The Music of Africa• Music in Africa was a part of everyday life.

• It was used in games, for celebrations, during work, in birth and in death. Music was a very important part of being African.

• Instruments were made from whatever materials people could find.

Djundjun

Ngoma

lAxatse

Kora

Mbira

Double Bell

Balafone

HoshoChitendi

Music of Africa• Music of Africa is characterized by highly

complex rhythms.• African music uses a call and response

method in which a leader starts and then a chorus responds.

• Rhythm often helped people keep a steady beat while working.

• In Africa music is intertwined with everyday life.

• http://www.walden.com/images/uploads/resource/Pulse_EdGuide.pdf

Song 1 “The Names of the Rivers” -traditional game song from Zimbabwe

Leader: The Zambezi, I crossed it!Chorus: I crossed it!L: The Limpopo, I crossed it!C: I crossed it!L: The Nile, I crossed it!C: I crossed it!L: The Niger, I crossed it!C: I crossed it!L: The Mississippi, I crossed it!C: I crossed it!L: The Colorado, I crossed it!C: I crossed it!

“Choose Your Own” -traditional game song from Zimbabwe

Leader: Choose your own, yeah, yeahChorus: He wears a white amuletL: Choose your own, yeah, yeahC: He wears a white amuletL: Who is yours, yeah, yeah?C: He wears a white amuletL: Mine is Bobby, yeah, yeahC: He wears a white amuletL: Yours is short, yeah, yeahC: He wears a white amuletL: Mine is tall, yeah, yeahC: He wears a white amuletL: Hey, Bobby, yeah, yeahC: He wears a white amulet

Mukondombera “The Holocaust (AIDS)” by Thomas Mapfumo (excerpt)

You should stop fooling around, men,You should stop fooling around, girls,Beware of this plague, the illness has come,If you are not afraid, you will perish.Oh goodness, we are perishing,An illness has come into this world,Play it safe, because this world has gone bad.This illness has come,It is a giant whip sent down by God.Oh God, what are we supposed to do?God, please give us an idea.To stop it all, stand by your spouse

Mnyonge Hana Haki “The Poor Have No Rights” by Remmy Ongala

If you are on a journey, never hurryThere are many problems on the road, so don’t hurry.I went on a journey, I arrived safely, I arrived peacefully.PeaceWhat bitter words.I am a weakling, I have nothing to say in front of my peers.A bicycle has no say in front of a motorcycle,A motorcycle has no say in front of a car,A car has no say in front of a train,The poor and weak have no rightsI am poor, I have no right to speak,Poor and weak in front of the powerfulWeak as long as the powerful likesA hare has no say in front of the lion,A rat does not parade in front of a catThe poor can only lean on God,The poor have no rights

Languages of Africa

• It is estimated that there are 1,500-2000 different languages spoken in Africa.

• An estimated 3,000,000 people speak Swahili in Africa.

• It is the most widely spoken language of Eastern Africa.

• The names and language used in Disney’s ‘The Lion King’ were Swahili.

“Bonse Aba”• Comes from Zambia, Africa

• Written in Swahili• Translation means “ All who sing with the

spirit have a right to be called children of God.”

• Song is used in celebration and as a greeting.

REVIEW• Swahili is a naturally rhythmic language.• Rhythm is a large part of African music. • Along with ‘call and response’, highly complex

rhythms are a large part of African music.

Rhythm Review• A Time Signature appears as a fraction and

tells us how many beats are in a measure of music.

• A quarter note and a quarter rest get one beat of time.

• An eighth note and an eighth rest get half a beat of time.

Rhythm Review

The Sixteenth Note• A sixteenth note receives ¼ of a beat. This

means that 4 sixteenth notes can fit into 1 beat. • Sixteenths have an extra flag on their stem.

• Sixteenth notes are counted ‘1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a,”.

Quarter Note- NO FLAG Eighth Note- 1 FLAG Sixteenth Note- 2 FLAGS

• One quarter note fills an entire beat of music.

• Two eighth notes fill 1 beat of music.

• Four sixteenth notes make 1 beat of music.

1

1 &

1e

&a

Draw numbers 1-5 in your folder. Write the counts to each. Be prepared prepared to share. If a measure is blank, leave it blank.

1-2 3e+a 4e+a

1 + 2 + 3e+a 1e+a 2 3 1 2e+a 3

1e+a 2e+a

1 2 3e+a 4 1+2+ 3 4e+a 1 2 3e+a 4e+a

1+ 2e+a 3e+a 4+ 1-2 3e+a 4

1 2 3e+a

1 2

1+ 2+ 3 + 4+

1+ 2 3e+a 4-51-2 3e+a 4 5

1+ 2e+a1 + 2 + 1e+a 2 +1 2

Rhythm Review• Rests make silence and still count for time.

Rests are counted the same as notes.

• A quarter rest gets one beat of time.

• An eighth rest get half a beat of time.

Draw numbers 1, 3, and 4 in your folder. Write the counts to each. Be prepared to

share.

___________________________________

Rhythm Review

The Sixteenth REST• A sixteenth rest receives ¼ of a beat. This

means that 4 sixteenth rest can fit into 1 beat of musical time.

• Sixteenth rests have an extra flag on their stem.

• Sixteenth Rests are counted ‘1-e-&-a, 2-e-&-a,”. Quarter Rest- NO FLAG Eighth Rest- 1 FLAG Sixteenth Rest- 2 FLAGS

1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

• One quarter rest fills an entire beat of music.

• Two eighth rests fill 1 beat of music.

• Four sixteenth rests make 1 beat of music.

1

1 &

1e

&a

1 2 3 4

1 2 3 4+ ++ +

1 e + a 2 e + a 3 e + a 4 e + a

Exam Thursday, 3/10/2011Music Theory• Quarter notes, eighth notes, sixteenth notes-

Identify and count.• Identify and count all rests.• Time signatures and repeat sign.Jazz History• Know the original purpose and meaning of

African American spirituals.• Be sure to have all the notes beginning with

“Bonse Aba” (from Feb 1).

Exam Thursday, 3/10/2011Be sure to have…• All notes starting from Feb 1.

– Notes can be found on my teacher website for new students.

All worksheets: lessons 37, 38, 39, and 40. Excerpt 1 and 2 worksheet.