The Music of Africa Flashcards
The African continent can be subdivided into
North Africa (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and egypt) and Sub-Saharan Africa (Ghana, Nigeria, Mozambique, Angola) or “Black Africa”
is as diverse as its people and features complex rhythms and polyrhythm percussive sound and a wide variety of music ensembles.
The music of Africa
is of often performed by a soloist and a responding chorus.
• Vocal music
which is used to entertain as part of dancers, plays , religious ceremonies, marriage, and death. There are also songs for work, dance, to heal an ill, praising leader, criticizing authority, special occasion, history, and even when a child lost its teeth.
Music permeates African life
Africans sing with the use of
rattles or idiophones tied in their body.
African music is linked with their
language or “tone language” with several meaning, depending on its relative pitch.
are used to send message
talking drums
In African music, there is no
musical notation
is transmitted orally like history and folk song
musical tradition
by black performer was called ‘soul’
The 1960’s sound of the rock music
– a term that emphasized its emotiom and its gospel roots and its relationship to the black community.
‘soul’‘soul’
are highly emphasized in African music reflecting a close link with dance
Rhythm and percussion
African music features
polyrhythm, several rhythm played simultaneously.
is often used as a percussion instrument like hand clapping, foot stepping, and slapping the thigh or chest.
The Human body
African singers uses a wide variety of sounds:
- Whisper - Shout - Yodel
- Hum - Yodel - Imitate animal sound
