teacher’s resource guide - gresham-barlow school district · 2018. 2. 5. · teacher s resource...

Teacher’s Resource Guide

Dear Educators,Obo Addy Legacy Project (OALP) provides student audiences with presentations and performances that explodes with the sounds of authentic West African rhythm and song, vibrates with traditional dance and offers insight into African culture and its influences in America. Each presentation and performances showcases the life of Obo Addy and his homeland of Ghana, West Africa—a country that has over fifty different ethnic groups and languages. Students can expect to see traditionally clad musicians performing on unique hand crafted percussion instruments along with spinning and kicking dancers depicting stories and ideas through humor and powerful physicality. Our presentations, shows and workshops culminates with audience participation that is certain to make students jump in joyful celebration of cultural diversity.

Our updated 2017 Teachers’s Resource Guide is put together by experts in the field of Africana studies associated with our Education Committee. The guide is designed to assist teachers as they prepare students for the performance and integrate the performance with existing academic curriculum.

The guide will assist educators by pointing out elements applicable to Oregon Arts Content Standards and includes: biographical information about the performers, cultural and historical information about Ghana including African music and instruments. At the end we’ve included relevant vocabulary, classroom activists and various media resources such as links, readings and audio recordings for further academic inquiry. The suggested activities are also applicable to Common Core Standards as well as National Arts Standards. We look forward to bringing the music and dance of Ghana to you. We look forward to bringing the music and dance of Ghana to you!

Susan AddyExecutive Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction & About the Artists 2

Performance & Lesson Expectations & Objectives 3

Africa & Ghana: Quick Facts 4

African Languages in Ghana, Regions & Ethnicity 5

History, Geography & Political Economy 8

Primary Features of African Music in Ghana 10

Instruments & Classification 11

Appendices I - VI

Rose E Tucker Charitable Trust


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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

Obo Addy (January 15, 1936-September 13, 2012) was a Ghanaian Master Drummer, dancer and composer. Obo was one of the first native African musicians to bring the fusion of traditional folk music and Western pop music known as world beat to Europe and then to the Pacific Northwest where

he based himself in Portland, Oregon in the late 1970’s. His life-long relationship with music began while watching his father’s intricate drumming. His father who’s a wonche or spiritual healer, guided ceremonies with his drumming. By six, Obo made the decision to become a professional drummer. At 18, he began to live his dream when he joined his first professional band and later joined the Joe Kelly

Band. He then joined the pioneer tour of Oboade, the first professional traditional Ghanaian performance troupe to tour the West. Obo originated his own world beat band Kukrudu in Portland as well as the band Okropong. In his last years Obo started to merge world beat and traditional music with American hip hop music, dance, and MCing in a project called “Diatribe.” Okropong is now led by Master Drummer Nii Ayi Charles Armah who is co-director for OALP with Obo’s son Alex Addy.

Alex Addy spent most of his youth in Ghana where he was involved in drumming performances at his church before moving to Portland, Oregon when he was fifteen. He joined Homowo African Arts & Cultures/Obo Addy Legacy Project in 1992 and his infectious energy has been

an asset to the organization’s educational programs. Alex teaches the five hand techniques of Ghanaian drumming and believes in students working together to create a strong communal rhythm, yet embrace the confidence to use one’s voice in a solo. He has been teaching at Right Brain Initiative, Young Audiences, Saturday Academy, Open Meadow Alternative Schools, The Higher Stages Program,and the Sun School programs throughout the city.

Nii Ayi Charles Armah is a Master Drummer and grew up in the Ga city and capital of Ghana Accra and by the age eight he had already learned all the traditional drums of his people. After joining the National Dance Company of Ghana in 1993 he rose to become Assistant Master Drummer. His drumming has taken him to England, France, Denmark, Germany, Poland, Indonesia, Zimbabwe, S. Korea and the United States. Charles was featured on the ceremonial fontomfrom drums in a performance for President Clinton during the President’s visit to Ghana in 1998. Since the late 90’s he moved to Portland Oregon, joined Okropong with Master Drummer Obo Addy as well as Kukrudu; Obo’s world beat band. Since 2011 is featured in Portland’s only remaining world beat band “Wamba.” To order cd’s: www.oboaddy.com/recordings www.cdbaby.com

http://www.oboaddy.com/recordings http://www.cdbaby.com


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PERFORMANCE & LESSON EXPECTATIONS & OBJECTIVES

OBJECTIVES: IMPACT OF THE ART FORM

STUDENTS WILL LEARN THAT: • Ghana is one of Africa’s 53 nations, located in West

Africa, that has a rich linguistic, cultural and musical heritage.

• Ghana shares many connections with the Americas and African Diaspora.

• Music and dance is integrated into the every-day lives of Ghanaians.

• There are several unique elements and features of African music and instruments.

TEACHERS WILL BE ABLE TO: • Lead students in an examination of the continent of

Africa through the country of Ghana, by framing that within a country there is great diversity.

• Understand the importance of storytelling in helping students connect to the realities and experiences of people from other cultures.

• Determine the connection between contemporary cultures and traditional cultures through music.

• Reflect on the role of music in diverse cultural ways of life.


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AFRICA & GHANA: QUICK FACTS

AFRICA • 2nd Largest continent • Over 800 ethnic groups • Over 2000 languages are spoken (40 have over

1 million speakers) • 56 Countries (newest S. Sudan, 2010) • Diverse Climate- 15% desert, 10% tropical rainforests,

35% grasslands • Africa is the birthplace of humanity, over 4 million

years ago based on evidence from the human genome project, archaeology and linguistics evidence

• Most wildlife live in protected reserves, parks & zoos GHANA • About the same size as Oregon • Over 50 ethnic groups • Ghanaians speak 3-4 indigenous languages • English is commonly taught in schools as a result

of British colonialism • Religions include Islam, Christianity and traditional

African religion • Lake Volta is the world’s largest man-made lake by

surface area • Capital Accra population 2.269 million people • The national currency is called cedi named after the

prolific cowrie shell • 42nd in world cell phone usage, more than Canada • Natural resources include gold, timber, silver, fish

and hydroelectric power • First country in Africa to decolonize from European

rule on March 6th, 1957

Locate Ghana on a map. Find the city of Accra. Look at the neighboring countries. Discuss how living in a country like Ghana could be different than living in The United States.


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LANGUAGES, REGIONS & ETHNICITY

AFRICAN LANGUAGES IN GHANA Today there are more than 130 million people living in West Africa. This large region stretches from the Atlantic coast of Mauritania and Senegambia to Lake Chad and Mount Cameroon to the east. Although the region has been divided into fifteen modern nation states there is more culturally diverse than national boundaries. For example in Nigeria alone there are about 300 different ethnic groups. Modern Ghana has over 50 different ethnic groups. From the trans-Saharan belt stretching in to North Africa to southern savannah, rainforest and ultimately Atlantic coastline. West Africa as a region in Africa is well known, particularly within its indigenous music, for polyrhythmic, multilayer’s sounds. The languages of ethic groups in the eastern part of West Africa belong to the Kwa and Benue-Congo divisions of the Niger-Congo family. For example one category of the Kwa branch is know as the Akan; widely dispersed areas in modern Ghana and Cote d’Ivoire. The Akan groups in Ghana comprise of ten distinct languages that are not completely mutually intelligible from. Several Akan languages will be mentioned in the following section.


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REGIONS & ETHNICITY Ghana is broken down into ten general regions. The regions with some brief note on cultures, from south to north are: 1) Greater Accra - This region lies along the Southeastern Atlantic coast of Ghana and is home to the Ga people, the original inhabitants of Ghana;s capital city Accra. Ga culture is featured in OALP programming because of Obo Addy’s ethnic heritage being from there. Ga people are coastal people known for their hand drumming, singing and ability to incorporate other cultural/ethnic group music into their own. 2) Central Coast - This coastal region stretches from Greater Accra further west along the Atlantic coast of Ghana. The Fanti peoples live in the coastal areas and are the second largest cultural/ethnic group. The Fante are also apart of the Akan people who have a matrilineal descent.

3) Western/Southwest - The Akan people, located in southwest, Ghana, have been greatly influenced by British culture and have a matrilineal form of descent. They are related to several other cultural/ethnic groups in Ghana such as the Ashanti. 4) Ashanti - This region lies in the middle of the country and is largely comprised of the the Akan speaking group known as the Ashanti. The Ashanti in the south-central area well known for their beautiful artistry in ceramics, wood carving, pottery, and weaving the famous kente cloth. This cultural/ethnic group conquered a number of people during the reign of the Ashanti Kingdom (17th-late 19th century) and incorporated these cultures into their own.

Discuss the countries of Africa in relation to the ethnic groups living there. How were the boundaries set for the countries in west Africa?


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REGIONS & ETHNICITY CONT’D

5) Eastern - Bordered by the Volta River, this region includes many Akan speaking ethnic groups. Akan is the larger cluster of languages in Ghana that includes the Ashanti language (twi), the Fanti language found on the coast and others in the Eastern region such as Akwapin and Krachi. 6) Volta - The Volta River is a large river mass that was dammed in 1963 by the Okosombo dam. The Eastern Volta region is home to the Ewe people who also border Togo to the East. They have a patrilineal from of descent and are mainly farmers and fisherman. The Ewes are known for their stick drumming. 7) Brong-Ahafo - Located above the Ashanti region and stretching west to the Ivory Coast border, this region is home to some groups such as the Brong and the Ahafo.

8) Northern - The Dagarti live in the Northwest of the country and play the xylophone. The Hausa and Moshi-Dagomba live in the North and North-east of Ghana. They play hourglass drums and Brekete. 9) Upper West - Bordering the neighbor countries of Cote Ivorie to the West and Burkina Faso in the north this region includes several ethic groups bordering Burkina Faso such as the Dagara and Kasem ethnic groups. The xylophone or balafon is also a popular instrument in this region. 10) Upper East - Bordering the Upper West region and Burkina Faso to the north several Togolese ethnic groups border this region such as the Konkomba. Other groups include the Gonja and Dagbani ethnic groups.


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HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY & POLITICAL ECONOMY

THE GHANA EMPIRE: AN ANCIENT WEST AFRICAN EMPIRE Ghana’s southern border is the Atlantic Ocean and shares national borders with Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north and Togo on the east. The country is named after a powerful West African Empire known as the Ghana Empire. Between 600 and 900 Common Era (CE), a major empire emerged in West Africa, just south of the Sahara Desert. By the 700’s, a farming people called the Soninke had formed an empire that they called Ghana that was growing rich from taxing the goods that traders carried through their territory. Their most important asset was gold from the Niger River area that they traded for salt from the Sahara. Arab and Berber traders also carried cloth, weapons, and manufactured goods from ports on the Mediterranean. Ghana’s king had exclusive rights to the gold, and so controlled its supply to keep the price high. The king also commanded an impressive army, and so the empire thrived. Like the Africans along the Mediterranean, Ghana’s rulers and elites converted to Islam, but most others retained their native religions. Mali - During the 11th century, the Almoravids, a Muslim group from northern Africa, conquered Ghana. By the 13th century, a new empire, called Mali, dominated West Africa. This empire actually existed thousands of years ago much further north of present day Ghana in the Malian region of West Africa. GHANA’S COLONIAL HISTORY: THE GOLD COAST The first foreign visitors from Europe to visit Ghana were the Portuguese who referred to the territory as the costa dourada (Gold Coast) in the last quarter of the 15th century. European traders such as the Portuguese, Dutch and British began an exchange with local Africans on the Gold Coast for various items from Europe. This exchange soon began to trade for human beings (slaves). This lasted for hundreds of years and the period is generally known as the trans-Atlantic slave trade where millions of Africans were enslaved and shipped to the Americas. This mass shipping was the largest forced migration in world history. After abolition and the general winding down of the slave trade, the British took primary ownership of the Gold Coast as it’s own colony in 1885 at the Berlin Conference. The conference taking place in Germany officially partitioned the entire African continent between European imperialist powers. Gold Coast troops who fought for the British during the war began to demand political rights after World War II. By 1950 In 1950, independence leader Kwame Nkrumah called for a national strike and was jailed for his activism. Nkrumah was a strong leader who worked tirelessly to make Ghana a shining example among emerging nations.

Compare the country of Ghana to Oregon considering the coast, the mountains, the forests and the desert.


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HISTORY, GEOGRAPHY & POLITICAL ECONOMY CONT’D...

MODERN GHANA: INDEPENDENCE, PAN AFRICANISM & POLITICAL ECONOMY Ghana was the first country in Africa to gain complete independence from British colonial rule on March 6th 1957. Ghana has been an inspiration to other African countries as they sought national independence and a symbol of unity among the African Diaspora in the Americas to the Diaspora of free African people around the world wishing to learn from their spiritual and cultural roots. Three years after Ghana won its independence it became a Republic led by Kwame Nkrumah who was a Pan Africanist. Nkrumah popularized ideas about African unity espousing a form of African socialism with other African and African American intellectuals and activists such as W.E.B. Dubois. Nkrumah helped to develop national schools, hospitals and the Lake Volta hydroelectric and aluminum plants. Politically, he enabled members of the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Ghana’s major party at the time, to resist British colonial policies through effective peaceful means. Unfortunately, after an assassination attempt on his life, in 1964 Nkrumah decided to suspend the constitution in order to avert further challenges to his political power. In 1966, a military coup overthrew Nkrumah’s government.

Today Ghana is a stable presidential representative democratic republic. Most of Ghana’s gross domestic product is primarily based on agriculture. More than half of Ghana’s labor force works to harvest cacao which accounts for about sixty percent of all national exports. Other exports include coffee, fruits, corn, root crops, peanuts, millet and sorghum. Other industries include timber, fishing and mining. Ghana supplies many valuable natural resources like gold, diamonds, aluminum, and bauxite to the world market. The rising price of gold influenced many Chinese to take part in Ghana’s gold rush establishing unlicensed mines that damaged the environment and caused many deaths. After the death of a Chinese boy at an illegal gold mine in 2012, Ghana’s government began cracking down on the operations arresting hundreds of miners, while promising to restore the environment.


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PRIMARY FEATURES OF AFRICAN MUSIC IN GHANA:

For purposes of simplicity in the classroom with children and young adults OALP has merged a general list of primary features of African music. The African continent has several key musical elements that are not as commonly found in any of the music of Eurasia, Pacific Islands, or indigenous music of the Americas. Generalizing African music is very difficult because of the amazing diversity of the continent. It is also important to avoid ethnic stereotypes about aspects of African life. There is also considerable complexity in the way that the entire continent has transformed musics-culturally from ancient to pre-colonial periods to modern and urban acculturated musical forms and genres.

STORYTELLING & CULTURAL MEMORY SYSTEMS- African societies have established long enduring legacies through oral storytelling and the implementation of mnemonic devices. The master drummer of a Ghanaian traditional drumming and dance ensemble not only knows special cultural information about song genres, dance moves and instruments. Master drummers can also act as speech surrogates and chiefs linguistics. POLYRHYTHM, SYNCOPATION & METRONOME SENSE- African societies have recursive musical patterns based on variations of numerical complexity with statistical density. Polyrhythms are different meters or metrical starting points going on at once. These complicated rhythms of Africa are indigenous calculations creating a juxtaposition of cross rhythmic patterns. These fantastic rhythms also feature “offbeat” or unaccented beats. Lastly there is an internal beat that guides African musical patterns that sustains a solid and fluid sense of time in and for music and musicians. This is known in English as a “metronome sense” that provides a rhythmic bass or pulse that existed before the advent of modern technology that helps musicians to stay on beat known as a metronome.

CALL & RESPONSE- Many African songs feature an exchange or dialogue between singers often having a lead singer with a response from the rest of the choir. This style and technique is reality identifiable in blues music where a lead singer calls to the chorus to respond to a particular phrase either in repetition or in its own distinct part. MORE THAN DRUMMING- Drums and drumming have undeniable importance in many African societies. However it is important to note the considerable diversity on the content from all categories of musical instruments to stings, horns and tuned percussion such as xylophones and thumb pianos. There are thousands of indigenous and traditional instruments exclusive to particular regions, ethnic groups and modern nation states. COLLECTIVE & FUNCTIONAL MUSIC- Traditional music in Africa is largely participatory in nature and performed in collective contexts. Music is something everyone does. There is a close connection between the performing arts. Collectivity in musical performance is often because traditional music all has some kind of very particular function in secular and non-secular life.

Ask the students for examples of call and response in American culture.(“What do we want? Freedom! When do we want it? Now!)

An example from the civil rights movement.


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INSTRUMENTS & CLASSIFICATION:

OALP’s visiting drummers and musicians use instruments made from natural materials found in Ghana to play music. The instruments featured below are percussion (idiophones) instruments such as drums, bells, shakers, and xylophones. Musicians play them by striking them with sticks or bare hands, or by shaking them.

Twenshein: (TwONe-she) A generic word for “drums” in the Ga language and tend to have a tapered body carved from a single piece of wood that is similar in shape to a conga. The drumhead is typically made from goat, antelope, or cow skin that is stretched over one end of the drum and is

tightened through the use of six wooden pegs. Tapping the pegs into the drum will tighten the skin and tune the sound. It may be played with sticks, bare hands, or a combination of the two.

Donno: (DOH noh) Also known as the “talking drum” is a double sided variable pitch tension drum (membranophone). It’s hourglass shape is constructed of wood and animal skin makes the rope that is weaved through the drum in order to make it talk. The upper and lower mimic the tonal speech patterns in several Ghanaian languages. By striking one side of the

drum with a curved stick and squeezing or releasing the leather strings with one arm, donno players can adjust the pitch of the sound mincing the upper and lower inflections and articulations found in several West African languages in Ghana and neighboring countries.

Shekere/ahetse: Is a gourd or calabash covered with a net of beads that give a high-pitched sound. It is shaken to keep a beat.

Gyil: This (Ja-ee-l) instrument, also known generaliallin french West Africa as balafon is a wooden xylophone. The keys are made of wood with small gourds hanging underneath for resonance that commonly have spider webs dwelling inside. Two mallets are used to hit the keys. The keys

are strung together with leather strings. The buzzing sound comes from spider webs placed over holes on the hanging gourds.

Gome: (Go-may) this is a very large square drum that is covered with a skin on one end. It has a tensioning device inside the back that allows the drummer to tune it. The drummer sits on the drum and

strikes the skin with their hands, while using the heel of their feet to change the pitch.

Gankogui: (gon-koe-KWI) is the Ewe name for this particular construction of an iron double bell. This is a master instrument that all drummers start off with. It is one of the most important instruments because it keeps time and tempo uniform for most drumming ensembles in Ghana.

Brekete: (Bray-ki-Tay) is a double sided stick drum and is from the Northern region. Its snare sound comes naturally from a cowhide rope stretched across the head of the drum very similar to the way that a metal mesh is stretched across a contemporary snare for drumset. The rope generates a buzzing sound as it vibrates against the drumhead. The drum is played with

a bent stick and cloth is wrapped around the barrel to focus the sound at the ends.

Construct simple percussion instruments and create a classroom orchestra. Possible materials might include gourds, sticks, bells, boxes etc.


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APPENDICES

ACTIVITIES

Geography: Pre-Performance • Look at a climate/vegetation map of Africa, locate Ghana, and compare the climate/vegetation of Ghana to Oregon.

Discuss assumptions of what Africa’s climate/vegetation may look like before looking at a map. Compare assumptions to the reality after looking at the map. Debrief the activity.

• Look up the population statistics for Accra, Ghana’s capital, and compare that to the local population. What similarities and what differences do you discover?

People/Cultural Groups: Post-Performance • Students create their own Shekeres. Discuss the various kinds of percussion instruments found across the world,

focusing attention on Shekeres. Describe the relationship between instruments with melody (flute, voice, etc.) and those with rhythm (drums, shakers, etc.). Ask students their opinion on the function of percussion instruments, such as shekeres and maracas in musical ensemble: Do they help keep tempo or beat going, like a rhythmic timekeeper? Does the sound get lost in the music or is it in the forefront? Designing Shekeres: Students will first draw a picture of their instrument on scratch paper. Each Shekere can reflect something about the student’s personality. Encourage students to use a variety of patterns and shapes in decorating their instruments.

• Construction: Begin by blowing up two balloons to the size of small orange or apple. Encourage students to inflate the balloons as close in size as possible. Line tables or desks with spare newspaper or plastic cloths. Mix paper-mache ingredients. Tear newspaper in strips 1” wide by 4” long. Dip strips into adhesive mixture, remove excess adhesive, and cover balloon. It’s best to place several layers of paper on the balloon, ensuring the adhesive dries between layers. Repeat process until balloons have been covered with 4-6 layers. Dry overnight.

• Designing Shekeres – Day 2- Construction: Have students poke a hole in the bottom of each Shekere with the tip of scissors. Now it’s time to string some beads. In order to make slightly different sounds, the beads can be a different shapes and sizes. Cowry shells can also be used. Use threads or twine to string the beads. Poke a couple of holes on either side of the Shekere to tie the sting of beads to. Add or remove string beads as needed. Small strips of duct tape or gaffer’s tape can be used to secure the strings of beads. Decoration: Have students paint their Shekeres using the design drawn on the first day. Allow Shekeres to dry overnight.

• Research the cultural significance of Adinkra symbols in Ghana. Show students several examples of Adinkra symbols and explain their significance in society. Have students create their own symbols that express their values and/or classroom community expectations.

• Students create their own Adinkra symbols working in small groups or pairs. Students should be directed to create Adinkra symbols that can express a feeling or guideline that they think is important to remember in their learning community. They should hang their symbols in a place that is easily visible in the classroom. Students can share and discuss the inspiration for their symbols.


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NORTH AMERICAN MUSICAL CONNECTIONS Pre-Performance • Read To be a Drum by Evelyn Coleman with art by Aminah Brenda Lynn Robinson. This story explores the

traditional connection of the drum in Africa to the historical experience of African Americans in the United States. Ask students to discuss the story’s theme as well as how they are/can be drums in their lives.

LISTENING ACTIVITIES Post-Performance • African Musical Features: Go over features discussed in the previous section.

• [Part 1] (3-5 min) “US Music Genre List in 60 Seconds,” 2 volunteers using flip chart paper, timer displayed on projector.

• (Trans) What does these all have in common? Answer: Africa! All include 6 Elements of African Music. For today we will focus on how these elements express themselves in Jazz.

• [Part 2] (25 Total min) What are the 6 African Music Elements? Break students into 6 groups • [PART A] Hand each group one of the elements with the term name facing up and definition facing down.

Students discuss the name of the element only (5 min): what is your word and what do you think it means? Report out thoughts 30 seconds each group (3 min)

• [PART B] Now turn your word over, read and discuss the definition. Students discuss the definition in their group. (5 min): Is it what you thought the word would mean or does the meaning surprise you? Report out thoughts 30 seconds (3 min)

• [Part C] Can you name an example? Students discuss possible examples of their element (3 min): Can you name an example? What does the element remind you of? Is there a song that you have heard this element in? What is the name of the song? (Remind students to only share a name. They will get to act out their element later in the lesson) Report out thoughts 15 seconds each group (2 min) Hand out the 6 elements sheet.

• [Part 3] Can you hear the element? (20 Total min) Students remain in 6 groups. Play a song example of each element. Students will need to listen for their element. If they think their element is being played their entire group needs to stand up and dance along to the music. If their element stops playing they should all sit down.

• [Part 4] Perform Your Element! (10 Total min) Students remain in 6 groups In groups students will work for 5 minutes to figure out how to demonstrate their element to the class. Tell students that they do not need to reinvent the wheel, they can use songs that they know or can use any object in the room (with permission) to help them demonstrate their element. Student performances will be from 30-45 seconds. Ask students to thank their classmates for performing, to share one thing that they liked about the performance and one thing that they learned from the lesson.


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WRITING AND DRAWING ACTIVITY Pre-Performance • Read some Anansi stories. Anansi the spider can be found in many books and is a universal hero. Ask students

to write their own stories using Anansi as the hero, or to draw pictures of him. Compare and contrast to Coyote in Southwestern Native American legends.

Post-Performance • Students draw a picture of their favorite instrument(s) and explain how it sounded, why the instrument(s) is the

student’s favorite, or general impressions of the performance. • Write a story about the performance. Describe how it was similar and different from the music that they are used to

hearing. Draw pictures to illustrate the story. • Read Drum Dream Girl by Margarita Engle with art by Rafael Lopez. This story is an epic poem that illustrates the

brave determination of Millo Castro Zaldarriaga who as a child broke a gender barrier in Cuban music to become the first female drummer. Millo was Afro-Cuban-Chinese. Discuss the multicultural themes in the story and ask students to share an instrument that is important in their home culture.

SHEKERE INSERT ACTIVITY • Compare and contrast the symbolism of the Ghanaian and U.S. flags. • Compare and contrast the climate and vegetation of Ghana to Oregon (coastline, mountains, forests, nature/wildlife

reserves, deserts, grasslands, etc.) • Africa Brain Dump: Draw the African continent on the center of a dry erase/chalk board or flip chart. Leave enough

space to write around it. Have students shout out (popcorn) whatever comes to mind when they think Africa (things they have learned, seen in the media, things people told them). Do this for a few minutes and write it up on the board. Try to categorize the ideas as you collect them such as responses that are: 1) myths, misconceptions and stereotypes that are false 2) truthful or factual but exagerations in the West, but skews the perspective that we have we have in the West about Africa is written horizontally in the same level as Africa (AIDS, Ebola, Poverty, War, Conflict, Wild Animals, etc.) 3) Every response that is true about Africa, the multicultural/linguistic continent, any name of an African who is not a dictator, etc., (dictators go with the skew responses) Do not reveal the intention behind organizing the list around Africa. When time is up tell the youth that you were intentional in organizing the list, but do not reveal. Ask the youth if they notice a pattern or how the list was organized. After some feedback, explain how the list was organized and debrief the activity by focusing on how limited our perspective of Africa is and why that might be.

• Compare & Contrast/Examine for Questions about Modern Life in Ghana using photos • Construct Simple Percussion Instruments • Look for examples of African Musical features in popular American music • Compare and Contrast the sound of Highlife and Hip Life (contemporary Ghanaian Hip Hop mixed with Highlife) • Discuss World Beat Music and listen to examples of songs. Discuss their similarities and differences.


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VOCABULARY

Aesthetic: a set of principles sensitive to or related to art or beauty and defined by its respective culture.

Community: a group of people sharing a common interest, and often defined geographically by a neighborhood or city.

Culture: is defined by the ideas, habits, skills, arts, beliefs, etc, of a group of people in a certain location or period of time. Often culture is seen as the sum total of ways of living built up by a group of people that is pass down from one generation to another.

Cultural Diffusion: is the way or process by which a cultural trait, material object, idea or pattern of behavior is spread from one society to another.

Ethnic Group: of or relating to a group of people who share racial, linguistic, religious, or cultural ties.

Heritage: refers to a country or area’s history, ethnic ancestors, or cultural traditions that pass from one generation to another.

Improvisation: is the practice of doing creative work with little to no preparation. In music, artists will play off of what each other are doing without rehearsal or written music. One of the 6 African Musical Elements.

Kpanlogo: Pronounced (PAHN-lo-go). This rhythm is neo-traditional social music and dance style that originated from the Ga people in Southern Ghana. In the early sixties, Kpanlogo quickly became popular among urban youth because it represented a connection to the past and progressive attitudes following Ghana’s independence from Great Britain in 1957. The music was influenced by American and European Rock ’n’ Roll and the dance is performed with bent knees and both male and female dancers gyrate their hips.

Master Drummer: a drummer who has learned and excels at all the drumming parts/instrument used in a West African music ensemble. He or she can play and teach everything that makes up a song. He or she also knows the dance, lyrics, and cultural significance behind each piece that is played.

Percussion: is a group of musical instruments that produce sound by being struck or the section of the orchestra playing such instruments. Examples are drums, cymbals, and pianos.


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PRINT RESOURCES

Ahiagble, Gilbert Bobbo. Master Weaver from Ghana. Seattle: Open Hand Publishing, 1998. Barnett, Jeanie M. Ghana. New York: Chelsea House Publishers, 1988. Blum, Odette. Dance in Ghana. Dance Perspectives Foundations: New York, 1973.

Chernoff, John Miller. African Rhythm and African Sensibility. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1979.

Graham, Ronnie. World of African Music: Stern’s Guide to Contemporary African Music. Vol. 2. Pluto Press: London, 1992.

Kebede, Ashenafi. Roots of Black Music. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1982.

Nketia, j.H. Kwabena.The Music of Africa. New York: W.W. Norton, 1974.

CURRICULUM, BENCHMARKS LINKS & ONLINE RESOURCES Link to the Oregon Standards: http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/subjects/arts/curriculum • Africa for kids teaches about daily life in Ghana. www.pbskids.org/africa/myworld/westafrica.html • General information about Ghana www.ghanaweb.com and www.ghana.gov.gh

• To Be A Drum read by Actor James Earl Jones https://youtu.be/7BVBBe56MUg

• President Obama’s speech to the parliament in Ghana. http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/A-New-Moment-of- Promise-in-Africa/

• Drum Dream Girl presented by 4th graders from Millbrook Elementary School https://youtu.be/asftTbAlcuY

• The Influence of African Music Around the World http://blogs.longwood.edu/mitchellrieley/2012/04/28/the-influence-of-african-music-around-the-world/

• PBS Exploring African Culture Teacher Tools & Lesson Plans http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/tools/culture/get_started.html

• Adinkra Cultural Symbols of the Ashanti People of Ghana http://www.stlawu.edu/gallery/education/f/09textiles/adinkra_symbols.pdf

• Anansi & Coyote Trickster Stories http://www.newarkcatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Trickster_Readings.pdf

• Anansi the Spider https://youtu.be/W1CIBaRpSOg

• Africa Climate & Vegetation information http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/map-three/

http://www.ode.state.or.us/teachlearn/subjects/arts/curriculumhttp://www.pbskids.org/africa/myworld/westafrica.htmlhttp://www.ghanaweb.comhttp://www.ghana.gov.ghhttps://youtu.be/7BVBBe56MUghttp://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/A-New-Moment-of- Promise-in-Africa/ http://www.pbs.org/wnet/africa/tools/culture/get_started.htmlhttp://www.stlawu.edu/gallery/education/f/09textiles/adinkra_symbols.pdf http://www.newarkcatholic.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Trickster_Readings.pdfhttps://youtu.be/W1CIBaRpSOghttp://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/map-three/


VI

• The True Size of Africa http://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTU3Njk4NDg.NzEwNzY3Nw*Mjk2MTgxMzU(NzQ1MjExOQ~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTAwMjQwNzU.MjUwMjM1MTc(MTc1)MA~!IN*NTI2NDA1MQ.Nzg2MzQyMQ)MQ~!CN*OTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ(MjI1)Mg

• The True Size of Africa http://brilliantmaps.com/size-of-africa/

• Art & Life in Africa. https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/

• Independence Speech – Kwame Nkrumah March 6, 1957, Accra, Ghana https://youtu.be/MmGbjd21ICY?t=1m23s

• National Geographic News America’s Cultural Roots Traced to Enslaved African Ancestors http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/02/0205_030205_jubilee4_2.html

• Examples of Highlife Classic Old School – Ghana https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5zycFeyqBE Ghana Reggae https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQgxqsHxy_4Hip Life- Blitz the Ambassador – Running https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1btIIf_iBgHip Life- Fuse ODG- Antenna https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfcKzQg9IxU

• History Detectives 20th Century Music http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/20th-century-music/

• Deeper Than Rap: The Black Influence on All of American Music http://soultrain.com/2011/06/27/deeper-than-rap-the-black-influence-on-all-of-american-music/

• National Museum of African American Music http://nmaam.org/

• Carnegie Hall African American Music Timeline http://www.carnegiehall.org/honor/history/

• World Beat Music Highlights, Samples and Artists http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/worldbeat-ma0000011922

• New China TV “Chinese technology boosts farming in Ghana” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXrnF3XLPfc

• Groundswell International “Cultivating the Future: Women Farmers in Ghana” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-GGpEXRees

• The Guardian “The price of gold: Chinese mining in Ghana documentary” | Guardian Investigations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohrrE1rjzLo

CREDITS Updated in 2017 by Educational Coordinator Adam Carpinelli and Graphic Designer Anneli Anderson

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OBO ADDY LEGACY PROJECT:7725 N Fowler Ave | Portland, Oregon 97217Phone: (503)288-3025 | [email protected] | www.oboaddylegacyproject.org
http://thetruesize.com/#?borders=1~!MTU3Njk4NDg.NzEwNzY3Nw*Mjk2MTgxMzU(NzQ1MjExOQ~!CONTIGUOUS_US*MTAwMjQwNzU.MjUwMjM1MTc(MTc1)MA~!IN*NTI2NDA1MQ.Nzg2MzQyMQ)MQ~!CN*OTkyMTY5Nw.NzMxNDcwNQ(MjI1)Mghttp://brilliantmaps.com/size-of-africa/https://africa.uima.uiowa.edu/peoples/ https://youtu.be/MmGbjd21ICY?t=1m23shttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/02/0205_030205_jubilee4_2.htmlhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5zycFeyqBEhttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQgxqsHxy_4Hiphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B1btIIf_iBgHiphttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfcKzQg9IxU http://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/20th-century-music/ http://soultrain.com/2011/06/27/deeper-than-rap-the-black-influence-on-all-of-american-music/http://nmaam.org/ http://www.carnegiehall.org/honor/history/ http://www.allmusic.com/subgenre/worldbeat-ma0000011922 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXrnF3XLPfc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-GGpEXReeshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohrrE1rjzLo http://www.oboaddylegacyproject.org

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