THE MUSIC OF SUB-SAHARAN
AFRICA
Sub-Saharan
Africa is
extremely diverse
We will explore
the relationship
between African
music and the
kinds of culture
that produce it
A Shona
Mbira
performance
in Zimbabwe
is our first
case study
Mbira music: "Nhemamusasa"
Textbook CD 2, track 11
The Pygmies are nomadic hunters and
gathers of equatorial Africa
They use vocal choirs, flute duets, trumpets
made from tree bark or ivory, and the
musical bow
BaMbuti vocal
music: “Alima
Girls’ Initiation
Music.” Textbook
CD 2, track 12
The Mande of
West Africa come
from Senegal and
Gambia
Kora music: “Ala l’a ke” Textbook CD 2,
track 13
The Ewe of Ghana have club organizations
that maintain semiprofessional drum and
dance troupes
“Gadzo”
Textbook
CD 2, track
14
The Buganda
Kingdom
desecrated
musical
instruments
after the 1962
insurrection
Greetings and
Praises
Performed on the
Yoruba Dùndún
Drum
Textbook CD 2,
track 15
Musical Bow
Played by a
BaMbuti Pygmy
Textbook CD 2,
track 16
Popular
music in
the
twentieth
century
includes
West
African
highlife
brass
bands
I.K. Dairo and
The Blue Spots,
“Salome”
Textbook CD,
track 17
“Chitima
Ndikature”
Thomas
Mapfumo and
The Blacks
Unlimited
Textbook CD 2,
track 18
Despite the diversity, a few underlying
principles characterize the music of the
whole region
Interlocking is the practice of fitting
pitches into spaces between other
parts
An example is
the whole melody
created by a
mbira player’s
two hands
Call and response is very
common
Hocket is the
interlocking
pitches between
two or more
sources.
An example is
Pygmy vocal
music
Dense,
overlapping
textures and
fuzzy timbres in
overlapping drum
rhythms is
common
Ostinatos are the basic foundation of a
performance
Community participation is key
The importance of rhythmic
complexity is not to be
underestimated
Summary
Sub-Saharan
Africa is a huge
area.
There are,
however, some
common general
musical
characteristics
African music
favors ostinatos,
polyphony, and
interlocking parts
Musical performance is often a
communal participatory activity
Many musical
performances
accompany religious
or civic rituals
Social structure and conditions
influences music and performance
Key instruments
include
lamellaphones
(the mbira),
strings (the
kora),
xylophones,
trumpets, flutes,
musical bows,
and drums
During the 20th
century,
cosmopolitan
musical
influences
have been
incorporated
into the African
musical scene
Is there an
equivalent to
African
interlocking in
Western music,
and how might it
work?
Is there an equivalent to African
interlocking in an Asian music studied
thus far, and how does it work?
Why would Pygmy communal living
bear an influence on vocal hocket?
Why would
Pygmy nomadic
life prevent
Pygmies from
using many
musical
instruments?
Why do the
words of the jali
have as much
importance as
writing?
Are there
equivalents to the
jali in Western
music, and what
do they say?
Does our popular music use drumming
in the same manner as African
drumming, or is it different?
What might
befall an
African court
music tradition
in the event of
political
insurrection,
and how could
it be guarded?
How have
traditional African
musical
instruments and
styles survived in
the rapidly
changing world?