Module 7 Flashcards
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
-Powerful voice on the local music scene in the Republic of South Africa
-Joseph Shabalala had a dream in 1964 to create a new group that would “cut down” its rivals in local music competitions through a different kind of singing
-The group name came from combining the name of its hometown, the word “black” from the black ox (symbol of strength), and the Zulu word mambazo (“axe”)
-Due to the success earned them regular performances on the burgeoning Radio Zulu broadcast and eventually earned landing them a recording contract with Gallo Africa, the largest recording company in South Africa.
-Was the first all-black group to earn gold-record status in South Africa
0Member have change due to retirements and deaths, but the group continues to garner international acclaim
-The group continues to tour internationally for several months a year
-Best-known vocal group from South Africa for their style of signing known as isicathamiya.
-Singing developed as a call-and-response polyphonic singing of the Zulu people, along with harmonic influences of Christian hymnody
~These were eventually called “nightsong” they took place regularly on Saturday evenings the end of the workweek and ran through the night.
-The vocal groups incorporated choreography inspired by traditional dances, such as a high-stepping stomp, as well as ragtime syncopation, and subdue dance choreography were more influential in these latter contexts
-Shabalala emphasized accuracy of rhythm and pitch through quieter, lush harmonies, in contrast to the louder styles that dominated the nightsong competitions; he also modified the choreography to reflect the softer sound by “tiptoeing” through a performance, rather than stomping loudly on the ground
-Soon bested their competition with this “new” sound, which was labeled isicathamiya (“walk stealthily”)
~Became so successful that other groups eventually refused to compete against them, leading to them traveling as paid performers for nightsong events in order to attract larger audiences
-Uses Zulu language for the majority of their songs, though English features prominently as well
~The call-and-response organization follows in the Zulu choral tradition but often reflects the influence of Christian hymnody and other Western genres, including barbershop quartets
Mbube (“lion”)
-An albums by Linda and his group the Evening Birds became widely popular
~Leading to the soundtrack of Lion King and Lion’s Trail
-Type of a Capella singing when preformed in nonritual settings for entertainment, such as the migrant workers’ nightsong competitions
~Derived from a wedding song sung by female groups in rural areas
-Experimented with new arrangements and vocal harmonies that further emphasized the low range of voices
-In the late 40s and 50s the practice known as “bombing” became common, in which singers performed wide descending melodic slides to imitate the sounds of bombing raids heard in World War II
~This lead to emphasis on a “powerful” performance with volume becoming an important asset to winning, which took precedence over witticism in the lyrical content and accuracy of pitch
Isicathamiya
- Is rooted in Zulu traditional singing but incorporates influences from other music that has been popular in South Africa since Shabalala first formed Lady Smith Black Mambazo
- Has a quieter volume than typical mubube singing, though the predominance of low-range vocal continues to be feature of the music
Marabi
-An early Style of South African music
-The music began as an instrumental keyboard style, typically played on an inexpensive pedal organ, and was commonly heard in the shebeens (bars serving homemade liquor)
-Although the music used Western instruments and harmonies, the repetitiveness of the melody reflected a South African musical sensibility
-The music was meant for dancing; extended solos were minimized so that the focus remained on the patron’s activities, rather than the musicians
-By the 1920s became the dominant musical style in the urban ghetto and incorporated a variety of instruments
~Piano
~Violin
~Banjo
~Drums
Tin Whistle
- Known as a penneywhistle
- Was influenced by American Jazz
Kwela
- Was lead by pennywhisles soloists, that played marabi-styled repeated chord progression accompanied by acoustic guitar
- Frequently acted as lookouts to warn patrons of the approaching authorities by shouting “Kwela-kwela”
- Several groups added jazz drums and occasional piano to the instrumentation, by the pennywhistle remained the outstanding feature
Miriam “Mama Africa” Makeba
- Became a popular African jazz singer during the 1950s
- She frequently incorporated traditional music elements into her style, such as male backup vocals inspired by the mubue chior, and sang modern versions of indigenous songs in her native tongue, Xhosa, which is distinctive for its several “clicking” phonemes
- Sometimes described as an early mbaqanga singer
Mbaqanga
-Drew from American R&B sounds, fusing it with the cyclic structure of marabi and improvisational solos featured in kwela music to create a distinctive style that utilized electric instead of acoustic instruments
~The saxophone became a common solo instrument, and a prominent bass drum beat characterized the new mbaqanga (meaning “mish-mash” or “porridge”) style
-The interweaving of the guitar lines is a distinctive feature and a common element of several popular styles in Africa, such as soukous and juju
-Continuous repetition of musical material, repeating every two measures (eight beats), is a main characteristic and is derived from the earlier popular music styles of marabi and kwela
-Core ensemble of two guitars, bass, and drums is a standard backing ensemble for this music
~Occasionally other percussion instruments appear
*Scraped gourd
*Tambourine
*Saxophone
Mahotella Queen
- A mbaqanga group that at concerts capitalized on the nostalgia by wearing clothing inspired by traditional styles
- Interweaving electric guitars influenced by Congolese soukous and funky bass gave the music a modern sound that was original and not merely imitative of Western style
- The music was loud and full of energy, keeping audiences dancing until the early morning hours
Mqashiyo
- Labeled the peppy band of jive
- Meaning to bounce
- Which was as much as a call for their audiences to dance as it was a reference to the Queen’s own effervescent stage presence
Kwatio
-Natively described as South African hip-hop
-Incorporates many preceding music as toi-toi (marching style used during protests)
-Is distinctively South African and has become the musical voice of the country’s post-apartheid generation
-Promoting a lifestyle that indulged in their newfound freedom yet still rebelled against economic and social prejudice
-Success is its use of indigenous South African languages and Afrikaans, a mix of dutch and local dialects; English is often included to reach a wider audience
~The colloquial language of the ghetto township, known as Tsotsi (Thug), is also commonly used and promotes the rough and rebellious image that kwaito artists typically portray
-Uses all the modern studio technology typical of mainstream hip-hop in the Western world
-Drum machines, synthesizers, samples, electric guitars/bass, sound effects, and similar elements keep the music current with modern international trends
-The music is primarily intended for dancing and mixes readily with international dance music from the Western world and elsewhere in Africa
Bonginkosi Dlamini
-Zola
- One of the few performers to emphasize serious subject matter in his music, and he became an icon of the genre, hosting his own television show and appearing in films
- The international mainstream media had paid little attention to the modern music of South Africa since the end of apartheid, the success of this film and the increasing interest among South African kwaito performers to use the music as a medium for social change are bringing greater visibility to the style, both at home and abroad
Highlife
-Earliest popular music style emanating from West Africa
-Was essentially brass-band dance music for the social elites in British-occupied Ghana (Gold Coast)
~Performing waltzes, polkas, and other popular European dance music
E.T. Mensah
-Unlike other highlife bands molded after large jazz bands; Mensah’s group was pared with a few horns, an electric guitar, and a modern rhythmic section comprised primarily of Latin American percussion, along with some Ghanaian instruments
~Calypso, samba, and rumba was featured prominently which helped to liberate highlife music from European mold
-Polyrhythmic instrumental organization became a fundamental musical element, and the inclusion of local melodies in new compositions became a common practice
Juju
- In Nigeria, playing a lute typically played by the lead vocalist, a tambourine (known as the juju), and a rattle (shekere)
- The percussionists often sang their vocal responses in partial harmony, usually parallel thirds, an influence of Christian hymnody
- Often preformed for local celebrations and important ritual events, Yoruba poetry figured prominently in the lyrical content
- Electric guitars and amplification systems appear more regularly, which allowed musicians to add more instrumentalists without worry of drowning out the vocals
- The Yoruba hourglass drum (dundun) was commonly featured in later Juju ensembles, as well as increasing number of traditional drums and other percussion
- Dario helped transform the juju sound from its modern small-ensemble roots to an exciting rhythmically intense ensemble that increasingly compete for audience appeal with the imported Ghanaian highlife
- Influences from calypso, jazz, and highlife
