Music 80Q: Survey of African Music
Languages and Instruments
Outline:
1. List of instruments: country, and function
2. Summary of Festival Events
3. List of Regions, cultural groups, and countries
4. Exploring Stylistic Regions of African Continent
|
Instrument |
Location: |
Function: |
|
Mbira (22 notes) |
Uganda |
Popular thumb piano, both traditional and contemporary |
|
Ashiko |
Ghana |
Struck membranaphone, for contemporary highlife music |
|
Tabla |
Senegal |
Large membranaphone of west Asian organ, struck with two sticks |
|
Darabuka |
Morocco |
Struck membranaphone, goblet shape |
|
Toke Bell |
Ghana |
Idiophone, struck with metal against side of bell |
|
Ney |
Egypt |
Lamellophone, traditional 5000 years old |
|
Kora |
Mali |
Traditional instrument, historian |
|
Shekere |
Nigeria |
Gourd, with strung beads, traditional Yoruba battle gourd |
|
Djembe |
Ghana |
Popular membranaphone |
|
Muzhar |
Egypt |
Frame drum, struck, with metal jingles |
|
Bongos |
Morocco |
Double set of differently pitched membranaphones that are struck |
|
Tareyja |
Morocco |
Small skinny drum that is struck |
|
Bendir |
Morocco |
Set of two membranaphones that are struck |
|
Zils |
Morocco |
Metal Idiophone symbols played in one hand |
|
DunDun |
Ghana |
Double headed membranaphone struck with sticks |
|
Takling Drum |
Ghana |
Used to accompany a village King, or to talk across long distances, membranaphone |
|
Zurna |
Egypt |
Lamellaphone |
|
Mizmar |
Egypt |
Lamellophone, folk oboe |
|
Oud |
Sudan |
Lamellophone, traditional lute |
Part
3. Tribal locations within
regions and Countries
Region:
Tribe:
Country
North
Africa:
Berber: Morocco and other
neighboring Saharan countries
Eastern Cattle Area:
Karagwe: Northeastern Tanzania
Kwere: East Central Tanzania Coast
Maasai: North Central Tanzania, Southern Kenya
Makonde: Tanzania, Mozambique
Pokot:
Western Kenya
Shambaa: Tanzania
Shona: Southern Mozambique
Shona: Zimbabwe
Zaramo:
Tanzania
Congo area:
Babanki: Northwestern Cameroon
Bali: Grasslands of Central Cameroon
Bamileke: Grasslands of Western Cameroon
Bamum: Southeastern part of Cameron Grasslands
Bangubangu: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Bangwa: Western Cameroon
Beembe: Southern Congo
Bembe: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Bushoong: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Cameroon Grasslands: Grasslands of Central Cameroon
Hemba: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Holoholo: Southeastern Congo (Zaire) near Lake Tanganyika
Katana: Eastern Nigeria, Western Cameroon
Kom: Northwestern Cameroon
Kongo: Southwestern Congo (Zaire), Angola, Congo
Kota: Eastern Gabon
Kuba: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Kusu: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Laka: Southwestern Chad
Lega: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Luba: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Luluwa: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Lunda: Congo (Zaire), Northern Angola, Western Zambia
Lwalwa: Southeastern Congo (Zaire)
Mambila: Northwestern Cameroon, Eastern Nigeria
Mangbetu: Northern Congo (Zaire)
Manja: Northern Congo (Zaire)
Mbole: Southwestern Congo (Zaire)
Mumuye: Eastern Nigeria
Mitsogo: Central Gabon
Punu:
Southern Gabon, Congo
Pende: South western Democratic Republic of Congo
Ngbaka: Northern Democratic Republic of Congo
Nkanu:
Western Democratic Republic of Congo
Songye:
Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Songo: Northern Angola Yaka
Suku:
South western Democratic Republic of Congo
Tabwa:
Southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo
Woyo:
South western Democratic Republic of Congo
Wum:
Cameroon
Yaka:
Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola
Yombe:
Nigeria, Benin
Guinea
Coast Area:
Akan: Ghana
Akuapem: Southern Ghana
Aowin: Southern Cote d'Ivoire, Southern Ghana
Asante: Southern Ghana
Baga: Cost of Guinea-Conakry
Baule: Central Cote d'Ivoire
Benin Kingdom: South Central Nigeria
Bidyogo: Coastal Guinea-Bissau
Bobo: West Burkina Faso, Mali
Bwa: Central Burkina Faso, Mali
Dan: Liberia, Cote d'Ivoire
Diomande: Cote d'Ivoire
Dogon: Southeastern Mali, Burkina Faso
Eket: Southeastern Nigeria
Esie: South Central Nigeria
?Fang? Southern Gambia, Cameroon
Fante: Southern Coast of Ghana
Fon: Southern Benin, Togo
Frafra: Northeastern Ghana
Fulani: Guinea-Conakry, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon
Ibibio: Southeastern Nigeria
Idoma: Central Nigeria
Igbira: East Central Nigeria
Igbo: Southeastern Nigeria
Igbo Ukwu: South Central Nigeria
Ijo: Southern Nigeria
Kabre: Northeastern Togo
Kassena: Northern Ghana
Kwahu: Southern Ghana
Lobi: Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana
Mende: Southern Sierra Leone
Nuna: Southern Burkina Faso
Nok:
Central Nigeria
Oron:
Southeastern Nigeria
Owo:
Southeastern Nigeria
Sapi:
Coastal Sierra Leone
Senufo: Northern Cote d'Ivoire
Tuareg:
Nigeria, Burkina Faso
Urhobo:
Southern Nigeria
We:
Cote d'Ivoire
Yoruba:
Nigeria, Benin
Khoisan Area:
Chokwe: Southeastern Congo (Zaire), Angola, Zambia
Luchazi: Eastern Angola, Western Zambia
Luvale: Eastern Angola, Western Zambia
San:
Northern South Africa. Botswana
Zulu: South Africa
Sudan:
Bamana: Central Mali
Djenne: Central Mali on Niger River
Fulani: Guinea-Conakry, Burkina Faso, Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Cameroon
Hausa: Northern Nigeria, Northwest Niger
Mossi:
Central Burkina Faso
Tuareg:
Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Senegal, Mali, and Niger
Winiama:
Central Burkina Faso
Wodaabe:
Northern Nigeria, South Western Niger
Wolof: Coastal Senegal
1. The function of African Music in African Culture
The function of African Music takes on different functions within its
respective culture. However it
is safe to say that as a general function music is everywhere within African
culture. Francis BB spoke on the integration of
music within culture in the first chapter of his book 'African Music ' A peoples
Art' by saying that there is no word for religion or music because it is not
separated from daily life. Moreover there is no separation between performer and audience,
deeming everyone a participant weather through dance, like the Raqsshariq women dancers of Egypt or Ghawazi traditional
dancing females, through words like the Shair story teller from Egypt
or Mwoc poems of praise from Ugande, or the Pak praise poem performed by Griot. Music is religious,
or contemporary, and is performed at almost every occasion. Not everyone can play such as younger
people and women in some cases, but everyone can participate. Music is a part of living, and it has
been since the beginning of existence.
2. An overview of Musical Style
Although the general assumption can be made that music in Africa is
played everywhere, there can be no generalization about the styles of the
music. Geographically speaking Africa is very
diverse including terrain's that range from desert, to lush jungle, and the
music reflects this diversity. For
example the music of northern Africa's desert regions is more monophonic and less poly ' rhythmic, and if
there are drums they are generally more in the background.
Moreover the vocal element is more focused on solo sounds. The music sounds this way because of the
environment. Musicians have to
work with what they are presented with and if the sounds they hear are less
complex sounds of the wind the melody will be one voice, and not complex. The desert also does not provide many
tools to build instruments with, therefore the instruments will be made of
fallen trees, and they will usually be made into bowed instruments that can
also be used as a hunting tool. This
is one example of how environment shapes sound, and this is found to be true all over Africa.
Another stylistic device found within music is the Religious aspect. North Eastern areas that have strong Muslim
influence, incorporate religious praises into the music, however the sounds
of this religious music will vary from that of the religious music in South
Africa because of the different religions. Musical style also varies from traditional to contemporary,
group music to solo music, and professional music to non-professional music.
3. Characteristics of African Music
A. Musical Instruments
Musical instruments vary from region to region, and have mostly to
do with environmental influences. For
example the people in Ghana are stationary, and their natural surroundings
provide them with trees and animals, both of these factors influence the instruments
in that area. However the most
general distinction between the instruments can be made across the sounds
of the instruments and the way in which they are built and sound, and can
be classified as chordophones (instruments with strings), idiophones (instruments that have shakers on them or
instruments that are struck), lamellophone (instruments like thumb
pianos that are played by picking), aerophone (instruments that are played using breath, wind instruments),
membranaphone ( instruments made of a membrane that are struck), and electrophone (instruments that require the use of electricity
to play them).
B. Structure of African Rhythm
African Rhythm varies according to environmental region and how music
is practiced. For example drums in the Eastern Cattle
Region are used to call people to work, and in fast dance music, employing
different rhythmic ideas. Music
in Ghana is made predominantly with drums and includes poly rhythmic sounds. Music of the Ituri Rain forest uses hocket a musical form where two voices complete
one musical phrase, in accompaniment with bells, or chimes, but usually just
with the backdrop of the rainforest.
The sounds of the rainforest are polyrhythmic, as well as the music
of the Koisan Area which is surrounded by ocean. There are areas where rhythm is monophonic usually in places
where vocals take a strong role, such as South Africa, and in the Sudan area.
C. Classes of African Musicians
As I have said before African musicians can be classified into professionals,
semi professionals, non- professionals, religious players, scholarly players,
group or solo, pretty much along all of the different characterizations of
musicianship.
4. Stylistic Regions of African Music
- North African Music: The music of this area can be characterized
as having a monophonic melody, or a drone. The melodic emphasis is ornamental, with
a greater diversity of instruments, such as the Ney a flute, and functions of the music are
both communal, and religious. The
pieces of music usually start in free time before the introduction of the
rhythmic element which are usually smaller drums. The voice is much more prevalent using ornamentation often,
and not as much harmony. Many
of the musical influence of this area comes from Egypt and instruments such
as Kawalah (the reed flute), mizmar (the folk obo), the rbaba
a spike fiddle, the ude (a flute) and the Tabla a goblet shaped
drum are heard often.
One specific musician that we heard was the Musicians of the Nile;
they belong to a group of people called Metqual who incorporate modern as well as traditional music called
Munshid. The sounds of this music incorporated
a loose melodic introduction with the rbaba into the main section of
the song where the voice came in with the poetry in Arabic: 'Here I am! From
the depths of my being. Here
I am you my goal and reason for being.
I call you, or rather you call yourself to me! I cry for you, or is
it you are crying out for me?' Specific types of the religious music called
Inshad dini include ibtihalat (which is sung at dawn and is
improvisational poetic song), qisasdiniya (religious stories), and
inshad sufi (mystical Islamic music).
- Eastern Cattle Area
This area produced one of the most popular musical instruments of Africa
the Mbira (thumb piano), however this region extends
all along the eastern coast of Africa therefore music varies in this region.
The music of Uganda incorporates such diverse instruments as Adungu
(a harp), Agwara (trumpets), Empunyi (a double headed drum),
and Ndege (ankle bells). In addition to Uganda and its musical influences coming from
more forested regions, is the music of Ethiopia, who draws its influences
from Egypt, and Mozambique who has more up beat high life music. One musician from this region who we heard
was Hamza al Hadin on his album called The Water Wheel, about a boy who keeps
the wheel turning. His music
is traditional, and mono-rhythmic, and monophonic, as it is just him and his
instrument.
- Congo Area
Within the Congo area is a huge lush jungle, and a gorge where life
was thought to originate from. It
is this jungle that is the source for most of the music in this area, providing
for the polyrhythmic sounds of the Pigmies of the Ituri Rainforest musicians,
who mirror the many sounds of the forest into their music to give it a quality
of saturation density. Because
the Pigmies are nomadic it effects the usage of larger instruments. Therefore instruments used are few in
comparison to the different vocal techniques used, however the hindewhu (a whistle), motape, maitu, mona,
(all of which represent male drums except the middle drum), and awoka (ankle seed rattle) are all used as accompaniment. Vocal techniques of the pigmies as well
as musicians in the greater Congo area, and the Greater African area use techniques
like hocket, call and response, either between solo or group voices, and specific
intervalic usage.
- Guinea Coast Area
It is within the Guinea Coast area that most of the Slave trade cane
from, which would seem as though traditions were lot, however the elders who
were left preserved the music, as well as slaves abroad. Music from this area include the use of
drums and dancing, as we can see evidence of in the rich drum and dance couture
of Ghana. Specific dances from
this region are lenjengo (a dance based on the movement of a bird called
the egret, from Gambia), adowa
and agbadza (dance performed at funerals, and sometimes at joyous occasions,
from Ghana), kete (a courting dance performed for royalty), and boboobo
(a recreational music and dance from Ghana). In addition to dancing is the extensive drumming that comes
from this area, mostly because the people are not nomadic and as I said before
animals and trees can be turned into drums.
- Khoisan Area
The Khoisan area is the land of the Ancient spirits, its mountains were the inspirations for the Pyramids, and its music is vocal, which is a very spiritual form of music. A cultural tribe inhabited in this region called Bushmen are thought to be the oldest inhabitants in Africa. Characteristics of the Bushmen are within their language, which incorporate clicks and gurgles, not found in other African languages. In South Africa vocal music is the predominant musical form, and can be found as solo work, or group work, in contemporary music as well as religious. One of my favorite musical groups comes from South Africa, Ladysmith Black Mambazo, and their music is entirely vocal. Dances from this region include kicking, and we saw some of the dancing in the video on African Music, specific dances called Ngoma Dancing, Basotho Ndhlamo Dancing, and Gumboot Dancing, whose traditional name is Is'catulo. There are also instruments in this region which include instruments from South Africa and Malawi the umrhube (a Zulu mouth bow), Manyenenyene (ankle jangles), Izigubu (cow-hide covered drums), and ng'oma (a master drum.
-
Sudan
This area is one of South Africa's driest regions however the Nile River which runs through Sudan is what brought travelers brining their musical traditions, and also allowed for music to travel down Africa via the river. One popular musician from this region is Setona, on her album Tariq Sudan she wants to promote peace. She was born in Khartoum and is from the Sudanese province of Kordan. She sings one song about a man who took her heart, and uses call and response methods between herself and other vocalists, and herself and other instruments. The general sounds of the region are less poly-rhythmic, and vocals don't sing in counterpoint or at the same time. Instruments from this region include the Enanga (an East African Zither), and a special form of the thumb piano called Likembe.
Living Encyclopedia
of Global African Music
Received 05/28/2003
Posted 05/29/2003