African Music History
May 27th, 2010 |
Author: richhill
The study of African Music History is derived from archaeological findings, oral historical accounts,
rock paintings and petroglyphs, and field notes from travelers from the Middle East and Europe. As
the continent is the cradle of human beings, music evolved and traveled the globe to influence music
everywhere.
Ancient cultures from what is known as the “green Sahara” created vast amounts of written history in
the form of rock paintings. These are among the earliest sources of African music. The most primitive
rock painting was discovered by a French explorer in 1956 in the Tassili-n-Ajjer plateau of Algeria. It
depicts music and dance and is astonishing for its similarity of costume and style of movement to
what is still practiced today. The rock painting in question dates from 6,000 to 4,000 bc.
The study of African musical instruments is somewhat limited by the natural materials used to create
them. Those made from vegetables like horns and drums of gourd did not survive in the earthen
deposits of sub-Sahara, however those made from stone or clay did endure for discovery.
From these discoveries, scientists conclude the pressure drum called dundun, and one used
throughout the Savannah region, was likely formed in the 15th century. Also created during that
century were the double iron clapperless bells, pellet bells and tubular bells with clappers.
By the 17th and 18th centuries, lamellaphones, with iron keys, grew in influence throughout the
Zambezi valley and into Angolan society. As use of the instruments spread they became smaller and
portable. These became known as travel instruments.
The small lamellaphone became popular in the Congo where it was named the likembe, still in use
today in Zande, Ngbandi and Gbaya.
It is fascinating to realize Latin America has a wealth of knowledge about African Music History, as
slaves carried their oral histories with them to their reluctant new homes.
Some Basic African Music Instruments
December 20th, 2009 |
Author: richhill
Diversity in African music instruments is what gives them their unique sound quality. African
instruments include a range of string and percussion devices with cultural and religious significance.
Here are some typical musical instruments from Uganda:
Kikuyu: This is a type of fiddle made from a gourd. In Africa children often make their own instruments
and they are taught how to do this from an early age. It is not uncommon for four year olds to make
instruments for themselves and this is something they can handle.
Engalabi: A traditional percussion instrument resembling a long, small drum. It has a reptile skin that is
nailed to the wooden frame. Lately the Ugandan government has discouraged the practice of using
reptile skin but the tradition continues. This instrument is played with bare hands.
Enkwanzi: A panpipe also called an oburere. It means “little flutes” and it is made from bamboo or
elephant grass. The nodules on the grass block the passage of air and gives the instrument its
pitch. The reeds are assembled, large to small and tied together with string. Western flutes with finger
holes are believed to have evolved from this ancient musical device.
Ensasi: A shaker made of two gourds with stick handles used to accompany other instruments in
traditional Ugandan music especially in the eastern and central region. In northern Uganda there is a
unique sound because the beads move side to side in a tin shell or gourd with several holes.
Basoga Lyre: Made with lizard skin and tied with animal skin like the drums and harp. Strings are
assembled with wood woven through holes. The Endongo, or Danda Lyre has one hole and the
Entongoli, or Soga, has two pieces of banana fibers or barkcloth around the yoke.
As you can see, these instruments are quite different from the ones cultivated in Europe, and the
musical experience is equally wondrous with African music instruments.
The Finger Harp
April 22nd, 2010 |
Author: richhill
Simply beautiful, the finger harp is an integral part of African music culture that originated in subSaharan Africa.
In Africa it is known as the mbira, but this double-consonant word confuses many westerners, so in
America it is translated into the finger harp; the name explaining the purpose of this lovely instrument.
The finger harp is played by a single musician; however it is rarely performed as a solo. More frequently,
it is played as a feature of other musicians, vocalists and dancers.
If there is one word to describe the music of Africa, it is variety, and the options exist with the same
instrument. For example, the finger harp is not a uniformly designed instrument. There are 33-note
versions played by performers in Zimbabwe and smaller types of 6 notes the Bushmen of Kalahari use.
And it’s not just the size that varies; the name itself changes from region to region in Africa. It is mbira
in Zimbabwe, but the same instrument is called the Kalimba in Kenya, the ikembe in Rwanda and
likembe in the Congo.
Other names include the sanza, sansa, gourd piano, marimba, marimbula, and thumb piano. You can
see why westerners are confused by this instrument as it is difficult to keep up with the names!
The kalimba was actually introduced by an Englishman named Hugh Tracey who moved to Zimbabwe,
formerly Rhodesia, to assist in the running of a tobacco farm. Tracey created a diatonic instrument
similar to the mbira in the 1960s which became popular around the world.
Translated, the Kalimba means “little music” and it’s perfect for playing harmony with both
thumbs. You’ll find this instrument throughout the world, particularly the Middle East, Asia and North
and South America.
Regardless of how it is called, the kalimba, or mbira or finger harp has an important place in the culture
of African music.
Finger Harp: an African Musical Instrument
April 9th, 2010 |
Author: richhill
The Finger Harp is known by many names in Africa: mbira, kalimba and ikembe, though various regions
of the continent use one name more than others.
This beautiful sounding instrument traces its roots to the 1920s and businessman Hugh Tracey who
emigrated from England to Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia. He came to assist his brother with a tobacco
farm however he was quickly enchanted by the local culture.
Music was particularly intriguing to Tracey. By the 1960s he created a kind of mbira called the kalimba
which became popular throughout the world. The performer is able to use both thumbs to play
harmony and for that reason, the kalimba, translated as “little music”, is popular in the West. The
kalimba is also played in Asia, the Middle East and South and North America because of its ease of use.
The mbira is similar. Like the kalimba it uses wood and strings to produce sound. The mbira has metal
tongues called lamellas on top. The sound box itself if made of wood or gourd, and demonstrating the
industrious spirit of the African people, the metal keys are sometimes make from old mattress spring
wire, bicycle spokes or the handles of spoons.
Sound is produced by plucking the strings with the thumbs, or thumbs and fingers. It is common to find
holes drilled into the sides of the box so the musician can vary the resonance and sound by blocking the
holes.
All of the finger harps produce a sound that is well suited for diverse melodies and rhythms. There are
usually two melodic parts in the music created for this instrument; a kushaura and a kutsinhira, and the
sound is typically a pattern of four 12 beat phrases.
The Finger Harp is often played along with other performers who clap and sing, making this instrument a
joyful and soulful expression of African sound.
Note: Although this is classified as a plucked idiophone, the tongues (lamellas) are typically depressed
and released creating the same effect as being plucked. This is done with the thumbs and fingers of the
performer. The tongues can also be plucked as another type of performance effect.
HISTORY:
The mbira has been an important instrument in sub-Saharan Africa and has played a part in African
culture for 800 years. Although it can be a solo instrument, it is more commonly used as an
accompaniment to singers, musicians and dancers. It is not uncommon for the native African
instruments to allow solo harmonization, but typically, harmony in African music serves as a variation to
the theme being performed.
Many versions of the mbira exist with tribes creating distinctive performance styles and names for the
instrument. They vary widely in appearance, size, materials, and tuning from the smallest 6-note models
of the Kalahari Bushmen, to the sophisticated 33-note instrument found in Zimbabwe. The name mbira
is know throughout much of Africa, but regionally, the name mbira is more commonly used in
Zimbabwe, while the name Kalimba is used in Kenya, the name ikembe is used in Rhuanda, and the
name likembe is used in the Congo, while other names are bit less common such as sanza, sansa,
marimba, marimbula, there are more generic names of finger harp, gourd piano, and thumb piano that
are often used in the west.
The mbira is also known as the thumb piano, because one's thumbs are used to pluck (or more
accurately depress and release) the metal strips (tongues or lamellas) that sound particular notes. It is
common for two mbiras to play together where one covers the melodic accompaniment of the singer
while the other plays the bass line (or bourdon). Some mbiras have few tongues and others have many.
Some of the more sophisticated instruments have two sets of tongues for one performer to play melody
and harmony, or melody and bass line on the same instrument.
In the 1920's, Hugh Tracey came from England to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to help his older brother
run a tobacco farm. He became fascinated by the local music culture and created the Kalimba, a version
of the mbira. Introduced by Tracy in the early 1960's, Kalimba was the registered trademark for his
diatonic instrument that soon became popular around the world. The word kalimba literally means little
music. It was well suited for Western music and made it easy for the performer to play harmony using
both thumbs.
Today, versions of this African instrument can be found in most parts of the world, with a wide use in
parts of Asia, the Middle East, North and South America. Much of this popularity is due to the work of
Hugh Tracy, but the simplicity of the instrument's design and construction and the relative ease by
which one can learn to play it has added to it's wide acceptance throughout the world.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: The basic mbira is a simple sound board or sound box with wooden (typically
cane) or metal keys or tongues (called lamellas) attached on the top. The sound box is typically made
from a calabash (gourd) or wood, and often the metal keys (tongues) were made from old spoon
handles, bicycle spokes or spring wire that were cut and hammered to the desired shape. The keys
(tongues) are plucked with the thumbs, or with combinations of thumbs and fingers. The keys usually
consist of 6 to 33 metal keys (tongues) mounted across two bars (or wooden dowels) at one end
attached to the sound box with another wooden dowel holding them in place. The bar closest to the
sound hole serves as a bridge, the other to provide a means for the dowel to hold the keys (tongues) in
place. The free ends of the keys (tongues) are positioned at different lengths to produce the variety of
pitches. The length of the vibrating end of the keys (tongues) determines the pitch (a shorter key or
tongue produces a higher pitch, and a longer key or tongue produces a lower pitch).
Many of the mbiras with sound boxes, have holes drilled in the sides of the sound box. When the
instrument is held in both hands with the thumbs plucking the tongues, the index fingers on each side
can cover and uncover these side holes to change the resonance and can provide a tremolo effect.
The mbira often has several rows of keys (tongues) positioned like multiple manuals (or rows of keys) on
a keyboard. The lower manual (typically longer tongues and lower pitched notes) often represent the
men's voices, while the upper manual (typically shorter tongues with higher pitched notes) represent
the young men's voices, or are split with one side of the upper manual representing the young men's
voices and the other representing the women's voices. The tuning and arrangement of the tongues are
varied.
SOUND PROPERTIES:
The mbira produces a haunting, fluid percussive sound that is considered tranquil and enchanting. Since
you can play either simultaneously or alternating between both thumbs, harmonic and rhythmic effects
are possible. An important feature of mbira music is its cyclical nature, with each new repetition of a
theme varying slightly from the last and incorporate numerous interwoven melodies, with contrasting
and syncopated rhythms. Mbira music lends itself to rhythmic and melodic diversity, and entails a great
deal of improvisation, qualities common to African traditional music. The compositions usually consist of
a main melodic part (kushaura), and a secondary melodic part (kutsinhira). A special attention should be
paid to the combination of quadruple (4/4) and triple 3/4 meters within the rhythmic structure of the
music. Most compositions can be thought of as a sequence of four 12-beat phrases. Those 12 beat can
be divided into three groups of four, or four groups of three. While the Mbira can be an effective solo
instrument, it is rarely found by itself at traditional Shona religious ceremonies. It is ordinarily
accompanied by hosho players, handclapping, and singing. The persistant array of complex rhythms and
variations of the melodies provides a rich source of sounds that captivates listeners.
Many effects can be employed by plucking up or down on the keys (tongues). The sound can also be
altered by wrapping the tongues with wire or adding a mirliton device. This adds an additional buzzing
or humming character to the sound of the instrument which is an important sound in many of the tribal
cultures. Often, snail shells or metal bottle caps are often attached to the sound board or the sound box
to create or enhance the rich buzzing sound. The buzzing is thought to clear the mind and allow the
listener to focus totally on the music. These buzzing effects are not commonly used on the diatonic
versions of the mbira or outside of the African tribal cultures. Most recordings do not include these
effects as they tend to favor the pure sounds of the instrument.
Mbira tunings are numerous, and usage depends on personal preference. Mbira players usually settle
on a particular tuning and use it consistently. Some of the more common Mbira tunings are Nyamaropa
(most common), Gandanga Dongonda, Gandanga (or Mavembe), Nyuchi, Dambatsoko, Katsanzaira,
Mande, Nemakonde, Nyamaropa Dongonda, Samsengere, and Saungweme.
RANGE: The range for the mbira is widely different for each tribal area in Africa. Each instrument can
be tuned to a number of tuning systems that are also part of a tribal or local area standard. This would
also differ by the number of keys or tongues on each instrument.