The art of drumming and dancing holds an extremely important role in the traditional cultures of Ghana, Africa. The fact that this music and dance is remembered and performed without ever being scribed holds testament to its important role in the Ghanaian culture. Even with the world molding into a place in which modern technology has reached almost everywhere, there are still people willing to appreciate and perform the traditions that have been passed down for many generations. Both drumming and dancing are combined and used for a very wide range of events. The content heavily relies on where in Ghana one is located.
People said it reflects the character of the race that made it, some said it came from the reasons that I’ve already said. As well as that people say that folk music is usually learnt and taught by ear although in some cases it’s noted, this caused the main difference, as the cultures that did not rely on noted folk music could not be readily categorised. Some traditional folk music became known as World Music or Roots Music. Instruments of Folk Music. There are many instruments used in folk music, the one I use in my Folk Group is the 6 string acoustic guitar.
It also had deeper roots in a style of music called “Blues,” which was used to express the daily experiences of the community (History). Other influences include the combination of West African folk music with the popular classical music of Europe, developing into syncopated rhythms and chord variations on classical pieces (Passion). Jazz started when World War I had just ended and a social revolution was on it's way. Customs and values of previous were rejected. Life was to be lived to the fullest.
The Robin Johns, living in a slave trade town, were considered “Princes” to their people. I believe that in Africa, each town has its own ruler or rulers, and as the book clearly portrays, each town has a ruler, and the Robin Johns are the leaders of Old Calabar. Secondly, the Robin Johns have been influenced by the culture of Europeans through the slave trade. Grandy King
GCSE WORLD MUSIC-African (Yiri) African Voices How are they used? In Africa songs are sung for many reason and it is ingrained into their culture. They can be sung for: -childhood lullabies -birthdays -marriages -funerals -religious and tribal occasions Techniques One main technique used in African music is call and response where one person leads and a group answers. The group normally sings the melody in unison whilst the leader/soloists improvise over the top. It is still used today in gospel music.
Slave Song History It can be said that Slave songs was born in Africa and that slaves or Africans brought their customs or rituals to America. Singing songs was very important to the Africans because it acted as a form of communication. In the home country of Africa the songs that the people sang told a lot about the communities the people dwelt in, like the condition of the tribes or about nature. African songs were also used to express the religious beliefs of the Africans, whether it is God or gods or to ward of those spirits that they thought meant harm. The Africans also used songs to tell about what happened in the community.
Many even consider him a pioneer of Afrobeats music. Afrobeats music is known to be a combination of traditional Yoruba music, Jazz, highlife, funk and chanted vocals, fused with percussion and vocal styles, which was very popular in Africa in the 1970’s. Throughout Kuti family there was much leadership and success. His mother Funmilanyo was known as a feminist activist. While his father Oludotun Rasome Kuti was a protestant minister and a school principal.
Their influence on U.S. culture runs deep even though the African American community represents a relatively small percentage of the U.S. population, accounting for about 13% (United States Census Bureau). In this essay I will focus on their effect on the entertainment industry, language, politics, economy, and education. African Americans have a rich musical tradition, rooted in African tradition, which was incorporated into daily life by slaves. They used “singing, call and response and hollering to coordinate their labor, communicate with one another across adjacent fields, and bolster weary spirits” (Class notes, week 4). These were the building blocks in the development of jazz, gospel and blues, which continued to evolve into to Rock ‘n Roll, R&B, Hip Hop and Rap; all quintessentially American forms of music.
caAfrican American Culture Introduction Are you aware that the characteristics of a particular group of people are defined by everything from language, religion, cuisine, social habits, music and arts? Today, in the United States as in other countries populated largely by immigrants, the culture is influenced by the many groups of people that now make up the country. Music of African Americans Blues is a part of African American music. The blues is a extremely various type music with many different musical expressions. The musicians always created an individual style of blues when they performed.
The History of African Dance African dancing has both historic and social traditions that hold more significance than those of many other cultures. The dances help to celebrate not only special events and festivals, but they regularly tell stories about a culture’s history. Dancing was used to deflect danger, to ask for fortune, to express emotions and feeling and also to celebrate certain life-changing happenings such as birth or marriage. Dancing was also a way to simply pass time and to enjoy life. African dance is polycentric where the dancer’s body has many centers and doesn’t move as a whole throughout the dance.