Music In SubSaharan Africa

1
Music In Sub-Saharan Africa
2
K, W, L

• What you Want to know about African Music.

• What you Know about African Music.

What you Learned about African Music (to be
completed at the end of the period)
3
North and Sub-Sahara Africa

• North Africa
• Muslim and Arabic Speaking
• Music is related to Middle East.
• Southern Sahara Africa
• Culturally Diverse
• Over 700 languages
• Traditional Life Style
• Polytheistic Religions
• Live in Villages
• Cattle and Agriculture

4
Music of Sub-Saharan Africa

• Diverse
• Complex Rhythms
• Polyrhythm
• Percussion
• Variety of Instrumental Ensembles
• Vocal Music
• Soloist verses group response

5
Music and African Society

• Music permeates virtually every aspect of
  African life.
• Entertainment
• Accompany dances, plays
• Religious ceremonies
• Magic rights
• Rights of passage
• Birth, puberty, marriage, and death
• Life events
• Loosing your first tooth.

6
Music African Society

• Music is linked with language.
• Pitch of spoken word can determine meaning.
• Music is a social activity that everyone
  participates in.
• Spontaneous music making
• Solo and Group Organized Music
• Close link between music and dance.
• No written notation!

7
Elements of African Music

• Rhythm and Percussion
• Important part of African music.
• Additive Rhythms
• The layering of different rhythms to create an
  overall rhythmic fabric.
• Additive Rhythm Game
• Sections are assigned rhythms to be played on
  body percussion in different time signatures.

8
Elements of African Music

• Percussion Ensembles
• Drums, Xylophones, and Rattles
• Variety of instruments provides differences of
  tone color.
• Human Body as percussion instrument
• Claps, foot stomp,
• thigh or chest slaps.

9
Elements of African Music

• Vocal Music
• Wide variety of tone color.
• Open and relaxed
• Closed and pinched
• Whisper, grunt, shout, animal sounds.

• Call and Response
• Soloist call fallowed by group response.
• Parallel Harmonies
• Chords follow the melody, all parts same motion.
• Listening Example Song of Angola

10
African Music Class Assignment

• With a partner, complete all terminology.
• Choose at least three concepts that you found
  interesting or important and list them in the
  Learned portion of your KWL.
• Share your answer with your partner.
• Write a paragraph defining your three concepts.
  Why were they important?
• Turn in your KWL and your paragraph at the end
  of class.