Transcript Koko: ‘Yiri’

African music in society
 Rich, colourful and diverse
 Covers 50 different nations, each with their own
musical traditions and language
 Plays an important role, used to express emotions
and feelings
 Part of every social gathering i.e. celebrating the
harvest, birthdays, weddings, funerals, imprtant
meetings.
 Often combined with speech, dance and vibrant
costumes
 Falls into 3 strands - Drumming, Choral music,
instrumental music.
Common features of African music
 Repetition:
 Improvisation:
 Polyphony:
 Call and response:
African Drumming
 Considered the most important instrument
 A means of communication, with certain rhythmic patterns
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meaning different things .e. slow beat could signify a sad
occasion such as a funeral.
Hundreds of drums and names vary between each region.
Most common is the Djembe – a single-headed drum,
made in a range of sizes to produce different pitches
Frequently heard on their own but also in ensembles
Ensemble is made up of a master drummer playing a solo
drum and a set of accompanying drums
Famous group = The Royal Burundi Drummers
Playing techniques
 Hands on the skin – different sounds are made by
opening/closing fingers, using different parts of the
hand etc
 Hands on the wooden edge of the drum
 Using sticks to make short, staccato sounds
 Stretching the drum membrane to produce a range of
pitches
A typical performance
 Master drummer in the centre of the ensemble,
responsible for directing the performance and will
be surrounded by other drummers and
percussionists
 The master drummer will signal to the performers
when he is ready to start, often with a vocal cry
followed by a rhythmic solo to set mood/tempo
 Response is an exact copy or a different rhythm
entirely by the other performers
 Call and response = main feature of tribal music
A typical performance
 Master drummer will signal to the other players
to perform a solo.
 This will be a variation or development of the
original pattern
 A steady, continuous beat is played by the master
drummer, called the timeline. There may be
percussion instruments playing as well.
 The complex rhythms create polyrhythms, often
with stresses that conflict with eachother,
resulting in polyrhythmic texture.
A typical performance
 Piece increases in tension as the piece progresses
 Tempo and dynamics will vary from section to
section to provide interest and variet.
 Master drummer is responsible for controlling the
changes and making sure that the music does not
become too monotonous.
 Some performances can take up to 5 hours or even
longer!
 As well as solo drumming to show off the soloists
skills of improvisation, there is often movement
and dance
African choral singing
 Sub-saharan musical traditions are often centred
around singing
 Believed that it serves as a link to the spiritual world
 Vital part of everyday life, like drumming
 Unites communities, everyone is involved in singing
regardless of ability