ÀJÙLO Ayò Olúrántí A Symposium & Festival Composition for Voice, Iyáàlù, Gángan, Àkúbà, Agogo, Sèkèrè , Clave & Piano Ayò Olúrántí Music Composition & Theory University of Pittsburgh USA A Symposium & Festival Bridging Musicology & Composition: The Global Significance of Bartok’s Method Center for Intercultural Musicology at Churchill College University of Cambridge, UK

Background & Compositional Basis PREVIOUS COMPOSITIONAL FOCUS Intercultural approach RECENT ENQUIRIES The basis for the music category classified as (Modern) African Art Music What happened (in terms of evolution) to the traditional and art musical forms of pre-colonial Africa? RECENT STUDY & FIELD WORK Yorùbá vocal & instrumental musical genres created & preserved by oral tradition Yorùbá folk opera, Oba K’òso by Dúró Ládiípò Text based instrumental music – Dùndún music CURRENT COMPOSITIONAL RESEARCH Focus on the use of musical processes and resources found in Yorùbá traditional and art musical genres as the principal basis of creative expression with the goal of composing modern art works that will be a direct progression as well as a departure from these genres.

Oba K’òso (Voice + dùndún) – Speech Oba K’òso (Voice + Flute) Music Samples Oba K’òso (Voice + dùndún) – Speech Oba K’òso (Voice + Flute) Oba K’òso (Voice + dùndún) – Song Sèkèrè Music (Adéyeyè)

PRESENTATION Compositional Concept & Technique Major Stylistic Elements Compositional Structure Conclusion & Discussion

Àjùlo Compositional Concept & Technique Orality African Pianism

CONCEPT & TECHNIQUE - Orality The whole music is conceived/composed such that ALL parts (with the exception of the piano) will be transmitted via oral means as in Yorùbá musical genres. Use of texts as basis of motifs & themes – the application of musicality/tonality of Yorùbá texts Use of rhythmic patterns as building blocks Text based rhythmic motifs Assignment of rhythmic patterns Signaling/queues, ensemble communication Use of timeline

CONCEPT & TECHNIQUE – African Pianism Rhythms like omele in the dùndún tradition Speech: Iyáàlù, voice I advance the concept of African Pianism by making the piano further behave like the talking drum with regards to pitch, i.e. the use of the piano in such a way that it approximates the system of three tone levels of the spoken Yorùbá language, which forms the basis of the Yorùbá talking drum repertoire. Minimalist approach p1 p.8 (a6)

Àjùlo Major Stylistic Elements Applied as in Yorùbá musical genres Modified Elements

CHANT MODE SPEECH SONG Stylistic Elements 1 The use of the traditional vocal style that fluctuates within the speech-song continuum SONG * Equal temperament * Metered rhythms CHANT MODE SPEECH * 3 level tones - undefined * Speech rhythm

Stylistic Elements 1 cont’d Use of the speech (free & strict rhythms) & rhythm functions of the iyáàlù Organization: 2 fundamental layers of activity Foreground: the iyáàlù as solo improvisatory instrument (speech function) Background: secondary instruments, omele, as accompaniment. Ìlu Obàtálá Improvisation Call & answer antiphonal structure

Stylistic Elements 1 cont’d Rhythmic Element Features of rhythmic figures In strict time - metric Metrically free, lacking rhythmic regularity Metrically short Syncopated How rhythmic patterns are arranged or combined Combine within the principle of ostinato with or without variations Combination to form polyrhythmic structure Polyrhythm results from multi-ostinato.

Stylistic Elements 2 (Modified) Use of long rhythmic patterns (text-based) for ostinato “In-built” improvisation e.g. pp1-4 Clave Time-line Varying texture Instrumentation

Àjùlo Compositional Structure The whole music is composed using 38 text-based rhythmic patterns and 13 statements Basic Structural Level Defined by texts Musicality of the texts

Basic Structure A B A’ C Àwa l’àgbà, Adìye funfun l’àgbà adìye,   78 measures C Kìnìún l’oba eranko nínú Igbó, Tó bá bú ramú ramù, gbogbo igbó á pa róró ninini   29 B Aju’ra wa lo, Tì’jàkadì kó  44 A’ adìye funfun l’àgbà adìye, Aju’ra wa lo, tì’jàkadìkó  29 TONE FREQUENCY Low 10 3 13 Middle 8 6 16 14 High 1 12

Àjùlo Other Structural Levels Structural use of musical elements to provide a strong linear sense (to eliminate musical “stasis”) Binary use of texture to control tension Binary use of polyrhythmic blocks to control tension Long versus short rhythmic patterns (Section A vs A’) Vocal Interjections

Àjùlo Conclusion & Discussion Evaluation & Prospects Compositional Technique Possible theoretical framework for composers to work with based on the oral system within which traditional music functions? Success with parts orally conceived Compositional Result Proportion & Duration? Too many musical ideas? Lack of understanding of the relationships between different drums? Balance (piano vs drums)? Standardization of some instruments?