African MusicAfrican Music

West African MusicWest African Music

Founded on the Founded on the oral oral traditiontradition so has no so has no musical notationmusical notation

Passed on through Passed on through the generations by the generations by GriotGriot

Griot – storyteller, Griot – storyteller, poets, a wandering poets, a wandering musician musician

African DrummingAfrican Drumming

Watch videoWatch video Look out for the Look out for the different instrumentsdifferent instruments

and and elementselements in the music in the music

The InstrumentsThe Instruments

The DjembeThe Djembe

The most common drum The most common drum and and intergralintergral part of part of West African musicWest African music

the name the name comescomes from from the saying "Anke dje, the saying "Anke dje, anke be" which anke be" which translates to translates to "everyone "everyone gather together"gather together"

Now Now used in many types used in many types of musicof music around the around the world – latin, fusionworld – latin, fusion

Sounds on the djembeSounds on the djembe

BassBass - - Striking the skin with the palm and Striking the skin with the palm and fingers toward the drum's centre produces fingers toward the drum's centre produces a bass notea bass note

SlapSlap ToneTone

– SStriking the skin near the rim (with the fleshy triking the skin near the rim (with the fleshy part of the palm just above the rim) produces part of the palm just above the rim) produces the tone and slapthe tone and slap

– Striking the tone like its a hot pan. Beginners Striking the tone like its a hot pan. Beginners may think of the tone and slap as fingers may think of the tone and slap as fingers "together" and "apart.""together" and "apart."

The DundunsThe Dunduns

Double headed drumDouble headed drum Very important in providing the Very important in providing the foundationfoundation for the for the

musicmusic The The traditional styletraditional style has each player using a single has each player using a single

drum resting on its side, either on the floor or on a drum resting on its side, either on the floor or on a stand, and striking the head with one stick and a bell stand, and striking the head with one stick and a bell mounted on top with the other mounted on top with the other

For the other style, known as For the other style, known as ballet styleballet style as it is used as it is used in the National Ballets, one player has command of in the National Ballets, one player has command of the three dununs standing on the floor. the three dununs standing on the floor.

A A melodymelody is created across the interplay of the three is created across the interplay of the three dununsdununs

The DundunsThe Dunduns

ComponentsComponents

ComponentsComponents

SoloSolo – performed by the – performed by the master drummer on the master drummer on the djembedjembe

AccompanimentAccompaniment – – performed by a group of performed by a group of djembe playersdjembe players

DundunDundun DancingDancing Percussion rattlePercussion rattle or or

agogo bellsagogo bells

The Master DrummerThe Master Drummer

Takes Takes many yearsmany years to become a to become a Master DrummerMaster Drummer

The master drummer The master drummer directsdirects the the whole performance and signals whole performance and signals to the other players when to to the other players when to start or change accompaniment start or change accompaniment by by rhythmical cuesrhythmical cues

Signals to other players to take Signals to other players to take on the soloon the solo

Watches the feet of the Watches the feet of the dancersdancers and responds accordinglyand responds accordingly

Controls the changes to make Controls the changes to make sure the music is always sure the music is always interestinginteresting

Main featuresMain features

Call and responseCall and response PolyrhythmsPolyrhythms – the complex rhythms – the complex rhythms

played by the drummers that interweave played by the drummers that interweave with each other and with the rhythm with each other and with the rhythm played by the dundunsplayed by the dunduns

The music usually increases in The music usually increases in tensiontension as as the piece progresses the piece progresses

The The tempo and dynamicstempo and dynamics vary from vary from section to section to provide interest and section to section to provide interest and varietyvariety

KukuKuku

Kuku is a popular rhythm played at all kinds Kuku is a popular rhythm played at all kinds of festivals, including full moon of festivals, including full moon celebrations. celebrations.

Kuku is a women's dance performed in a Kuku is a women's dance performed in a circle.circle.andand played when the women came back played when the women came back from fishing. They would take their fishing from fishing. They would take their fishing tools and dance.tools and dance.

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