The World

Africa (physical features)

Language Groups of Africa

Bantu languages – Southern Africa (400 languages, 100 million speakers) LanguageApprox. # of speakersMain geographic area Fang Cameroon, Gabon BoulouCameroon EwondoCameroon Douala Cameroon Bamileke2 millionCameroon Luva6.3 millionCongo-Kinshasa Tshiluba6 millionCongo-Kinshasa Lingala8 millionCentral African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa Kikongo6 millionAngola, Congo-Brazzaville, Congo-Kinshasa Kituba5 millionCongo (South) Luganda4 millionUganda MakouaUganda Kinyarwanda-Kirundi15 millionRwanda, Burundi

Bantu languages – Southern Africa (cont’d) LanguageApprox. # of speakersMain geographic area Swahili30 millionTanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Congo DR, Rwanda, Burundi Kikouyou4.6 millionKenya SukumaTanzania BembaZambia Nyanja (chewa, chinyanja) 3.2 millionMalawi, Zambia Kimbundu3 millionAngola Umbundu4 millionAngola Shona10 millionMozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe Sotho3.5 millionSouth Africa Tswana3 millionSouth Africa, Botswana Zulu5 millionSouth Africa Ndebele1 millionZimbabwe, South Africa Xhosa4 millionSouth Africa Comorian languages Comoros

MAJOR TRIBES OF AFRICA (1) AfarEthiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia AmharaCentral highland plateau of Ethiopia Anlo-EweSE corner of Ghana AshantiCentral Ghana BakongoAtlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire, Republic of Congo to Luanda, Angola BambaraMali BembaNE Zambia BerberMorocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt BoboW Burkina Faso, Mali ChewaZambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi DogonSE Mali, Burkina Faso FonBenin FulaniWest Africa

MAJOR TRIBES OF AFRICA (2) IboNigeria KikuyuKenya MandinkaSenegal, The Gambia, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire MasaiEast Africa PygmyDemocratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Republic of Congo SamburuKenya SanKalahari Desert in southern Africa SenufoN Cote d’Ivoire, Mali TuaregN Mali WolofSenegal YorubaSW Nigeria, Benin ZuluSouth Africa

General African Music Traits Emphasis on Rhythm Use of Percussion Density of Timbre (“buzzy sound”) Use of Ostinato Use of interlocking parts Call and Response Controlled Improvisation

Zimbabwe (formerly Rhodesia)

A Shona Village

Shona Farmlands

Bira (ceremony for a dead ancestor)

Mbira Plucked Idiophone Lamellaphone (Lamella = “Tongue”) Mbira – common name in Zimbabwe and most of Sub-Saharan Africa Called Kalimba in Kenya, Ikembe in Rwanda, Likembe in Congo Called “thumb piano,” “gourd piano,” “finger harp,” etc. in West

Mbira

Mbira on YouTube YouTube - Lessons from the Mbira at Duke University YouTube - KarigaMombe Improv Lesson YouTube - Mbira Lesson One : KarigaMombe on Gwara NyamaropaYouTube - Mbira Lesson One : KarigaMombe on Gwara Nyamaropa

Ewe Tribal areas

Drums from Eastern Ghana

Gangkogui (timeline)

Axatse (timeline)

Atsimevu (leader)

Sogo, Kidi, Kaganu (left to right)

Anlo-Ewe Drum Ensemble Gangokui (clapperless double bell) -TIMELINE Axatse (rattle – external beads on fishnet) - TIME Atsimevu (largest drum, often on stand) - LEAD Kaganu (medium small, semi-independent) Sogo (small, 2-1/2 ft closed, hand, follower) Kidi (small, 2 ft closed, sticks, follower) See dancedrummer.com for examples dancedrummer.com Also see Virtual Instrument Museum (Region: Africa) for individual instrumentsVirtual Instrument Museum

African Drumming on YouTube YouTube - Akrowa Dance Ensemble, Drumming in Kokrobite GhanaYouTube - Akrowa Dance Ensemble, Drumming in Kokrobite Ghana YouTube - traditional Ewe drumming and singingYouTube - traditional Ewe drumming and singing YouTube - Ayan Bisi Adeleke - Master talking drummer - drum talksYouTube - Ayan Bisi Adeleke - Master talking drummer - drum talks YouTube - Yoruba Bata Ensemble Drums for Orisa, volume 1YouTube - Yoruba Bata Ensemble Drums for Orisa, volume 1

Popular Music in Africa (mainly Nigeria)

King Sunny Adé (b. 1946) “Minister of Enjoyment” “Golden Mercury of Africa”

King Sunny and his African Beats

JújúJújú Yoruba-based music (tribe of SW Nigeria) Emerges in 1930s w/ trios - a leader who sang and played the banjo - a shekere bottle-gourd rattle player - a jùjú (tambourine) drummer 1948 – addition of Yoruba talking drum King Sunny’s Band (large lineup, up to 16+) 5-8 guitars, 2+ Talking drums, synthesizer(s), pedal steel guitar, miscellaneous percussion, 4 or more backup singers “Jújú Music” (Island Records, 1982) -200,000 copies sold [replacement for Bob Marley]

Highlife, JuJu, Afrobeat (Nigerian Pop) YouTube - Taxi Driver - A Highlife Classic YouTube - Classic Highlife YouTube - West African Highlife Band & Nigerian Brothers drum & chantsYouTube - West African Highlife Band & Nigerian Brothers drum & chants YouTube - JUJU MUSIC - Performance Documentary Trailer YouTube - Dele Abiodun- Juju music -Nigeria Yoruba YouTube - Juju Tempo Tola Osumare YouTube - I.K. Dairo - Salome (Audio) YouTube - I.K. Dairo MBE YouTube - King Sunny Ade YouTube - KING SUNNY ADE - JA FUNMI YouTube - King Sunny Ade - Sunny Ti de Ariya (Audio)

Fela Kuti ( )

Fela’s life Middle-Class Nigerian family - Mother – Feminist & Anti-colonialist - Father – Minister & Teacher (Union Pres.) London (1958) to study medicine, then music Koola Lobitos (mixes jazz, funk, highlife) Nigeria ( ) radio producer United States (1969) – influenced by Black Power movement Bands: Nigeria ’70, Africa ‘70

Fela’s life 1978 – marries 27 women (dancers in band) Accra concert in Ghana (riots after “Zombie”) 1979 – runs for president of Nigeria (“Movement of the People” Party) Band: Egypt ‘ s – tours (US, Europe, etc.) 1984 – jailed (currency smuggling) 1997 – dies of complications of AIDS

Fela’s Music Afro Beat (his term) – jazz, funk, highlife Large horn line, African percussion, etc. Long (10-minute songs) static dance grooves - ostinato patterns - call & response - improvisation Political lyrics (pan-Africanism) Sings in Pidgin English (why?)

Fela on YouTube YouTube - Lady/Water No Get Enemy by. Fela Kuti YouTube - Zombie - The Fela Kuti Tribute Concert 2003 (performed by Fela’s son)YouTube - Zombie - The Fela Kuti Tribute Concert 2003 YouTube - Fela Kuti "Gentleman“

General African Music Traits Emphasis on Rhythm Use of Percussion Density of Timbre (“buzzy sound”) Use of Ostinato Use of interlocking parts Call and Response Controlled Improvisation