The Role of Music in African Communities
By: Sierra Simmons
Thesis: Music has played a big role in African communities, music has given African communities a way to unite and express themselves.
In Africa communities music accompanied all major events such as religious ceremonies,festivals, and royal functions. Musicians announced the presence of royalty, brought communities together and provided entertainment.
Music was created in the African and African American community by clapping, singing,dancing, stomping feet and other ways as well. music is a form of community experience that united the community
Differnce of timbre
Europeans describe timbre as crude, peculiar, and weird. They described the sound of beating drums as a horrid noise. African music and timbre was unfamiliar to the Europeans. African music includes hand claps, shouts, foot stomps, and included instruments such as the banjo, jug, kazoo, and harmonica otherwise not used in Europeans culture.
Musical structures found in African and African-American music
call/response had influenced improvsation and muscial exchanges among participants. it also allows songs to be longer. Call and response helps to include everyone and increases intensity.
certain rhythms such as syncopation and polyrythms help with rhythmic complexity. Musicians improvise around a basic pulse accenting beats that fall between or after a regular beat.
