Comparison of Hausa Music and the Music of Samuel Barber

1
Comparison of Hausa Music and the Music of
Samuel Barber

• Presentation by
• Sarah Victor

2
Demographics of the Hausas

• Country Nigeria (West Africa)
• Population 25,391,000
• Life Expectancy 56
• 33 unemployed, 25 literate
• Religion Islam (Sunni)
• Languages English, Hausa

3
Hausa
4
Hausa History

• 1500 Islam was introduced by traders, religion
  was forced upon them
• 1804-1808 holy wars, conquered by Fulani,
  strongly Islamic neighbors
• Became slaves until early 1900s
• 20th century colonized by British

5
Hausa Culture

• Either commoners or chiefs
• Marry close relatives
• Wife must appear unhappy
• Takes care of children, pleases husband
• Women have less opportunity
• High divorce rate
• Land divided into 7 states based on strengths

6
Language Music

• Hausa is numerically one of the worlds most
  popular languages
• Hausa word Boog, meaning to beat is a
  linguistic precursor for the English phrase
  Boogie-Woogie
• A repetitive drum pattern is typical of Hausan
  music, much like the redundant base-line of
  American Boogie-Woogie

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Hausa Instruments
Kuntigi A one or two-stringed lute
Dondo Drum
Kakaki 3-4 meters long, metal trumpet
Goje
Shekere
8
Louange Aux Gens Du Terroir/Praise Of The People
Of The Land

• Recorded on the album Nigeria. Hausa Music.
  Traditions of the Emirate of Kano by Various
  Artists Maryam Yusuf Kabara, Murja Ibrahim,
  Safiya Ayuba Kigama, Jumoke Abdulrazak, Sa'adatu
  Abubakar, Sadiya Muhammad Sunusi, A'isha Baballe,
  Maijida Umar Abdullahi.

9
Song Introduction

• Hausa music is traditionally used to celebrate
  major life events such as births, marriages, and
  circumcisions
• My selection is a celebration, or praise, of the
  people of the land

10
Listen!

• The repetitive bass line of the drum beats
  continually while the vocalists improvise and
  create their own melodies over the bass line
• The celebratory nature of Hausa music is
  representative of the jovial dancing associated
  with current day Boogie
• Chorus becomes very loud
• http//www.emusic.com/listen//album/-/-/11073892/

11
Samuel Barber

• Born March 9, 1910 in West Chester, Pennsylvania
• Studied at Curtis Institute of Music
• American Prix de Rome, two Pulitzers, elected to
  American Academy of Arts Letters
• Famous works include Adagio for Strings and his
  opera Vanessa

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Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia
Samuel Barber
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Samuel Barbers Music

• Called a Neo-Romantic composer
• broad lyricism and dramatic expression
• Rarely ventured into Americana music

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Excursions, Op. 20

• First published solo piano piece of Barber his
  only excursion into Americana music
• Includes elements of boogie-woogie, blues,
  cowboy, and hoedown music
• Four movements
• Inspired by Jeanna Behrend
• Debuted by Vladimir Horowitz in July 1944 at
  Carnegie Hall

http//www.youtube.com/watch?v1L2Cn8ZFFzI
15
New Grove Dictionary of Music

• a percussive style of piano Blues favoured for
  its volume and momentum is characterized by the
  use of blues chord progressions combined with a
  forceful, repetitive left-hand bass figure and
  independence of the right-hand improvisations
  from the steady, rolling rhythm maintained by the
  left hand

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This excerpt is an example of the repetitive
left hand bass figure with right hand
improvisations, a classic characteristic of
Boogie-Woogie music.
17
Measure 4-9 demonstrate the momentum
characteristic of Boogie music, with quarter
notes that transition to eighth notes, and
eventually sixteenth notes.
18
This excerpt represents the extreme dynamics of
volume, with frequent shifts from sf to pp .
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Excursions Music Theory

• A1BA2CA3Coda
• A section are in tonic key of C minor
• B section uses subdominant f, C uses dominant G
• I-IV-I-V-I simple progression
• B and C sections use bitonality
• 7th chords used in melody

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Music Theory Connection

• The West African word Bogi means to dance
• The Hausa word Boog means to beat, as in a drum
• These are linguistic precursors for the American
  term Boogie, a style of music which is closely
  associated with dance with a repetitively beating
  bass

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Comparison (Continued)

• Both selections of music possess the repetitive
  bass figure reminiscent of boogie music with
  right hand improvisations
• The origin of the term boogie is technically
  unknown, however these similarities insinuate
  that the celebratory nature of dance and style of
  American Boogie music derivate from West African
  tribes such as the Hausas.

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Similarities Differences
Excursions
Hausa

• Ostinato left-hand bass line
• Right-hand improvisation for melody
• Aspects of volume
• Allegro Tempo 152 and 144
• Very energetic from start
• Recognizable melody

• Piano solo
• Very dissonant
• Minor key
• Use of blues chords
• Chord progression and structure

• Vocals/Drums
• Celebratory sound
• Alternation between soloist then chorus
• No chord progressions, just drum beat

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Works Cited

• http//www.emusic.com/listen//album/Various-NigC
  3A9ria-Musique-Haoussa-NigC3A9ria-Hausa-Music-M
  P3-Download/11073892.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boogie-woogie
• http//www.joshuaproject.net/people-profile.php?pe
  o312070rog3NI
• www.uiowa.edu/africart/toc/people/Hausa.html
• http//geography.about.com/library/cia/blcnigeria.
  htm
• www.schirmer.com/composers/barber_bio.htm

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• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausa_people
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hausa_music
• http//www.naxos.com/person/Samuel_Barber/25965.ht
  m
• http//obit-mag.com/articles/a-fanfare-for-samuel-
  barber
• http//www.classical.net/music/comp.lst/barber.php
  
• http//www.musolife.com/444/features.html?page9
• http//www.african-drums.com/hausa_dondo_drum_nov.
  htm
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kakaki
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goje
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekere