The World

Africa(physical features)

Language Groups of

Africa

Bantu languages – Southern Africa(400 languages, 100 million speakers)

Language Approx. # of speakers Main geographic area

Fang 560 000 Cameroon, GabonBoulou CameroonEwondo CameroonDouala 400 000 CameroonBamileke 2 million CameroonLuva 6.3 million Congo-KinshasaTshiluba 6 million Congo-KinshasaLingala 8 million Central African Republic,

Congo-Brazzaville,Congo-Kinshasa

Kikongo 6 million Angola, Congo-Brazzaville,Congo-Kinshasa

Kituba 5 million Congo (South)Luganda 4 million UgandaMakoua UgandaKinyarwanda-Kirundi 15 million Rwanda, Burundi

Bantu languages – Southern Africa(cont’d)

Language Approx. # of speakers Main geographic area

Swahili 30 million Tanzania, Kenya,Uganda, Congo DR,

Rwanda, BurundiKikouyou 4.6 million KenyaSukuma TanzaniaBemba ZambiaNyanja (chewa, chinyanja) 3.2 million Malawi, ZambiaKimbundu 3 million AngolaUmbundu 4 million AngolaShona 10 million Mozambique, Zambia,

ZimbabweSotho 3.5 million South AfricaTswana 3 million South Africa, BotswanaZulu 5 million South AfricaNdebele 1 million Zimbabwe, South AfricaXhosa 4 million South AfricaComorian languages 900 000 Comoros

MAJOR TRIBES OF AFRICA (1)• Afar Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia• Amhara Central highland plateau of Ethiopia• Anlo-Ewe SE corner of Ghana• Ashanti Central Ghana• Bakongo Atlantic coast of Africa from Pointe-Noire,

Republic of Congo to Luanda, Angola• Bambara Mali• Bemba NE Zambia• Berber Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt• Bobo W Burkina Faso, Mali• Chewa Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi• Dogon SE Mali, Burkina Faso• Fon Benin• Fulani West Africa

MAJOR TRIBES OF AFRICA (2)• Ibo Nigeria• Kikuyu Kenya• Mandinka Senegal, The Gambia, Mali, Guinea-Bissau,

Burkina Faso, Cote d’Ivoire• Masai East Africa• Pygmy Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon,

Gabon, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, Republic of Congo

• Samburu Kenya• San Kalahari Desert in southern Africa• Senufo N Cote d’Ivoire, Mali• Tuareg N Mali• Wolof Senegal• Yoruba SW Nigeria, Benin • Zulu South Africa  

General African Music Traits

• Emphasis on Rhythm

• Use of Percussion

• Density of Timbre (“buzzy sound”)

• Use of Ostinato

• Use of interlocking parts

• Call and Response

• Controlled Improvisation

Zimbabwe(formerly Rhodesia)

A Shona Village

Shona Farmlands

Bira(ceremony for a dead ancestor)

Mbira

• Plucked Idiophone

• Lamellaphone (Lamella = “Tongue”)

• Mbira – common name in Zimbabwe and most of Sub-Saharan Africa

• Called Kalimba in Kenya, Ikembe in Rwanda, Likembe in Congo

• Called “thumb piano,” “gourd piano,” “finger harp,” etc. in West

Mbira

Mbira

Mbira on YouTube• YouTube - Lessons from the Mbira at Duke University• YouTube - KarigaMombe Improv Lesson• YouTube - Mbira Lesson One : KarigaMombe on Gwara Nya

maropa

Ewe Tribal areas

Drums from Eastern Ghana

Gangkogui (timeline)

Axatse (timeline)

Atsimevu(leader)

Sogo, Kidi, Kaganu(left to right)

Anlo-Ewe Drum Ensemble

• Gangokui (clapperless double bell) -TIMELINE• Axatse (rattle – external beads on fishnet) - TIME• Atsimevu (largest drum, often on stand) - LEAD• Kaganu (medium small, semi-independent)• Sogo (small, 2-1/2 ft closed, hand, follower)• Kidi (small, 2 ft closed, sticks, follower)• See dancedrummer.com for examples• Also see Virtual Instrument Museum (Region: Africa)

for individual instruments

African Drumming on YouTube

• YouTube - Akrowa Dance Ensemble, Drumming in Kokrobite Ghana

• YouTube - traditional Ewe drumming and singing

• YouTube - Ayan Bisi Adeleke - Master talking drummer - drum talks

• YouTube - Yoruba Bata Ensemble Drums for Orisa, volume 1

Popular Music in Africa(mainly Nigeria)

King Sunny Adé (b. 1946)“Minister of Enjoyment”

“Golden Mercury of Africa”

King Sunny and his African Beats

Jújú• Yoruba-based music (tribe of SW Nigeria)• Emerges in 1930s w/ trios

- a leader who sang and played the banjo- a shekere bottle-gourd rattle player- a jùjú (tambourine) drummer

• 1948 – addition of Yoruba talking drum• King Sunny’s Band (large lineup, up to 16+)

5-8 guitars, 2+ Talking drums, synthesizer(s), pedal steel guitar, miscellaneous percussion, 4 or more backup singers

• “Jújú Music” (Island Records, 1982) -200,000 copies sold [replacement for Bob Marley]

Highlife, JuJu, Afrobeat(Nigerian Pop)

• YouTube - Taxi Driver - A Highlife Classic• YouTube - Classic Highlife• YouTube - West African Highlife Band & Nigerian Brothers d

rum & chants• YouTube - JUJU MUSIC - Performance Documentary Trailer• YouTube - Dele Abiodun- Juju music -Nigeria Yoruba• YouTube - Juju Tempo Tola Osumare• YouTube - I.K. Dairo - Salome (Audio)• YouTube - I.K. Dairo MBE• YouTube - King Sunny Ade (KSA@60)• YouTube - KING SUNNY ADE - JA FUNMI• YouTube - King Sunny Ade - Sunny Ti de Ariya (Audio)

Fela Kuti (1938-1997)

Fela’s life• Middle-Class Nigerian family

- Mother – Feminist & Anti-colonialist- Father – Minister & Teacher (Union Pres.)

• London (1958) to study medicine, then music

• Koola Lobitos (mixes jazz, funk, highlife)

• Nigeria (1963-69) radio producer

• United States (1969) – influenced by Black Power movement

• Bands: Nigeria ’70, Africa ‘70

Fela’s life

• 1978 – marries 27 women (dancers in band)

• Accra concert in Ghana (riots after “Zombie”)

• 1979 – runs for president of Nigeria (“Movement of the People” Party)

• Band: Egypt ‘80

• 1980s – tours (US, Europe, etc.)

• 1984 – jailed (currency smuggling)

• 1997 – dies of complications of AIDS

Fela’s Music

• Afro Beat (his term) – jazz, funk, highlife

• Large horn line, African percussion, etc.

• Long (10-minute songs) static dance grooves- ostinato patterns- call & response- improvisation

• Political lyrics (pan-Africanism)

• Sings in Pidgin English (why?)

Fela on YouTube• YouTube - Lady/Water No Get Enemy by. Fela Kuti• YouTube - Zombie - The Fela Kuti Tribute Concert

2003 (performed by Fela’s son)• YouTube - Fela Kuti "Gentleman“

General African Music Traits

• Emphasis on Rhythm

• Use of Percussion

• Density of Timbre (“buzzy sound”)

• Use of Ostinato

• Use of interlocking parts

• Call and Response

• Controlled Improvisation