Family Life Families provide focus for community activities singing dancing and music are important parts of family life Rural Lifestyle Up at dawn and return home for an evening meal when it gets dark ID: 806844
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Slide1
African Music
Exploring Music 7
Slide2Slide3Slide4Family Life
Families provide focus for community activities- singing, dancing, and music are important parts of family life
Rural Lifestyle- Up at dawn, and return home for an evening meal when it gets dark
After their evening meal, they sit and talk, and sometimes play instruments and sing
Slide5Community Music
A lot of music and dancing at religious festivals, funerals, or harvest times where EVERYONE joins in
Good way for community members to meet, enjoy themselves, and celebrate
Villages are proud of their own versions of music- it is offensive to suggest it sounds like another village’s music!
Music reminds the community of where they came from (culture)
Slide6Rhythms
Main element of African music is RHYTHM!
Drums have to be tuned to particular pitches within ensembles- this helps drummers imitate phrases that people might say (Tonal Music)
Drums are used as a form of communication between people some distance apart
Connection between words and music is used to remember and describe rhythm patterns played on drums
Slide7The Djembe
A djembe
(pron.:
JEM
-be
)
is
a
rope-tuned
skin-covered
drum
played
with bare hands,
originally
from
West Africa.The djembe has a body (or shell) carved of hardwood and a drumhead made of rawhide, most commonly made from goatskin. It is said that the name of the djembe comes from the saying "Anke djé, anke bé" which translates to "everyone gather together in peace" and defines the drum's purpose. Senegal Drum performanceHow to play the djembe
Slide8The Kora
Native instrument
from Senegal, Africa
21 Strings
Made from a large
squash (gourd) covered
in
cow skin
How to play the Kora
Kora Music
“
Ditax
Kora” listening
Slide9South African
“A capella” Singing
A strong and powerful style of singing
Originated from the Zulu people who are the largest ethnic group in South Africa
“A capella” singing literally means “without accompaniment” (instruments)
Usually all male singers
Stomps and tip-toe moves keep singers “in time” with each other
Strong harmony and blend (no voice sticks out)
Popular group:
Ladysmith Black
Mambazo
Made popular in America in the 1980’s by Singer/songwriter: Paul
Simon
"Diamonds on the Soles of her Shoes"
Examples
of this style of singing can be heard in the Disney movie “The Lion King” Lion King: Circle of Life
Slide10Kora
Music
Listen to the recording of
“Ditax Kora”
Describe the vocal style
Is the voice high or low?
Does it use a wide range of pitches?
Does it have a tight, nasal quality, or is it smooth and relaxed?
Does it use vibrato?
Does it slide from note to note (Portamento)?
Describe the melodic style
It is a simple melody or does it have complicated decorations?
How do the words fit the tune?
What about the melodic contour? Do all the tunes ascend, descend, or do
both?
When you have finished, draw some general conclusions about the style of music
Slide11“The Hatsiatsia”
A traditional piece of community music from Ghana, Africa.
It is played by four bells of different shapes and sizes.
The music for the
H
atsiatsia is played as part of a ceremony which involves dancing and singing.
Slide12What is this ceremony?
The Hatsiatsia ceremony is often part
of meetings that take place in the capitol city of Ghana called Accra on the first Sunday of each month.
Groups from different villages come to these meetings to dance, sing, swap gossip and news, celebrate their traditional culture and collect money which may be used for something their home village needs, like a new well.
It is performed by the people of the Ewe (Eh-vay)
tribe. The Ewe are
the main people from
the south
east
of Ghana.
Everyone takes part in the ceremony.
Slide13What does the Hatsiatsia Ceremony symbolize?
It is a
forgiveness
ceremony.
Perhaps 100 people or more from a large circle, often around a tree that provides shade from the hot sun.
A bucket of water is blessed and placed just inside the circle.
A slow, shuffling dance step gradually takes everyone past the bucket and people dip their hands or a handkerchief into it, wiping their faces with water.
Sometimes someone will rush up to the bucket, cup their hands, scoop the water and throw it over as many people as possible.
This ceremony is a chance to forgive and forget all the arguments you have had with friends and family during the last month-they are washed away!
Hatsiatsia
Performance
Slide14The H
atsiatsia music is performed with two types of metal bells.
They are quite heavy and made of iron.
The GANKOGUI ( gang-cog-i) is a
double bell. Another name for this
instrument is
agogo
.
The ATOKE (a-toe-kay) is a single bell.
Slide15Explain in your own words.
Where is the Hatsiatsia from?
Where would we hear the music for Hatsiatsia?
The Hatsiatsia ceremony is held where?
Why is the bucket of water important at a Hatsiatsia ceremony?
What is a
gankogui
(
agogo
)?
What is an atoke?
Draw a picture of the two bells.
Slide16Performing the Hatsiatsia
The rhythms of Hatsiatsia music can be shown by using
graphic scores.
The following graph shows a steady pulse of 12. The first pattern repeats over and over again.
Task 1:
This Hatsiatsia has three parts. Perform each part individually and then put them together to produce a group/class performance.
Slide17Task 2:
In groups of three, create your own Hatsiatsia.
After creating your own, practice and perform.
Here is what your project will be scored on:
Beat/Pulse
Musical Accuracy
Use of Time
Use of Instruments
Refer to your handout Rubric for specifics