African music in societyRich, colourful and diverseCovers 50 different nations, each with

their own musical traditions and languagePlays an important role, used to express

emotions and feelingsPart of every social gathering i.e.

celebrating the harvest, birthdays, weddings, funerals, imprtant meetings.

Often combined with speech, dance and vibrant costumes

Falls into 3 strands - Drumming, Choral music, instrumental music.

Common features of African musicRepetition: Improvisation:Polyphony:Call and response:

African DrummingConsidered the most important instrumentA means of communication, with certain rhythmic

patterns meaning different things .e. slow beat could signify a sad occasion such as a funeral.

Hundreds of drums and names vary between each region.

Most common is the Djembe – a single-headed drum, made in a range of sizes to produce different pitches

Frequently heard on their own but also in ensemblesEnsemble is made up of a master drummer playing a

solo drum and a set of accompanying drumsFamous group = The Royal Burundi Drummers

Playing techniquesHands on the skin – different sounds are

made by opening/closing fingers, using different parts of the hand etc

Hands on the wooden edge of the drumUsing sticks to make short, staccato soundsStretching the drum membrane to produce a

range of pitches

A typical performanceMaster drummer in the centre of the

ensemble, responsible for directing the performance and will be surrounded by other drummers and percussionists

The master drummer will signal to the performers when he is ready to start, often with a vocal cry followed by a rhythmic solo to set mood/tempo

Response is an exact copy or a different rhythm entirely by the other performers

Call and response = main feature of tribal music

A typical performanceMaster drummer will signal to the other

players to perform a solo.This will be a variation or development of the

original patternA steady, continuous beat is played by the

master drummer, called the timeline. There may be percussion instruments playing as well.

The complex rhythms create polyrhythms, often with stresses that conflict with eachother, resulting in polyrhythmic texture.

A typical performancePiece increases in tension as the piece

progressesTempo and dynamics will vary from section

to section to provide interest and variet.Master drummer is responsible for

controlling the changes and making sure that the music does not become too monotonous.

Some performances can take up to 5 hours or even longer!

As well as solo drumming to show off the soloists skills of improvisation, there is often movement and dance

African choral singingSub-saharan musical traditions are often centred

around singingBelieved that it serves as a link to the spiritual

worldVital part of everyday life, like drummingUnites communities, everyone is involved in

singing regardless of abilityMeans of communication - Use of tone like in

language. Melodies and rhythms fit the pitch and rhythm of the speech to convey correct meaning.

Common FeaturesCall and responseShort, simple, repeated melodies using scales of

only 4-7 notesMelodies are changed by different singers giving

a theme and variations effectPerformers improvise melodies over the main

melody resulting in polyphonic texturesMusic often sung in rounds (i.e. Zulu choral

music, overlapping ever-changing textures).Harmony varies from tribe to tribe, some only

using octaves and unison, with occasional 5ths, other using lots of harmony i.e. 3rds and 6ths.

African instrumental musicMany instruments which vary between regions. Instruments are selected according to nature/mood of the music. Instrumental music has more complex tuning and is capable of

playing more demanding rhythms and melodies.Lots of overlapping of melodies to create polyphonic textures.

Families of instruments Membranophones - With a skin or membrane, like a drum Aerophone – Using air, a woodwind instrument Chordophones – String instruments Idiophones – resonant/solid instruments, this includes the

Balaphone or Xylophone, the most common African instrument.

African instrumental musicIdiophone Aerophone Chordophone

Rattle/Shaker Flutes (Bamboo/Horn)

Zithers

Bells Ocarinas Lutes (Kora)

Mbira Panpipes Lyres

Xylophone Horn (From animal tusks)

Musical Bows

Clap sticks Trumpet (Wood and metal)

Slit Gongs Pipes (Single and double reed)

Stamping Tubes Whistle

Body percussion is also used i.e hand clapping and foot stomping, also vocal effects such as shouting and vocables (eh, ah, oh)

Xylophones (Balaphones)Most common african instrumentMany sizes with a variety of pitchesWooden bars on a frame, allowing them to

resonate, using a piece of rubber or dried fruit as a membrane to help this.

Common features of African instrumental music1. Repetition (including ostinato)2. Improvisation3. Cyclic structures4. Polyphonic structures5. Intertwining melodies

Background to Yiri - MusiciansMadou Kone – Vocals, Balaphone, FluteSydou Traore – Vocals, BalaphoneJacouba Kone – DjembeFrancois Naba – Vocals, Tam-Tam, dundun,

maracasKeresse Sanou – Talking DrumTidiane Hema – Vocals, Maracas

Background to YiriFrom Burkina FasoLandlocked nation in West

Africa.Surrounded by Mali, Niger,

Benin, Togo, Ghana, and Cote D’Ivoire

Renamed by president Thomas Sankara in 1984

Burkina = Men of Integrity, Faso = Father’s House

Inhabitants are called Burkinabe

Background to YiriMain themes for music from Burkina Faso

bring images of mankind’s greatest battles Fight for survivalNeed to look after the environmentCreationAlso community celebrations and friendships

Background to YiriThere are 3 clear strands in this set work

The Balaphone ostinati – Combinations produce complex polyphony

The Drum ostinati – They play a relentless one-bar pattern (with only a tiny variation)

The vocal line – this is a simple pentatonic, call-and-response structure.

0’00-0’18Begins with free tempoHigh balaphone playing an improvised solo at

a soft dynamicSets the scene with a monophonic textureSolo is a melody in Gb Major with fast high

and low rolls on every note.A simple, repetitive idea.

0’18-0’34Moderato established by the first balaphone.Second balaphone enters at Bar 9, playing mostly

and octave below.Strong sense of Gb Major as the opening notes

are Db and Gb (V-I).Strong rhythmic basis to the melody, built on 2-

bar phrases.Second balaphone plays the same melody but

with a few different pitches (see bars 11-12). Makes a heterophonic texture

Rhythm is mainly semiquavers and quavers with some tied notes

0’34-1’09Large and small talking drum and djembe

enter playing an incessant half=bar ostinati

Balaphones continue melodyLower balaphone plays an ostinato figure in

bars 17-20

Occasional djembe fills in this melodyMelody has lots of syncopation and octave

repetitions on Gb and Db (I-V)From bar 21, melodic phrases are repeated

with slight variation in 2 bar phrases

1’09-2’01Chorus A1 =

Voices in unison, short, simple, repetitive melody. No Harmony.

Followed by a balaphone break (solo) with drum ostinati as before

Chorus A2 = same as before mostly

2’01-2’45Voices out, lower balaphone break . Some variation

on the melody this time (continuous semiquaver Gb)

Solo with choral responses. Long held or short punctuated notes on ‘Yiri’

Drum ostinati continuesVocal melody incorporates triplet now (adding

variation to original melodyLower balaphone plays same ostinati from bar17-20Voices in unison to call at bar 63.New melodic riff on balaphone, based on the

original.

2’45-3’14Solo voice call again, featuring long notesDrums continue as beforeBalaphone plays rhythmic 3-note semiquaver

melodic figure, creating cross-rhythms

Bar 71- another variant of the melody in the vocals

Triplet figure, syncopation and semiquaver-quaver rhythms have all been heard already in the piece

3’15-4’31Vocal responses from the choir in unison

Solo voice with varied balaphone rhythms in break

Instrumental solos continue.New melodies on the balaphone. Short 3-beat (one bar) rest before next chorus.

Chorus B1 = Full choir in unison, singing ‘Yiri’ with short instrumental interjections to break up the vocal lines.

4’31- 5’20Dialogue effects between voices and

instruments

Instrumental as a balaphone break. Riff with variations

This is extended and based on the original melody with variations

More virtuosic, rapid figures with octave leaps and demisemiquaver and semiquaver patterns

5’20-6’24Chorus A3 = Full, unison choir with

instrumental interjections

Instrumental ending played as a balaphone break

Very syncopated. Drums re-enter at bar 153, one bar before the coda

6’24-End = Coda5, 2-bar phrasesMostly in octaves, with dramatic rests by all

instrumentsStrong sense of riffSome differences in notes occasionally,

creating a heterophonic texture.

Drum provides ostinato from Bar 153Piece finishes with a final ‘ting’ on a bell