Yiri - Koko Flashcards
What part of Africa is the song from?
Burkina Faso
Typical features of African music
Call and Response Repetition Ostinato Use of Cross Rhythms and syncopation Polyrhythms
What instruments are used in this piece?
The balafon - similar to a xylophone. Made of wooden bars and gourds hang below them to make the sound more resonant
The djembe - shaped like a goblet, played with both hands
The talking drum - played with a hooked stick and can be used to imitate speech
There are vocals as well
Structure of the piece
Introduction - a balafon solo played using tremolo
Main section - the drums play an ostinato and there is a clear pulse. The music alternates between balafon solos and choruses. In the middle section there’s a vocal solo in which call and response is used between the soloist and the choir
Coda - a short phrase for the balafon is played five times, varying slightly each time. The drum ostinato is interrupted by rests
What marks the end or the piece?
A bell is sounded
The texture of yiri
A monophonic texture on the introduction
Occasional heterophonic textures when the two balafons play different versions of the same time at the same time.
What are the dynamics like in this piece?
There is little dynamic variation
The main metre of the piece
4/4
The tempo of the piece
The introduction is in free time, but the rest of the piece maintains a steady pulse
Rhythm of the piece
Syncopation is used frequently (particularly in the balafon and vocal parts)
During a vocal solo, a balafon plays semiquavers in groups of three, creating cross rhythms
The key of the piece
Gb major, most of the music is hexatonic (based on a six note scale)
How do the musicians perform yiri?
From memory. The score was made later by notating the music heard on the recording (transcription)
What does yiri mean?
Wood
