Musics Chapter 10 Akan Proverb The River and the Path The river crosses the path t he path crosses the river w ho is elder The river crosses the path the path crosses the river ID: 475686
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Slide1
West African Musics
Chapter 10Slide2
Akan Proverb: “The River and the Path”
The river crosses the path,
t
he path crosses the river, who is elder?The river crosses the path,the path crosses the river, who is elder?The path was cut to meet the river, the river is of old,the river comes from “Odomankoma” the Creator. Slide3
Drum Speech
CD 3-12
Akan Drum Proverb (“Talking Drum”)
Language: Twi – tonal language (a-kon-TA = brother-in-law, a-KON-ta = mathematics) Drums: Atumpan – “talking drums” capable of drum speech (photo: p. 193) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECy6ITYxiDcTexture: call-and-response: voice - atumpanLiteral and metaphorical levels of meaningLiteral: cutting the path for access to riverMetaphorical: path toward communal, ancestral, spiritual communionBroadly—multidimensional musical flow – river-like polyvocality
of expression in much African music explored in this unitMain focus not drumming, but the kora, to which we shall returnSlide4
African Musics in Context
Ancient and modern, incredible diversity
Popular music stars: Angelique
Kidjo, Salif Keita, Fela, Miriam Makeba, Ladysmith Black Mambazo Leading isicathamiya group of South Africa Paul Simon Graceland (1986), Lion King Part II, etc.https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fmf9ZJ_Yn0A (“Diamonds on the Soles of Her Shoes”—Graceland Zimbabwe concert) Attention brought to South Africa contributed to anti-Apartheid movement, eventual independence (1994 – Mandela) LBM,
Shaka
Zulu
(1987) – prod. P. Simon, Grammy
“
Unomothemba
”
CD 3-13
(call-and-response, vocal “clicks,” beautiful harmonies – song about orphan child) Slide5
African Continent
Saharan North Africa (Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, etc.)
Horn of Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, etc.)
Sub-SaharanWest Africa (Ghana, Benin, Mali, Senegal, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Nigeria, Togo) South Africa, East Africa, Central AfricaSlide6
Music, Culture, and History
Pre-colonial kingdoms
Mande,
Ghana, Songhay, Dahomey, Buganda 15th century – foreign intervention, eventual domination17th-19th centuries -- foreign slave tradeAfrican diaspora -- U.S., Caribbean (Cuba, Jamaica, Trinidad, Puerto Rico), South America (Brazil)Diasporic musics: ragtime, jazz, rock-n-roll, hip hop, samba, salsa, reggae, steel band, etc. Post-WWII -- nationalism, independent nations (Ghana first in 1957), globalization -- new musical developments relatedReligion: Traditional religions, Christianity, Islam, religious syncretism. Importance of paying homage key. Slide7
Drumming (and Not Drumming)
Most African
musics
not drumming-based, though drumming is prominent or central in many. African musics extraordinarily diverse: C. African BaMbuti vocal polyphony (CD 2-4) Mbira dzavadzimu of Shona people, Zimbabwe (CD 2-2)Qwii nkokwane musical bow (CD 2-8)
Ugandan endongo (CD 3-15 – Damascus
Kafumbe
)
https://
www.youtube.com/watch?v=YXJt8Ew5KNc
Endongo
song performed by
Kinobe
)
Chopi
timbila
music (Mozambique)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rue9XMPth4Slide8
…and more drumming
Akan
Fontomfrom
royal drum ensembleMusical Guided Tour (transcript: p. 199-200)CD 3-14, GLE pp. 198-202Chief dances to the drumming while brandishing sword Stationary (photo, p. 199) and processional (198)CD 3-14: from lead drums (huge!), plus atumpan and eguankoba, and dawuro iron bell ( / - / - / - / / - / - / ) time-linePolyrhythms, call-and-response passages (from, atumpan), layered ostinatos with variationsSlide9
Musical Africanisms (p. 202-03)
Complex polyphonic textures
Layered ostinatos with varied repetition
Conversational elementImprovisation Timbral variety (incl. “buzzing” – e.g., endongo)Distinctive pitch systems and scales Slide10
The Kora and Its Musicultural
WorldSlide11
Kora Construction
See labeled diagram, p. 205
21-string spike harp chordophone
Straight wooden neck, calabash resonator, soundholeHigh bridgeTwo handgripsTwo parallel rows of nylon strings (traditionally antelope hide)Rawhide tuning collars Cowhide face Demonstration of kora (Toumani Diabate)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8luhdxS2KuMSlide12
Mande History, Culture, Music
Kora one of several instruments associated with
jeli
and the musical arts of jeliyaOthers include the bala and koni (ngoni)Jeliya repertoire – praise songs-based
Jeli classified as a type of griotSlide13
Mande History, Culture, Music II
Mande Empire (
Mali
Empire) – Sunjata Keita, 13th century Keita = royal family surname Jeli and the jeliya tradition date back to time of SunjataMandeManinka: Mali and GuineaMandenka: Senegal and Gambia (Senegambia)Mande languages (many languages, dialects) Colonization/official languages: Senegal, Mali, Guinea (French); Gambia (British); Guinea-Bissau (Portuguese)
Herditary jeli families: Kouyate, Diabate
,
Sissoko
(
Cissokho
)
(Some musicians named Keita:
Seckou
Keita,
Salif
Keita – How?) Slide14
Two Musical Keitas
Seckou
Keita
Salif KeitaSlide15
“Dounuya,” by
Seckou
Keita
CD 3-16Pages 209-11Solo voice and koraThree main types of textures:Kumbengo (accompaniment) – 0:10-0:23Birimintingo (solo improvisation) – 1: 41-2: 14Sataro (declamatory vocalization) – 2:15-2:56 Word painting, e.g., hammerlike chords at 1:28 under “Why should we choose the bad” Key moral message of song: improve our relationships (with each other, God, etc. – symbolized in text AND kora part) Slide16
“Atlanta Kaira
”: Meeting of Worlds
CD 3-17,
pp. 211-15From Kulanjan -- collaboration of blues/world music guitarist Taj Mahal and kora virtuoso Toumani Diabate, plus “all-star” band of jelilu including: Bassekou Kouyate (“bass” koni)Ballake Sissoko (kora)
Kassemady Diabate (male vocalist)Lasan
Diabate
(
bala
)
Ramatou
Diakite
(female vocalist)
Toumani
Diabate
Son of kora legend and Malian national hero Sidiki Diabate (original “Kaira”; means “peace”) Leading kora player of his generation Slide17
Musical Features
Sauta
mode
One of four principal modes in Mande musicF G A B C D E (F) [note “Lydian” raised fourth] As with “Dounuya,” complex polyphonic texture (layered ostinatos, varied repetition, improv)Kumbengo, birimintingo, sataro “conversational” elementsRich timbral variety (of kora and, in “Atlanta Kaira,” throughout ensembleSlide18
Musical Form
Solo kora intro (
sauta
mode, kora virtuosity)Ensemble introduction (koras, bala, koni, guitar; mainly kumbengo w. bala birimintingo)“Kaira” song (melodic ornamentation, kumbengo accomp)First sataro section (homage to Sidiki K., speechlike)Improvised
koni solo (w. some “collective improv” at points)Second sataro section
“
Kaira
” song, second statement
Read GLE and follow GLQS, 213-15Slide19
Taj and
Toumani
– “Catfish Blues”
Also from Kulanjan album, but at the opposite end of the jeliya/blues continuum from “Atlanta Kaira” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gZE7zSlvGaM&index=7&list=PLcW9Au8gMJn8GJVJCnZn2DpbJN6CHpvYCSlide20
Angelique Kidjo
“The Diva from Benin”Slide21
Angelique Kidjo
“The diva from Benin” who “has done more to
popularise
African music than any other woman” (Rough Guide to World Music) Winner of numerous awards, including the 2015 Grammy for World Music for Eve (2014), [beating out Omnimusica] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTgj_myK3qk (official EPK [electronic press kit] for Eve) Album was
inspired partially by her experiences as UNESCO goodwill ambassadorSlide22
Kidjo
Benin—French official language, but
sings
most of her songs in her native Fon languageB. 1960 in Ouidah, Benin, to artistic familyMoved to Paris – world beat star. Breakthrough hit “Aye” (1994), and first big album Fifa (cameos by C. Santana, among others) Album Trilogy: Oremi, Black Ivory Soul, Oyaya!Albums explored African diaspora syncretisms of R&B, Brazilian, and Caribbean musics, respectively. Slide23
“Okan Bale,” Angelique
Kidjo
CD 3-18
Pages 217-220 From album Black Ivory SoulWorld beat/pop balladProduced by Jean Hebrail, French producer/husband“A Piece of My Heart” I know where I come from. From you, my family. Let me take a moment to thank you because you bring me joy and strength. If my moves are full of blessings, it comes from you, my family.Role and growing prominence through arrangement of the kora (Mamadou Diabate), interaction with Kidjo’s vocals. Symbolism?