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APPROACHES TO THE ADAPTATION OF SHONA NGOMA STYLES IN ZIMBABWEAN POPULAR MUSIC
Get PDFThe focus of this article is on Zimbabwean popular songs that adapt traditional Shona ngoma (drum) genres. Its purpose is twofold. First, the article identifies Zimbabwean popular musicians\u27 various approaches to the adaptation of traditional rhythmic patterns and song texts associated with certain ngoma genres. Second, it examines how these approaches influence the process of redefining the Shona musical tradition. It is argued that the traditional drumming patterns and styles incorporated within specific Shona popular songs have an important role in redefining this music culture within Zimbabwean popular music in general. A critical analysis is conducted on selected ngoma-influenced, Zimbabwean popular songs and the opinions expressed by the popular musicians who create the music. Three different approaches of adapting ngoma rhythms have been identified and are explained. These approaches are realised in the "integration” of musical and non-musical elements, "framework” as far as the imitation of structure is concerned, and "component”, as far as content is concerned
METER, FEEL, AND PHRASING IN WEST AFRICAN BELL PATTERNS: THE EXAMPLE OF ASANTE KETE FROM GHANA
Get PDFThis article offers an analysis of west African bell patterns, positioning them as an entry to musical analysis of west African drumming. How can bell patterns be used as a tool by researchers to establish meter? What information do they provide about the "feel” of the music? And finally, how do these patterns interact with the underlying meter and feel, and what does this reveal about phrasing in west African music? To answer these questions, this article examines the case of the dawuro iron bell in Asante Kete drumming from Ghana. A close analysis of the Kete dawuro bell pattern reveals that the Kete pattern may be represented in an "African 12/8” or ternary-quadruple meter, emphasizes the importance of the half-time 2-feel embodying the Asante maxim of "not hurrying”, and demonstrates the highly motile and "goal-oriented” phrasing exemplified in Kete\u27s timeline patterns. To the broader west African and diasporic scholarly communities, this article presents a model for inferring meter, feel, and phrasing through close analysis of west African bell patterns
GUIDED SYNCRETISM: REPACKAGING BADAGRY-OGU MUSIC IN THE CONTEXT OF LAGOS\u27 POSTCOLONIAL MODERNITY
Get PDFAt the Congress of Berlin (1884—85), the colonial governments created and imposed boundaries on the people of the continent, thereby fragmenting, for example, Gbe ethnolinguistic groups into different west-African countries, under the administrations of Britain, France and Germany. The Badagry-Ogu ethnic group, being the only Gbe ethnolinguistic group in Nigeria, which was colonised by the British government, was marginalized due to its positionality. Badagry-Ogu musical practices experienced the same situation and they have consistently waned over the years. These days, due to the effects of a postcolonial modernity in Lagos the indigenous is perceived as inferior, resulting in the condescending attitude of Badagry-Ogu youth towards their heritage. This paper describes the process of creating an experimental musical style, which syncretises Badagry-Ogu music and American jazz. This process involves the collection of music, engagement with performers, analysis and arranging of music and music making, with the thought of revitalising the interest of the youth trained in western music to engage more with their heritage, while making Ogu music more widely accessible in the global context. Supporting the argument for composition as a living archive, this paper features a new approach to musical conservation in Badagry Lagos
"CREATIVE ETHNOMUSICOLOGY” AND AFRICAN ART MUSIC: A CLOSE MUSICAL READING OF WOOD AND CLAY, KUNDI DREAMS AND UMRHUBHE GEESTE BY ANTHONY CAPLAN
Get PDFThis article deals with Anthony Caplan\u27s application of African art music through the lens of three works whose instrumentation and compositional processes result in pieces that transcend conventional boundaries. These works emerge as integrated artistic products exceeding the limitations of conventional musical expression. Through close musical readings of Wood and Clay, Kundi Dreams and Umrhubhe Geeste, Caplan\u27s employment of "creative ethnomusicology” (term first used by Akin Euba) becomes evident as his knowledge, experience and familiarity with a wide range of musical styles and cultures coalesce in the creation of original works of musical art. Combining either the udu, Kundi harp or umrhubhe with the oboe Caplan\u27s compositional amalgam merges sonic qualities from African and Western musical domains, including aspects of Eastern musicmaking. Evincing the attributes of African art music-labelled by Euba as African-European art music-Caplan\u27s three works represent a growing body of repertoire from South Africa (a relative latecomer to this style of writing) embodying the essence of African art music
Black South African urban music since the 1890\u27s: some reminiscences of Alfred Assegai Kumalo (1879-1966)
Get PDFThe main body of this article deals with personal reminiscences and anecdotes many of them relating to music - recounted to me by the renowned Zulu musician, choir-master and composer, the late Mr A. A. Kumalo during two tape-recorded interviews in Edendale, Natal in 1964. This was some two years before he suffered a stroke (in July 1966) from which he never fully recovered. He died peacefully at his home on 9 December 1966, aged 87