Music, dance and story telling are among the forms of art that have been kept century after century in Africa. Everyday life activities in traditional Africa included music and many other cultural experiences. Music and dance were traditions that characterized an African musical expression and played an important role in the lives of the people.The traditional music of Africa possessed a distinguishing feature of rhythmic complexity like no other continent. Music was highly functional in ethnic life, accompanying birth, marriage, hunting and even political activities.Before the 20th century, music was very different when compared to the 21st century music. Special occasions owned a distinctive type of African music.
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.
He is truly being inspired from a more simple and humble beginning in the West Indies when he strips down his dancers in “From Before” to just the bare essentials. Garth Fagan is clearly expressing culture through dance as his choreography draws upon African and West Indian roots for inspiration. He expresses context by stripping down his performers to very bare costumes and thus taking African dance and applying it in a unconventional situation. Tradition, I feel ties into culture in this case and is expressed by the preservation throughout the performance of many of the same movements used in African dance. Garth Fagan expresses value by although changing the context of African dance he has preserved the
Key features used in western African music - repetition: melodies and rhythms being played over and over again - improvisation: melodies and rhythms being made up as they go along - call and response: usually a solo performer signs something and a larger group then repeats what has just been sung Layered textures: music built up from independent lines that are designed to be heard together All these are used in Yiri, Yiri is performed by koko. Koko is a group of six professional musicians from the country Burkina Faso. Three different sections Introduction - balafon solo using tremolo Main section - drums play ostinato and there is a strong clear pulse, halfway through koko sings using call and response between soloist and choir Coda - a short phrase for balafon played five times each varied versions, the drums is interrupted rests and a bell is used to end. Yiri means wood because most of the instruments are made out of wood apart from the bell. They perform the music from memory then listen to the recordings and note the music down this is called transcription.
They have created a strong economy through farming, trading, and art production. Their outstanding and unique artistic traditions include woodcarving, sculpture, metal work, textiles, and beadwork. Although I’m Nigerian there is much that I have to learn myself when it comes to the culture. I will be taking an in-depth look on the Yoruba’s history, cultural values, some important rituals and practices, religion and belief’s, and the role of gender. In the 4th century BC, Yoruba people we not initially known as Yoruba although they have common sentiments and share a common ethnicity and language group.
It depicts the struggles of slavery and servitude, hardships, anger, rage and finally happiness. Judith Jamison explains, “Cry goes from being in Africa and being forced onto a ship and taken across seas then being forced into slavery… but then triumphanting through all the badness…with a head held high.” The work is divided into three sections. The first section explores the expressive emotions and restrain of slavery, servitude and most of all, the struggle through life. It opens to the dancer is upstage centre with a cloth covering her face, showing weakness and vulnerability. Throughout this section the only prop, the white cloth, acts as a burden for her, symbolizing her lifestyle.
As well as many other religions/likewise, traditional religions belong to those, whom practicing and celebrating life-cycle rituals play an essential role throughout the one’s life. In Africa; for example, the most popular yet well-known rituals such as, birth, coming of age, marriage, and death in general concepts are reasonably extensive between each other. First, the native African civilizations and their pattern of performing life-cycle practices are frequently initiated as some type of contributions to the familial/ancestral spirits. These offered gifts are a combination of food such as pumpkins, honey, and yams, with different beverages; for example, water or something stronger left at the worship places “… taken out and poured over the ancestral, burial ground” (Sinaiko, xli). Therefore, birth as a first ritual plays an important part, and shortly after birth, it is crucial to name a newborn baby.
It is hard to avoid getting labeled because people are always judging you no matter what. The story “The Dancer” is about how a little girl came from a wicked past and got labeled a sociopathic along the way. Even though she got labeled, she overcame that through dancing and finding her Native American roots. There are many attributes of Native American literature in Vickie Sears’ story “The Dancer”. Traits found in this story include that the best way to learn is through experience, observation, listening and doing, oral traditions are important and maintaining traditions, native language and culture.
The movement, too, was similar to that of the Tambu, and the dance was also first seen to the wider public at the 1966 Festival Competition. The Ettu dance also has what is known as 'Shawling'. Shawling is a ritual which involves throwing of shawls or scarves around the neck of another dancer as a sign of appreciation. This significant task is an integral part of Ettu traditional dances. - See more at: http://timeinjamaica.com/ettu_dance#sthash.gzowyClv.dpuf Quadrille Quadrille originated from the popular dance of the French and English in the 18th and 19thcenturies.
Is Capoeira Brazilian or is it African? The answer to the question whether Capoeira is a dance, ritual or fighting style is simple. Capoeira is a ritualistic fighting style disguised as a dance. Knowing or learning whether Capoeira came from Rio, Bahia or Pernambuco would be a very difficult task being that most records and accounts post-slavery were destroyed. Capoeira history is passed through word of mouth, folklore and most commonly through music.