The Transnational Sounds of Africa

“Rhythm is essential to all life and all music. It is nestled in the beat of our hearts; it is the very thing that makes us tap our feet to a catchy tune.” (OneAfricaNow.com – ‘African Music: The Rhythm of Life’)

African music has had a strong influence on music everywhere, not just in terms of rhythm but also melody and harmony. It all started a couple of centuries back with the Atlantic Slave trade which saw many Africans taken from their homes to Europe, Brazil and America. While a dark time for human rights, it was undeniably the golden era of refreshing influences regarding art and African music.

We need only to look at blues, jazz and pop to find the African influence in its rhythm and melody. One example of the influence of African music on western styles is that of blues music. The origin of the blues can be traced back to the blending of African and European music, before taking root in the American South. The basics of this genre were primarily influenced by African-American culture. The use of flatted notes (the 3^rd, 5^th and especially 7^th) comes from the indigenous music of West Africa, and the “call and response” lyrics are from the “field hollers” of the slaves and, later on, the sharecroppers.

Below is a taster of African Blues, accompanied by poignant images of the people of Mali, one of the enslaved communities of Africa. It ties in perfectly with New Orleans blues, and is the foundation of African-American music.

There is an organisation based in Sheffield called Unbeatable Energy, which mainly uses the Djembe, a traditional West African instrument, in drumming sessions that open up opportunities for people from all backgrounds. Its aim is to bring groups together to produce rhythms and beats, complementing each other in their creativity and supporting one another in generating a result that they would not have thought possible, instigating a community spirit through music. The organisation is testament to how the sounds of Africa have spread across to western civilisation and invigorated people’s lives. 

Here is a vibrant performance from students who attend the Unbeatable Energy Beginners and Intermediate Courses in African Drumming led by Steve Rivers. You can’t help but be inspired by the passion and energy with which Steve leads the group!

“The medical, psychological and emotional benefit of group drumming has gained global recognition in the last decade with community based organisations taking full advantage of the way it breaks down barriers, builds confidence and aids better communication.”

By integrating the work of musician Lebo M, the score to The Lion King musical tapped into the beautiful, complex rhythms of South African music. The Rough Guide to World Music states: “South Africa is distinguished by the most complex musical history, the greatest profusion of styles and the most intensely developed recording industry anywhere in Africa.” South Africa’s musical history is linked to its national history and the racist system of apartheid, in which black South Africans were confined to small areas, their movements and rights tightly controlled by the white minority. The South African musical styles Mbube (a style of a capella music heard in the song ‘The Lion Sleeps Tonight’) and Iscathamiya (a four-part call-and-response male choral music style heard in the song ‘One By One’). The musical itself has provided audiences across the globe – over 50 million people, in fact – with a vibrant flavour of the rich African culture through the medium of music.

Below is a glimpse of the show in all its glory being performed in London:

To use a more modern example, bands such as Vampire Weekend, Toubab Krewe and Fool’s Gold are a key illustration of the cross-pollination between African and western musical styles. Artists all over the world have looked to African music for inspiration, which demonstrates the power of African music to transcend both national borders and conventional genres.

Harriet Dew

Sources:

http://www.unbeatable-energy.co.uk/

http://www.afropop.org/multi/feature/ID/940/Not%20Your%20Daddys%20Rumba%20Anymore:%20African%20Music%20Breaches%20American%20Rock

http://www.oneafricanow.com/Music.html

http://www2.disney.co.uk/musicaltheatre/TheLionKing/abouttheshow/themusic-southafricanmusic.html