Rhythms of AFRICA

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Rhythms of AFRICA

• MUSIC OF AMERICA!!!

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Cant take away the music

• Chained aboard huge slave ships, Africans were
  brought to America as slaves.
• Often they didnt even speak the same language
  and came from different tribes.

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There was one language that crossed all barriers
and could not be held by chainsMUSIC.
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Many came from West Africa.
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where the most important instruments were drums
of different sizes and shapes.
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Kye Kye Kule

• The Kye Kye Kule chant is popular with children
  in many parts of Africa. There are so many
  different versions that the origin and true
  meaning of the words are no longer clear.

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Listen to Kye Kye Kule

• Kye kye kule. Kye kye kule. Kye kye kulala.
  Kofinsa langa kofinsa langa, lala silanga lala
  silanga. Kum a dede kum a dede, kum a dede, kum.

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• Slaves had not been allowed to bring any
  treasured belongings with them. So they used
  whatever they could find to make drums and other
  African instruments. Among these was the banju,
  now called BANJO! The banjo would become an
  important instrument in Bluegrass and Country
  music.

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TALKING DRUMS

• The African TALKING DRUMS were made from
  hollowed-out logs tightly covered on one end with
  animal skins.
• These drums allowed the slaves in America to send
  messages long distances. In playing them, the
  drummers recreated words by imitating the musical
  sounding rhythms and pitches of language.

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Slaves used talking drums to send messages from
one plantation to the next.
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OUTLAW DRUMS!

• At first the slave masters thought the drumbeats
  were just music, but when they discovered that
  drumming made it possible to plan escapes and
  revolts. They outlawed drums.

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GET THE MESSAGE OUT.

• The slaves had to find other ways to get the word
  out. With their heels, they copied the sounds and
  rhythms of drumbeats and pounded out messages on
  their hut floors.

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SLAVE HUT
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Spirituals and Work Songs.

• They sang songs with double meanings like In
  that Great Getting Up Morning and Everybody
  Loves a Saturday Night

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Everybody loves Saturday Night

• Everybody loves Saturday night.
• Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody,
  everybody loves Saturday night.
• Now listen to In That Great Getting up Morning
  for the hidden references to freedom.

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Folk Songs from Africa

• Before slaves were forced away from their
  homelands, the many rhythms of African music had
  been a part of their every day lives.
• There were songs for every occasion.
• Griots were special people who kept history alive

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FOLK SONGS

• The tradition of having music for every occasion
  continued in America and became known as Slaves
  Folk Music.
• It included call and responses, work songs and
  play songs
• Two such songs are Go Around the Corn Sally and
  Juba

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Next Time.

• Gospel and Spirituals
• Famous African American singers
• Ragtime and Blues
• Jazz
• Rhythm and Blues/Soul
• Rap