AFRICAN MUSIC

Background
 AFRICAN MUSIC
AFRICAN MUSIC has been a major factor in the shaping
of what we know today as Dixieland, the blues and jazz.
These styles have all borrowed from African rhythms and
sounds, brought over the Atlantic ocean by slaves.

AFRICAN MUSIC in Sub-Sharan Africa is mostly upbeat

polyrhythmic and joyful, whereas the blues should be
viewed as an aesthetic development resulting from the
conditions of slavery in the new world.
 AFRICAN MUSIC
Other African music can be attributed to specific dance
forms such as RUMBA and SALSA, which were founded
by African slaves who settled in Latin America and the
Caribbean.
 AFRICAN MUSIC
The origin of MARACATU DE NACAO lie in the
investiture ceremonies of the Kings of Congo, who were
slaves that occupied leadership roles within the slave
community.
When slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, the
institution of the Kings of Congo ceased to exist.
Nonetheless, nacoes continues to choose symbolic
leaders and evoke coronation ceremonies for those
leaders.
 AFRICAN MUSIC
Although a maracatu performance is
secular, traditional nacoes are grouped
around Candomble or Jurema which are
Afro Bazilian religions, terreiros or bases
and the principles of Candomble infuse
their activities.
 AFRICAN MUSICAL ENSEMBLE
1. ALFAIA – a large wooden rope-tuned
drum;
2. GONGUE – a metal cowbell;
3. TAROL – a shallow snare drum
4. CAIXA-DE-GUERRA – or war-snare
 AFRICAN MUSICAL ENSEMBLE
5. AGBE – a gourd shaker enveloped in
beads
6. MINEIRO – a metal cylindrical shaker
filled with metal shot or small dried
seeds.
 AFRICAN MUSICAL ENSEMBLE
Song form is CALL and RESPONSE
between a SOLO SINGER and most of
the time a FEMALE CHORUS.
 AFRICAN VOCAL MUSIC
African Vocal Music uses different
techniques such as COMPLEX HARD
MELISMA and YODEL.
 AFRICAN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
African Musical Instruments consist of a variety of
drums, slit gongs, rattles and double bells, different
type of harps, and harp-like instruments such as
the Kora (as well as fiddles), many kinds of
xylophones and lamellophones such as the mbira,
and different types of wind instrument like flutes
and trumpets. String instruments are also used,
with lute-like oud giving musical accompaniment in
some areas.
 TRADITIONAL MUSIC (DRUMS) OF
AFRICA
1. Bougarabou
2. Djembe
3. Talking drums in West Africa
4. In Central and West Africa, they have the water
drums
5. Central & Southern Africa have different types
of ngoma drums and engoma
OTHER PERCUSSION INSTRUMENTS
1. Rattles and shakers, such as
a) Bells
b) kosika or kashaka
c) rainsticks, and
d) woodsticks.
UNIQUELY DESIGNED INSTRUMENTS to facilitate playing
of simultaneous contrasting rhythms
1. Kalimba
2. Kora
3. dousn’gouni
4. Mbira
***These instruments are examples of those which
organize notes not in the usual single linear order from
bass to treble but in two separated rank arrays which
allow additional ease in playing cross rhythms.