Afro Celt Sound System

Question 1

When was the group ‘Afro Celt soundsystem formed’ and when was it’s second album: volume 2: release, released

Answer 1

1995 and 1999

Question 2

What instruments, often used in Western African music appear in this set work?

Answer 2

• kora (type of harp)
• djembe (a goblet shaped drum)
• talking drum (can seem to mimic the tone patterns of speech)

Question 3

What Celtic (Irish traditional music) instruments appear in this set work?

Answer 3

• uilleann pipes (Irish bagpipes with a softer tone than Scottish ones)
• A fiddle
• an accordion (has hand operated bellows which blow metal reeds)
• A low whistle
• A bodhrán (A hand held drum held with a double-headed beater)
• A hurdy-gurdy (A mechanical violin in which strings are made to vibrate by a wheel turned by a cranked handle and with string that sound accompanying drones)

Question 4

What instruments and stuff were used in the sound system (sounds and techniques of modern electronic dance music)

Answer 4

• male and female vocals
• synthesizer and samples
• electric piano, drum machine
• shaker and tambourine
• various digital effects

Question 5

Who are the three voices that sing and in what language do they sing in?

Answer 5

• N’Faly Kouyaté recites a softly spoken introduction in Maninka
• Sinéad O’connor sings in English but is Irish
• larla Ó Lionáird sings in Irish

Question 6

What is the metre and tempo?

Answer 6

The opening section is in free time and then there is a moderately fast tempo in 44 time from 0.48 (Where the loops start)

Question 7

Describe the Rhythm

Answer 7

• slightly swung
• rhythms in the vocal melodies include syncopation
• the instrumental solos and some loops feature strings of rapid short notes (like the fast decorative style of much Irish folk music)
• triplets feature in the low whistle solo and the fiddle loops
• repeating loops create the effect of ostinatos

Question 8

What is the tonality?

Answer 8

It is modal. It doesn’t have a b natural so it is not in c minor but it is anchored to c by drones and repeating patterns based on a chord of c minor

Question 9

What is the harmony?

Answer 9

It has a slow harmonic pace (static harmony) and is mainly diatonic

Question 10

What is the texture?

Answer 10

Mainly homophonic with an accompanime t featuring a layered texture created from loops

Question 11

How many loops are there?

Answer 11

28

Question 12

What is the general structure?

Answer 12

Intro, verse 1, verse 2, solos, verse 3, drum break and build, outro
There are no choruses and the accompaniment is constructed from loops built up in layers. Sections are built up in 8 bar phrases

Question 13

What happens in the intro?

Answer 13

Synth drone with electronic effects panned left and right

Talking drum and softly spoken introduction
Percussion loops 1-3 then female introductorary phrases with synth loop 4 and drums loop 5

Question 14

What happens in verse 1?

Answer 14

Female vocal sung in English three stanzas

Question 15

What happens in verse 2?

Answer 15

Male vocal sung in Irish. Vocal phrases similar to verse 1 but rise in pitch
Double stopped pattern of fiddle enters quietly and bass drops out

Question 16

What happens in the solo section?

Answer 16

Uilleann pipes solo then joined by whistle (octave higher). Synth and accordion join accompaniment.

Low whistle solo; bohran and synth strings are prominent in lighter accompaniment

Hurdy gurdy solo with synth pad, talking drums, bodhrán and male vocal sample

Question 17

What happens in verse 3?

Answer 17

Female vocal then male vocal. Section ends with one bar of bodhrán and shaker

Question 18

What happens in the build?

Answer 18

A long crescendo and thickening of texture. Drum break with bass. Female vocalist adds isolated background notes (mainly from g to c)

Question 19

What happens in the Outro?

Answer 19

Female vocal accompanied by drum, percussion, synth and fiddle loops

Fade our featuring electric piano loops

Question 20

Describe the melody

Answer 20

• Mainly Modal (Aeolian mode on C)
• verse 1 contains just the 5 pitches of the pentatonic minor scale
• it’s repetitive- many similar two bar phrases that fall from G to C
• Vocal line has mainly conjunt movements
• mostly syllabic with some parts spoken or whispered
• some parts are sampled
• use of reverberation
• instrumental solos emphasise c and G as their main notes but are more wide ranging in pitch and include some disjuct movement

Question 21

What is the range of the male voice (can also come under melody)

Answer 21

In verse 2 rises to a stop c and has a range of a 13th

Question 22

What is the range and tessitura of the female voice (can also come under melody)

Answer 22

Narrow range of a 6th and low tessitura

Question 23

What is a pad?

Answer 23

A sustained synthesizer sound often resembling strings, organs or voices

Question 24

What does the word pickup indicate?

Answer 24

It shows where the loop starts and indicates that the loops begin with an anacrusis