soul music included Clyde Mhatter, Hank Ballard, and Etta James. Ray Charles and Little Richard (who inspired Otis Redding) and James Brown were equally influential. Brown was known as the “Godfather of Soul,” while Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson are also James Brown often acknowledged as “soul forefathers.” Examples of soul music are the following: Ain’t No Mountain Etta James High Enough, Ben, All I Could Do is Cry, Soul to Soul, and Becha by Golly, Wow. Spiritual The term spiritual, normally associated with a deeply religious person, refers here to a Negro spiritual, a song form by African migrants to America who became enslaved by its white communities. This musical form became their outlet to vent their loneliness and anger, and is a result of the

interaction of music and religion from Africa with that of America. The texts are mainly religious, sometimes taken from psalms of Biblical ages, while the music utilizes deep bass voices. The vocal inflections, Negro accents, and dramatic dynamic changes add to the musical interest and effectiveness of the performance. Examples of spiritual music are the following: We are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder, Rock My Soul, When the Saints Go Marching In, and Peace Be Still. Call and Response The call and response method is a succession of two distinct musical phrases usually rendered by different musicians, where the second phrase acts as a direct commentary on or response to the first. Much like the question and answer sequence in human communication, it also forms a strong resemblance to the verse-chorus form in many vocal compositions. Examples of call and response song are the following: Mannish Boy, one of the signature songs by Muddy Waters; and School Day - Ring, Ring Goes the Bell by Chuck Berry. MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OF AFRICA African music includes all the major instrumental genres of western music, including strings, winds, and percussion, along with a tremendous variety of specific African musical instruments for solo or ensemble playing. Classification of Traditional African Instruments A. Idiophones These are percussion instruments that are either struck with a mallet or against one another. 1. Balafon - The balafon is a West African xylophone. It is a pitched percussion instrument with bars made from logs or bamboo. The xylophone is originally an Asian instrument that follows the structure of a piano. It came from Madagascar to Africa, then to the Americas and Europe. 2. Rattles - Rattles are made of seashells, tin, basketry, animal hoofs, horn, wood, metal bells, cocoons, palm kernels, or tortoise shells. These rattling vessels may range from

single to several objects that are either ed or suspended in such a way as they hit each other. 3. Agogo - The agogo is a single bell or multiple bells that had its origins in traditional Yoruba music and also in the samba baterias (percussion) ensembles. The agogo may be called “the oldest samba instrument based on West African Yoruba single or double bells.” It has the highest pitch of any of the bateria instruments. 4. Atingting Kon - These are slit gongs used to communicate between villages. They were carved out of wood to resemble ancestors and had a “slit opening” at the bottom. In certain cases, their sound could carry for miles through the forest and even across water to neighboring islands. A series of gong “languages” were composed of beats and pauses, making it possible to send highly specific messages. 5. Slit drum - The slit drum is a hollow percussion instrument. Although known as a drum, it is not a true drum but is an idiophone. It is usually carved or constructed from bamboo or wood into a box with one or more slits in the top. Most slit drums have one slit, though two and three slits (cut into the shape of an “H”) occur. If the resultant tongues are different in width or thicknesses, the drum will produce two different pitches. 6. Djembe - The West Africandjembe (pronounced zhembay) is one of the best-known African drums is. It is shaped like a large goblet and played with bare hands. The body is carved from a hollowed trunk and is covered in goat skin. Log drums come in different shapes and sizes as well: tubular drums, bowl-shaped drums, and friction drums. Some have one head, others have two heads. The bigger the drum, the lower the toneor pitch. The more tension in the drum head, the higher the tone produced. These drums are played using hands or sticks or both; and sometimes have rattling metal and jingles attached to the outside or seeds and beads placed inside the drum. They are sometimes held under the armpit or with a sling.

7. Shekere - The shekere is a type of gourd and shell megaphonefrom West Africa, consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. Theagbe is another gourd drum with cowrie shells usually strung with white cotton thread. The axatse is a small gourd, held by the neck and placed between hand and leg. Gourd shekere 8. Rasp - A rasp, or scraper, is a hand percussion instrument whose sound is produced by scraping the notches on a piece of wood (sometimes elaborately carved) with a stick, creating a series of rattling effects. B.

Membranophones

Membranophones are instruments which have vibrating animal membranes used in drums. Their shapes may be conical, cylindrical, barrel, hour-glass, globular, or kettle, and are played with sticks, hands, or a combination of both. African drums are usually carved from a single wooden log, and may also be made from ceramics, gourds, tin cans, and oil drums. Examples of these are found in the different localities – entenga (Ganda), dundun (Yoruba), atumpan (Akan), and ngoma (Shona), while some are constructed with wooden staves and hoops. 1. Body percussion - Africans frequently use their bodies as musical instruments. Aside from their voices, where many of them are superb singers, the body also serves as a drum as people clap their hands, slap their thighs, pound their upper arms or chests, or shuffle their feet. This body percussion creates exciting rhythms which also stir them to action. Moreover, the wearing of rattles or bells on their wrists, ankles, arms, and waists enhances their emotional response. 2. Talking drum - The talking drum is used to send messages to announce births, deaths, marriages, sporting events, dances, initiation, or war. Sometimes it may also contain gossip or jokes. It is believed that the drums can carry direct messages to the spirits after the death of a loved one.

However, learning to play messages on drums is extremely difficult, resulting in its waning popularity. An example of the talking drum is the luna. C.

Lamellaphone

One of the most popular African percussion instruments is the lamellaphone, which is a set of plucked tongues or keys mounted on a sound board. It is known by different names according to the regions such as mbira, karimba, kisaanj, and likembe. Mbira (hand piano or thumb piano) - The thumb piano or finger xylophone is of African origin and is used throughout the continent. It consists of a wooden board with attached staggered metal tines (a series of wooden, metal, or rattan tongues), plus an additional resonator to increase its volume. It is played by holding the instrument in the hands and plucking the tines with the thumbs, producing a soft plucked sound. D.Chordophones Chordophones are instruments which produce sounds from the vibration of strings. These include bows, harps, lutes, zithers, and lyres of various sizes. 1. Musical bow - The musical bow is the ancestor of all string instruments. It is the oldest and one of the most widely-used string instruments of Africa. It consists of a single string attached to each end of a curved stick, similar to a bow and arrow. The string is either plucked or struck with another stick, producing a per-cussive yet delicate sound. The earth bow, the mouth bow, and the resonator-bow are the principal types of musical bows. The earth bow, ground bow, or pit harp consist of a hole in the ground, a piece of flexible wood and a piece of chord. The musician plucks the taut string to accompany his singing. When the half gourd is not buried, the performer holds the instrument very tightly under his knee flat side down, so that the chord puts enough tension on the wood to bend it into the shape of a hunting bow.

A more advanced form of ground bow is made from a log, half a gourd, a flat piece of wood, and cord. The wooden strip is driven firmly into one end of the log and the half gourd is fastened to the log about 2 feet away from the wooden strip. The cord, fastened from the wooden strip to the gourd, is stretched so tightly into the shape of a bow. The player holds the instrument on the ground by placing one leg across the log between the resonating gourd and the wooden strip. 2. Lute (konting, khalam, and the nkoni ) - The lute, originating from the Arabic states, is shaped like the modern guitar and played in similar fashion. It has a resonating body, a neck, and one or more strings which stretch across the length of its body and neck. The player tunes the strings by tightening or loosening the pegs at the top of the lute’s neck. Nkon West African plucked lutes include the konting, khalam, and the nkoni. isset 3. Kora - The kora is Africa's most sophisticated harp, while also having features similar to a lute. Its body is made from a gourd or calabash. A for the bridge across the opening and covered with a skin that is held in place with studs. The leather rings around the neck are used to tighten the 21 strings that give the instrument a range of over three octaves. The kora is held upright and played with the fingers. 4. Zither - The zither is a stringed instrument with varying sizes and shapes whose strings are stretched along its body. Among the types of African zither are the raft or Inanga zither from Burundi, the tubular or Valiha zither from Malagasy, and the harp or Mvet zither from Cameroon. 5. Zeze - The zeze is an African fiddle played with a bow, a small wooden stick, or plucked with the fingers. It has one or two strings, made of steel or bicycle brake wire. It is from Sub-Saharan Africa. It is also known by the names tzetze and dzendze, izeze and endingidi; and on Madagascar is called loka nga (or lo kang o) voatavo. E.

Aerophones

Aerophones are instruments which are produced initially by trapped vibrating air columns or which enclose a body of vibrating air. Flutes in various sizes and shapes, horns, panpipes, whistle types, gourd and shell megaphones, oboe, clarinet, animal horn and wooden trumpets fall under this category. 1. Flutes - Flutes are widely used throughout Africa and either vertical or side-blown. They are usually fashioned from a single tube closed at one end and blown like a bottle. Panpipes consist of cane pipes of different lengths tied in a row or in a bundle held together by wax or cord, and generally closed at the bottom. They are blown across the top, each providing a different note. 2. Horns - Horns and trumpets, found almost everywhere in Africa, are commonly made from elephant tusks and animal horns. With their varied attractive shapes, these instruments are end-blown or side-blown and range in size from the small signal whistle of the southern cattle herders to the large ivory horns of the tribal chiefs of the interior. One trumpet variety, the wooden trumpet, may be simple or artistically carved, sometimes resembling a crocodile’s head. Kudu horn - This is one type of horn made from the horn of the kudu antelope. It releases a mellow and warm sound that adds a unique African accent to the music. This instrument, which comes in a set of six horns, reflects the cross of musical traditions in Africa. Today, the kudu horn can also be seen in football matches, where fans blow it to cheer for their favourite teams. 3. Reed pipes - There are single-reed pipes made from hollow guinea corn or sorghum stems, where the reed is a flap partially cut from the stem near one end. It is the vibration of this reed that causes the air within the hollow instrument to vibrate, thus creating the sound. There are also cone-shaped double-reed instruments similar to the oboe or shawm. The most well-known is the rhaita or ghai ta, an oboe-like double reed instrument from north west Africa. It is one of the primary instruments used by traditional music ensembles from Morocco. The rhaita was even featured in the

Lord of the Rings soundtrack, specifically in the Mordor theme. 4. Whistles - Whistles found throughout the continent may be made of wood or other materials. Short pieces of horn serve as whistles, often with a short tube inserted into the mouthpiece. Clay can be molded into whistles of many shapes and forms and then baked. Pottery whistles are sometimes shaped in the form of a head, similar to the Aztec whistles of Central America and Mexico. 5. Trumpets - African trumpets are made of wood, metal, animal horns, elephant tusks, and gourds with skins from snakes, zebras, leopards, crocodiles and animal hide as ornaments to the instrument. They are mostly ceremonial in nature, often used to announce the arrival or departure of important guests. In religion and witchcraft, some tribes believe in the magical powers of trumpets to frighten away evil spirits, cure diseases, and protect warriors and hunters from harm. African Musical Instruments from the Environment Many instruments of Africa are made from natural elements like wood, metal, animal, skin and horns, as well as improvised ones like tin cans and bottles. These are mainly used to provide rhythmic sounds, which are the most defining element of African music. Africans make musical instruments from the materials in the environment, like forest areas from where they make large wooden drums. Drums may also be made of clay, metal, tortoise shells, or gourds. Xylophones are made of lumber or bamboo, while flutes can be constructed wherever reeds or bamboo grow. Animal horns are used as trumpets while animal hides, lizard skins, and snake skins can function as decorations as well as provide the membranes for drum heads. Laces made of hides and skins are used for the strings of harps, fiddles, and lutes. On the other hand, bamboo was used to form the tongues of thumb pianos, the frames of stringed instruments, and stamping tubes. Strips of bamboo are even clashed together rhythmically. Gourds, seeds, stones, shells, palm leaves, and the hard-shelled fruit of the calabash tree are made into rattles. Ancient Africans even made musical instruments from

human skulls decorated with human hair while singers use their body movements to accompany their singing. Modern Africans make use of recycled waste materials such as strips of roofing metal, empty oil drums, and tin cans. These people, bursting with rhythm, make music with everything and anything. At present, new materials that are more easily accessible, such as soda cans and bottles, are

becoming increasingly important for the construction of percussion instruments. Some rhythmic instruments like scrapers, bells, and rattles also provide the pitch and timbre when played in an ensemble to provide contrasts in tone quality and character.