1. The traditions and culture of music in
Africa
The traditions and culture of music in

2. Why Study Other Cultures?

3. But First…
The African continent comprises of approximately 20 percent of the world's land mass and has a population of roughly billion people, according to a census completed on July 1, 2016.

4. North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa East West Central South
There are 5 main regions of cultural music associated with Africa, as studied by Western Musicologists.
North Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
East
West
Central
South

5. A Background of Cultural Significance
Musical traditions are extremely varied through out the continent. Traditional music varies by region as well as by tribe. Music and dance traditionally are so integral a part of life that they cannot not be seen as separate from everyday living, so much so that many African cultures have no separate word for music.

6. Eastern Africa
Music consists of rich rhythms important in dance as well as everyday life. Some tribes use slow, elegant rhythms while others choose fast rhythms. Clapping accompanies music and dancing throughout this region. In some dances, dancers carry small drums that they play.

7. Eastern African Instruments
Kenyans have traditionally made a wide variety of intricate musical instruments out of gourds, shells, leaves, horns, hides, and other natural materials In more modern times they have used wood, plastic, tin, and iron. Children learn to make instruments with seeds, leaves, shells, or anything they can find.

8. Eastern African Instruments
The Thum is very popular.

9. Eastern African Instruments
The most popular instrument is the drum. Drum ensembles of various-sized drums are often used but usually no more than six drummers participate.

11. Activity: Independent Research

12. West Africa

13. West African Culture – the Mali people

14. West African Culture – the Mali people
The Ghana Empire’s golden age began after camels were domesticated
Transportation of salt, gold and ivory possible
Middle East, North Africa and even Europe.
Malian traditions were passed down orally through Music and Storytelling via a person called a Griot

15. West African Culture – The Griot
Court culture thrived in Malian West Africa, giving birth to griots
Similar to European Bards
Professional historians, story tellers, musicians, advisers, and singers all in one
Travel from village to village performing for the people there
Traditional songs and stories are memorized and passed down orally from generation to generation
Griots still exist and keep oral traditions in West Africa today.

17. Instruments of West Africa
West Arica has the most complex instruments and rhythms on the continent Traditional music is usually performed by ensembles rather than solo singers. .

18. The kora is a famous musical instrument from West Africa
The kora is a famous musical instrument from West Africa. The kora is a lute with 21 strings. Kora players usually come from griot families.
Kora

19. The talking drums of the Yoruba tribe are hour glass shaped drums held under the arm that mimic speech.
Yoruban Talking
Drum

20. Djembe
The djembe is a large, goblet-shaped hand drum used for solos. It has a higher pitch than the conga

22. Dagomba Dance Drumming
Drumming energizes people to dance at social functions. Music may be for individuals to dance solo or for groups to do traditional choreography.

23. Activity: Independent Research West Africa
guinea-music-of/

24. Central Africa

25. Non-Pygmy Music Non-pygmy tribes use many instruments such as zithers
makata sticks
gongs
harps
drums
lyres

28. Pygmy Tribes There are many different Pygmy tribes
the Twa, Bambuti, Batwa, Bayaka and the Bagyeli
'Ba -' means 'people'
The tribes live scattered over a huge area in central and western Africa
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Congo (Brazzaville), Cameroon, Gabon, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.
Different Pygmy tribes speak different languages, generally related to those of neighboring non- Pygmy peoples.
There are a few words which are shared between even widely separated Pygmy tribes, suggesting they may have shared a language in the past, for example the name of the forest spirit, Jengi.

30. Pygmy Music
Traditional music among the Pygmies is vocal and rich in polyphonic harmony. Pygmy songs describe life hunting and gathering, and survival. The elephant- hunting song features split sticks, used to mark time, and a group of men and boys singing in a chorus. The choral music is built up from continuously varied repetitions of a short basic ostinato that takes shape as different voices enter and fill out the texture.

33. Activity: Independent Research Central Africa

34. Southern Africa

35. Southern African Music
The Khoisan
Angola, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, Lesotho, and parts of Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Mozambique
The Khoi and the San
Less polyphonic texture than the music of other African regions, both in vocal and instrumental music.
Prominent harmonic intervals include parallel fifths and octaves
Rhythms less complex than those of Western and Eastern Africa.
“Hocket" technique
Individual notes of a melody are sung by different musicians, and a technique similar to yodeling.

36. Isicathamiya
The “C” is pronounced with a dental click Secular a cappella choral singing developed in South Africa by migrant Zulu communities Isicathamiya groups sing in four-part harmony, typically led by a tenor soloist Joseph Shabalala and his ensemble Ladysmith Black Mambazo were the musicians through whom global audiences were exposed to the genre

37. End of Unit
Study Guide Handout
Apartheid Documentary

38. North Africa

39. Islamic Influence on Northern Africa
Strong Arabic influences due to the Islamic expansion during the middle ages.
Not considered to be traditional African music
Instrumental music is almost always accompanied by Arabic songs.
Instruments include the zither and rabab.