Roots of African Music
ORAL TRADITIONS AND WEST AFRICAN CULTURE
African tradition and perspective have always relied heavily on oral and performance rituals. Before enslavement, West Africa was abundant in the act of oral traditions, raising communities rich in history and kinship. Musicians, poets, and historians were known as “Griots” or “Jalis,” highly respected members of their familial and societal castes. They were responsible for extending their ancestral past through generations by storytelling often accompanied with music and dance to celebrate various ceremonies such as weddings and funerals as well as the pride they held in their culture.
For hundreds of years, musical instruments in Africa have served as a means of communication & celebration, often imitating the natural tones and pitches of the languages of the cultures that use them. Africa has a variety of drums; in many African societies, only men play them, and they are usually labeled the storytellers of their tribes. One drum native to African musicianship is the Djembe. A large-top drum, traditionally carved from African hardwood topped with animal skin, is one of the most popular worldwide. This percussion instrument is also known for the sounds produced when it is played by a djembefola (the name for a Djembe player). These sounds are known as bass, tone, and slap. When combined, these sounds produce a tune that is unique and full. Traditionally the Djembe is said to be composed of 3 spirits: the tree it is carved from, the animal whose skin is placed on top, and the carver who made the instrument.
Another instrument commonly used in traditional African music are the Rhythym Bones. Being one of the oldest instruments in the world, the bones are traditioonally curved individual pieces of bone (or wood). This instrument dates back to Ancient Egyptian times, typically played with one hand shaking the wrist to produce sharp, rhymitic “clacking” sounds.
Strings are one more instrument group that heavily influence the African musical performance culture. The Kora is native to Gambian culture, and is one of the more well known strings instruments. It is comparable to a harp & lute combined. This 21-string instrument is generally played seated, and is comm0n in storytelling performance practices.
Left to Right: Djembe Drum, Kora (Harp-Lute), Rhythm Bones
video: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN INSTRUMENTS
As early as the 15th century, Africans were captured and forced into slavery. They were shipped across the Atlantic to the Americas and areas of Britain. Many of them fell ill during these long ventures across sea and died. Once reaching the Americas, many of them were if not already, separated from their loved ones and severely mistreated. During this time, Africans were forced to accommodate the colonized ideals of the American population taking on the term “African-American.” To account for their struggles and keep their spirits high, slaves continuously practiced their homeland rituals, music, and culture. Slave owners saw these cultural practices as “savage” and forced their slaves to convert to Christianity. Slaves would then create blended “versions” of their home music and gospel, expressing their emotions of opression through instrumentation, song, and dance while performing field work.
video: MUSICAL INFLUENCE FROM AFRICA TO THE AMERICAS
As the years progressed, slavery was abolished; however, the after-effects of the unjust treatment of African Americans continued, and the fight for equality was far from over. The music that was once “distasteful” and “different” began to catch the eye of white America. Ragtime music during the Civil War era eventually developed into blue, yet western culture failed to properly appreciate the roots of the music in which African Americans were advancing. The most popular instruments of African culture were gradually changed to blend with the European influences in America. The Banjo and fiddle were popular plantation instruments during slavery and were later westernized and entered into mainstream entertainment through “Blackface” theater shows, dehumanizing black culture and artistic expression.
Left to Right: Traditional Banjo, westernized (modern day) Banjo, Fiddle
As the years progressed, slavery was abolished; however, the after-effects of the unjust treatment of African Americans continued, and the fight for equality was far from over. The music that was once “distasteful” and “different” began to catch the eye of white America. Ragtime music during the Civil War era eventually developed into blue, yet western culture failed to properly appreciate the roots of the music in which African Americans were advancing. The most popular instruments of African culture were gradually changed to blend with the European influences in America. The Banjo and fiddle were popular plantation instruments during slavery and were later westernized and entered into mainstream entertainment through “Blackface” theater shows, dehumanizing black culture and artistic expression.
