African Music

Notes:

Ethnomusicologists Cultural Perspective

African musical form can be best understood within African Social Situations. To clarify this point if we think of a joke which we heard before, maybe often, but a good comedian could still make us laugh at it. However, we would miss the point if we analyzed or thought of the joke merely as an arrangement of words about a particular theme or of the music and merely a structure of sounds.

People quietly listening to classical music v. people dancing whilst listening to African music

It is a mistake to sit and listen to African Music, because then it is set apart from its social and cultural context.

There are very few important things which happen without music - the sheer amount of musical activity in Africa.

Ashanti (Ghana) children sing songs to cure bedwetting

Hausas ( Nigeria) pay musicians to compose songs to court lovers or insult rivals

Song singing whilst working

Hutus ( Burundi/Zaire/Rwanda) paddling canoes sing different songs depending on whether they are going with the current or against

African music making is a group activity.

In many African cultures musicians are the acknowledged authorities on history and myth.

J.H. Kwabena Nketia, African musicologist “ A village that has not organised music or neglects community singing, drumming, or dancing is said to be dead”

	African musical form can be best understood within African Social Situations. To clarify this point if we think of a joke which we heard before, maybe often, but a good comedian could still make us laugh at it. However, we would miss the point if we analyzed or thought of the joke merely as an arrangement of words about a particular theme or of the music and merely a structure of sounds.
	People quietly listening to classical music v. people dancing whilst listening to African music
	It is a mistake to sit and listen to African Music, because then it is set apart from its social and cultural context.

	Ashanti (Ghana) children sing songs to cure bedwetting
	Hausas ( Nigeria) pay musicians to compose songs to court lovers or insult rivals
	Song singing whilst working
	Hutus ( Burundi/Zaire/Rwanda) paddling canoes sing different songs depending on whether they are going with the current or against