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2014 africa
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- 2. Africa today – regional traditions- Instrument types
- 3. Overview n Ancestors, Communality,Function and Religion n Characteristics – tonality, scales, polyrhythms, dance n Regional aspects – urban v.rural, old v. new n Vocal characteristics n Instrumental traditions
- 4. Week 11 -Africa (Sub Saharan) n Birthplace of mankind n Separation of North and South due to divide of Sahara n Until 100 years ago Sub Saharan had no literacy tradition n Oral-aural culture n Music tied to social context and religious custom
- 5. Ancestors n Central tomores of Sub-saharan society is belief that the moral life of community is watched over by the ancestors. n Ancestors communicate through music – in particular the drum. n Music strengthens moral values that inform community life.
- 6. Functions of Music n Deters individual or community misfortunes. n Intrinsic to age-set ceremonies n Important for obtaining happiness n Without music to organise community events society is dead. Example of Greeting in Uganda n Example of Work Song.
- 7. Aesthetics n Africans judgemusical performance not so much for entertainment as social relevance. n Songs for all activities. How well does the music aid and affect the activity? n Music both practical and aesthetic. n Praise-singing and aural history is bound up in music. n ‘Jahli’ or ‘griots’ in Mali, Gambia, Senegal
- 8. Hereditary Musicians n Inmany traditions professionals are born into a caste or class and learn from their family. n In some areas professionals are also witch doctors or healers in some way. Chosen by the spirit world. n Now there are conservatories in some cities – and some teach traditional musics.
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- 11. Regional Difference n Bigdifferences 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. n Religious divides in most areas. Islam and Christianity vie with traditional gods and spirits.
- 12. Islam South ofSahara n Islam is strong in both in East and West Africa and especially in desert and coastal areas. n Big effect of slavery across Africa – Islamic culture used and accepted slaves long before the Europeans. Example of Zanzibar. n Mixed cultures that are both Islamic and African are particularly rich culturally – the islamisation was often only a matter of convenience to avoid slavery. n Example of Sudan and southern Egypt and Ethiopia.
- 13. European Intervention n OriginallyPortuguese, then Dutch, then British, French and Germans in a big carve up in the 19th century. n Colonisation set Africans against Africans. European armies included lots of Africans. Example of Boers. n Partitioning of Africa by European powers in the 19th century is still in place despite independence in post war era.
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- 15. Vocal Styles inSub saharan Africa n 3,000 different societies and over 1,000 distinct languages. All have considerable variation in style and usage. n Also correspondences and similarities. n Vocal music is predominant – central to religious practice – song words express belief. n Language and music is particularly intimate in Africa. n Musical lines follows contour of speech, instrumental melodies act as surrogates for vocal melodies. n Antiphonal singing – call and response structure. Reflects social function of music. n Initiation Song
- 16. Notes Sets n Particularsocieties have note-sets. 5,6 or 7 – diatonic, anhemitonic (no semi-tones or equidistant. n As with speech shape of melody tends to fall – downdrift. A high tone at the end is lower that tone at beginning. n Call and response may be structured by rhythmic cycles. n Variation of patterns in words and melodies by professionals is highly prized.
- 17. Rhythm Aspects n Organisingforce of all African expressions n Derived from Speech and drummers often represent a specific speech-text. n Drums speak. Melody of drums is important. This works with layers of drums within ensembles. n Interplay of cross-rhythms. Polyrhythmic cycles – or rather polymetric. The ability to hear two metres concurrently and their resultant patterns.
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- 19. Polyrhythms Combinations of simplepatterns are combined to create complexity. n Master drummer can then invent in the context of the ongoing patterns and lead into new ideas. n Example of East African polyrhythms. Xylophones, drums, rattles, shakers, voices. Call and response.
- 20. Musical Instruments n Drums– made in many shapes and forms. Some societies however do not use drums but stamping sticks, or body percussion, and foot-stamping. n Idiophones ubiquitous – rattles and shakers. n Flutes made from natural local materials – cane, grass, gourd, horn, millet. n Single and double reed instruments and natural trumpets. n Plucked strings – lutes, harps, arched harps and lyres. Example of Ugandan lyre. n Bowed lutes in Eastern Africa and spiked fiddles in West Africa. Example of Tanzanian one-string fiddle.
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- 24. Ensemble Playing n Someinstruments typically solo – others are ensemble – xylophones and interlocking patterns. n Llamellaphone also use interlocking patterns – Example of Zimbabwean Mbiras n Ensemble panpipes.
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- 27. New Forms n Africanmusicians have been enthusiastic in taking up Western instruments and adapting techniques to them – also amplification. n Lots is local forms based on blends – Kwela, High-Life, etc. n Great Success of World Music as a sector of popular music – has made some African musicians superstars.
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- 29. Youssou Ndour (1955-) n Senegalese singer. n From Dakar n Singing in French. Huge following in France and French speaking countries. n Mix of native styles, Western pop technology and festival culture. n Wolof language and traditions given new life
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- 31. Readings n World Music,The Rough Guide, vol 1 n Gregory Barz, Music in East Africa, Oxford OUP 2004 n Elizabeth May, Music of Many Cultures n Jeff Todd Titon, Worlds of Music, New York, 1992