MUSIC IN AFRICA

MUS 111X; Music in Africa Exam

Brian Kipyegon 19-0203

Daystar University

30-08-2022
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Introduction

The most vibrant and dynamic form of artistic identity on the continent, contemporary

African music is enormous in every way. The music industry is enormous, and most nations

support talented performers who continue to use traditional African instruments while fusing

them with modern rhythms and lyrics. For contemporary Africans, this is a really thrilling way to

express themselves, and the music they create is adored, praised, and danced to all over the

world. African musicians serve as a collective memory for their continent, and the instruments

they play are a reflection of their origin, history, and culture (Kasfir,2020).

While incredibly inventive, one thing that unites this vast continent is that it has

developed into a platform for all participants to make a social, political, and occasionally

spiritual comment. As a result of evolving social, economic, and political situations, new forms

are continually being developed. Recent history has seen many African states go through

extremely difficult periods, and music has demonstrated to be a successful technique of showing

empathy in the face of pain and suffering in the face of this.

Reasons for Adoption

Traditional instruments have been incorporated into contemporary music for a variety of

reasons. One argument is that they can give the song a higher sense of authenticity. This is

especially true if a band or orchestra using conventional instruments is performing the music.

Another reason is that traditional instruments can give a piece of music a new degree of

complexity. This can be accomplished by employing them alone or more covertly, as in the

music's background. Due to their distinct sounds and the fact that they are frequently not

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employed in current music, traditional instruments can bring a whole new level of thrill to a

performance.

Question (a)

Direct Incorporation Using Traditional Instruments

different ways. The most popular method is to directly use the traditional musical instruments.

This can be demonstrated in a variety of ways, such as by including traditional instruments in an

orchestra or band or by playing them solo during a performance.

The split drum is the biggest and most identifiable component of the African struck-

idiophone group that is directly used in contemporary music. It is constructed from a specific

item of reed or reeds and is made of hollowed-out wood. By deliberately thinned the flanks in

key locations, they are calibrated to emit up to four unique tones. Slit drums are frequently

coupled with membrane drums and other percussion in West and Central African musical

performances. Most prominently among the San and other nearby communities in southern

Africa, some old bullroarers, which comprise of a board that is connected to a pole by a rope and

spun into the air, may still be seen. There is a good representation of the three basic kinds of

wind instruments: flutes, reed pipes, and trumpets, though the latter is less widely available than

the others (African music - Musical instruments,2019).

In Africa, lamellaphones have been evolved and are now significantly utilized. Its

number one thing is a hard and fast of tuned metallic or bamboo tongues of various lengths

connected to a board, box, or calabash resonator, the loose ends of which can be twanged via

way of means of the player's thumbs and hands to produce the music. The employment of extra

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damn or humming gadgets is common, and board-installed variations are normally accomplished

inside a 1/2 of calabash or bowl to reinforce the resonance. In maximum cases, they're hired to

accompany musical performances.

Moroccan classical music is performed on an orchestra of traditional stringed

instruments, including the rabab, oud, and qanun. This music is frequently accompanied by

Arabic songs. Underneath the vastness of the Sahara Desert, in West Africa, is one of the world's

most musically productive regions. Mali, Senegal, Nigeria, Ghana, and Guinea are just a few of

the region's musical powerhouses. A number of the most cutting-edge classical and courtroom

track traditions in sub-Saharan Africa may be found in this region, which was once home to

numerous Empires that prospered through trans-Saharan trade (Lincoln 2018).

The use of traditional African drums in modern music is another noteworthy instance of

how African traditional instruments have been directly absorbed into contemporary music.

African drums produce a rhythm that is simple to dance to and have a very distinctive sound.

Modern musicians frequently copy this rhythm and then embellish it with their own ideas.

Another illustration is the frequent usage of call-and-response vocals in traditional African

music. Many modern musicians have embraced this singing technique, and they use it to provide

their audiences a more engaging performance (Chamisa & Machafa, 2021).

Question (b)

Indirect Incorporation Through Imitation of Rhythm and/or Style of Playing

song or in a sound collage, are another way that they have been incorporated into modern music,

according to Green (2017). This can add a new layer to the sound and give the music a more
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genuine sense. There are numerous ways in which African traditional instruments have been

incorporated into modern music. Imitating the rhythm and/or playing style is one method. For

instance, a lot of modern African musicians have started incorporating talking drums into their

music. The rhythms and patterns of this drum are replicated in numerous modern African songs

since it is traditionally used to communicate across great distances. A vast range of modern

rhythms have been developed using African drums. Many current performers have also begun to

play the drums in the African way. This can be seen in the fact that a lot of contemporary

drummers use a variety of African-inspired rhythms and patterns.

Through the application of new technologies, traditional African instruments have also

been indirectly incorporated into modern music. For instance, many modern African musicians

have been experimenting with new sounds by using electronic drums and other instruments.

They have been able to do this and produce both new songs and updated versions of old African

music. Many modern African musicians have included Western instruments into their music as

well. As a result, they have been able to develop a special hybrid musical style that blends the

greatest elements of each. For instance, a lot of modern African songs include both African and

Western guitars. This combination of sounds results in a unique and original sound that is

African.

Utilizing mimicry is another instance of how African traditional instruments have been

used into modern music. One of the features that distinguishes traditional African instruments

from other musical genres is their percussiveness, which is frequently very strong. By using

percussion instruments reminiscent of those employed in traditional African music, modern

musicians frequently emulate this percussiveness in their own works. This can provide a sound

that is incredibly catchy and danceable and is quite well-liked by modern listeners. The

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employment of the xylophone in modern African music is one notable instance. This instrument

frequently mimics the sound of the human voice, and modern African songs frequently start with

its melodies (Roulston et al., 2017).

The global trend of world music, according to Green (2017), is also quite active in Africa.

This trend incorporates musicians that are experimenting with using more African musical

instruments and compositions in combination with foreign musical styles. One of the longest-

standing proponents of the fusion of African and foreign musical styles is the jazz composer

from Cameroon, Manu Dibengo. Since the 1960s, he has been well recognized for his

"Africanized" jazz compositions. In 1972, the release of the record "Soul Makossa" made him

famous all over the world. Cesaria Evora, a well-known singer, hails from Cape Verde. She has

made traditional Morna music from Cape Verde famous and well known worldwide. Her album

Voz Amor won the Grammy Award for Best World Music Album in 2003

By copying the beat and/or playing style, musical instruments have inadvertently found

their way into contemporary African music. One such is the electric guitar, which many African

musicians have started using. In Africa, the electric guitar has been employed in a variety of

settings, such as a solo instrument, in a band, or in an orchestra. The piano is another illustration,

which many African musicians have also embraced. In Africa, the piano has been employed in a

variety of settings, such as a solo instrument, in a band, or in an orchestral.

African music has had a significant impact on a number of popular American musical

genres, including jazz and the blues. The African rhythms and melodies that slaves brought

across the Atlantic inspired all of these outfits. Paul Simon mixed African artists and music with

his own lyrics for his album Graceland. It can be argued that African music has been the source

of a very significant portion of all contemporary music, despite the fact that the rise of rock 'n'

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roll tunes is frequently credited to have started with 1940s blues music and notwithstanding the

so many genres branching off from rock, including the countless sub musical styles of heavy

metal, pop music, punk rock, and many more (Lincoln,2018).

There is typically a strong spiritual element to traditional African music. This is because

many traditional African societies consider music to be a means of interacting with the spirits.

Modern musicians frequently include this spiritual dimension into their work in order to convey

a sense of atmosphere.

Conclusion

The majority of nations support talented musicians who continue to play traditional

African traditional instruments such as the djembe, kora, and mbira while fusing them with

modern lyrics and rhythms, as Kasfir (2020) alludes. African Contemporary music is a huge

industry, and most African nations support mazing musicians. This has spread to musical genres

that are far removed from its initial setting, like techno-funk and DJ culture. Contemporary belly

dancers like Sharon Kihara use tribal techno-funk, which combines world dance rhythms with

antiquated instruments and melodies, to create eerie, trance-like sounds, in their performances. In

contrast to the Americas, where hip-hop originated, Africa has its own dialect of the genre.

In general, there are several ways that African traditional instruments have been

incorporated into modern music. Through the copying of the beat and/or playing style, this

adoption frequently takes place covertly. By doing this, modern musicians are able to produce

music that is both novel and well-known, and that can be enjoyed by a variety of listeners. As

Lincoln (2018) points to, a large number of our contemporary icons, like Carlos Santana, Paul

Simon, Peter Gabriel, and many others, have blended African instruments, ideas, and ideals into

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their music. Lastly, there are countless more musical genres, the majority of which have been

influenced by or developed from African music and its instruments.

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References

African music - Musical instruments. (2019). Encyclopedia Britannica.

https://www.britannica.com/art/African-music/Musical-instruments

Chamisa, V., & Machafa, I. (2021). The Adaptation and Development of Jiti for Popular Music

Performance in Zimbabwe. Muziki, 18(1), 3-13.

Green, L. (2017). How popular musicians learn: A way ahead for music education. Routledge.

Kasfir, S. L. (2020). Contemporary African Art: (World of Art). Thames & Hudson.

Lincoln, M. (2018, April 21). The Powerful Influence of African Culture on Modern Music.

JamPlay.Com. https://jamplay.com/articles/1-general/161-the-powerful-influence-of-

african-culture-on-modern-music

Roulston, K., Jutras, P., & Kim, S. J. (2015). Adult perspectives of learning musical

instruments. International Journal of Music Education, 33(3), 325-335.