Sub-Saharan Africa
In class, we mostly talked about the music in Ghana. However, having some friends from Nigeria and just having a deeper interest, I decided to see a little more about the music in Nigeria. As expected, percussion instruments are extremely common. However, one instrument, the kakaki, really grabbed my attention in my research. It’s a 3-4 meter long trumpet that is used in traditional Hausa (an ethnic group in Nigeria) ceremonial music, and is more associated with royalty. The instrument is exclusively played by men, and has a very loud sound. Below is a video of the Kakaki being played!
Now onto Somalia! Before a civil war shredded the country’s culture, a very prominent pop music culture thrived until the 80s. Somali music culture is rich with poetic lyrics, which was encouraged by the government as an escapee from colonialism. This push from the government is what caused the artistic scene to flourish in the younger generations. Lots of music at the time, specifically “dhaanto,” had similar sound and rhythm to modern reggae. Below is a video close to the music I am referring to, as there is limited access to the genre now.
In Madagascar, a country home to a diverse blend of ethnicities, is rich with musical tradition. Traditional musicians of Madagascar are primarily self taught, as there are music teachers. All skills are passed through families. A lot of this traditional music is played at rituals, ceremonies, and during games. According to the comment section and my own speculation, the title of “tribal war chant” for the video below is inaccurate, but it does however give an example of some of the more traditional music in Madagascar. The music is very different from the examples we listened to in class, but I really enjoy listening to it.
Sources:
https://worldmusic.net/blogs/guide-to-world-music/the-music-of-nigeria
https://everyevery.ng/traditional-musical-instrument-the-royal-blowing-kakaki-trumpet/
https://www.musicinafrica.net/magazine/traditional-music-madagascar
I also researched the kakai and traditional Madagascarn music. I think you would like salegy, a popular modern Madagascarn music genre. It reminds me of American funk pop, but with undertones of the traditional Madagascarn music. Somali music sounds very interesting as well.
ReplyDeleteYou mentioned the Somali Civil War when talking about the Ogaden Traditional Dance. A dance with music that is only made by the voices of the men and women that are participating, there are no assisting instruments, which is something you rarely see. But, on the topic of the Civil War, it would have been interesting to see you go in depth and show the transition of music in Somalian as a consequence of the War.
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