Download `Yiri` by Koko Music in African society • Rich, diverse musical culture

‘Yiri’ by Koko
Music in African society
•
•
•
•
•
Rich, diverse musical culture in sub-Saharan African (made up of 50 nations)
Music is used to communicate different feeling and emotions
Important part of any social gathering – celebrating harvest, birthdays, weddings, funerals
Music often combined with speech and dance/costumes
Music frequently linked to movement – stories can be told through mime/dance
There are broadly three strands of African music
1. Drumming
2. Choral music
3. Instrumental music
Common features of African music
•
•
•
•
Repetition – could be a few notes or whole section of music
Improvisation – making music up spontaneously without using notation
Polyphony – texture involving two or more parts. This creates a multi-layered texture
Call and response – a solo (call) followed by group answering phrase (response)
African Drumming
• The drum is considered the most important instrument. It has historically been a means of
communication – certain rhythmic patterns meaning different things. Eg: a slow beat could
signal a sad occasion
• Drums also have religious significance
• There are hundreds of drums in Africa – their names vary from region to region
• Most common drum is the single headed DJEMBE (comes in range of sizes and pitches).
This is a single-head instrument shaped like a goblet, made in a range of sizes to produce
different pitches Double headed drums include DUNDUN and DONNO (often called the
talking drum)
• Drums often heard in ensembles, where a solo drum is played by the master drummer, and
a set of accompanying drums
• Different sounds can be produced by:
• OPENING/CLOSING hand as drum is struck;. Different sounds are made when
fingers are open or closed.
• Playing on the edge of the drum
• Using sticks to create a sharp staccato sound
• Stretching the skin of drum to alter pitch (particularly effective on the donno.
A typical African drumming performance
•
•
•
African music based on an oral tradition – no notation
Master drummer stands in centre and is responsible for directing the performance. He gives
signals to start, often with a vocal cry followed by a short rhythmic solo called a cue.
The response can be an exact copy or different rhythm
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cueing helps to define the different sections of music
Essentially the structure is like a series of variations on the same rhythmic patterns
Solos are an important part of the piece
During solos a steady continuous beat, called the TIMELINE, is played by the master
drummer
Rhythms are complex and with many playing at the same time the texture is
POLYRHYTHMIC. The rhythms will conflict with each other and the main beat to create
CROSS RHYTHMS
As the piece progresses the tension increases. Dynamics and tempo in each section will vary
to create contrast. The master drummer controls these changes to make the piece interesting
Some performance can take up to five hours or longer! There is almost always movement
and dance to accompany the performance.
African Choral Singing
• Singing believed to be a link to the spiritual world. African languages are TONAL (pitch
alters meaning)
• Singing is central to musical culture in African. The belief is that singing is a link to the spirit
world
• It is a vital part of everyday life and involves the whole community
• Songs provide a means of communication.
• African languages are TONE LANGUAGES. This means the pitch of the sound determines
the actual meaning of the words.
• Basic form of songs is call and response
• Melodies are usually short, simple and repeated many times
• Often use a scale of only 5 – 7 notes
• The melodies are changed during the song, like a variation
• Performers will improvise new melodies while the original continues. This creates
polyphonic textures
• Rounds are common
• Sometimes the song will be in unison or parallel octaves. Sometimes harmony is created in
intervals of 4ths or 5ths. In addition, some will be harmonised in thirds and go into two or
three parts.
African instrumental music
• Instruments vary between regions
• There are many types of drums – as a group they are called MEMBRANOPHONES
• IDIOPHONES – are resonant/solid instruments like rattles, bells, mbira, xylophones
(balaphones), stamping tubes
• AEROPHONES – wind instruments, such as flutes, panpipes, horns, trumpets, whistles
• CHORDOPHONES – strings instruments, such as zithers, lutes, lyres.
• Body percussion is also common – hand clapping, foot stamping and vocal effect such as
shouting, called VOCABLES
• Xylophones (balaphones) are one of most common African instruments
• They come in different sizes, from very low and resonant to high pitches smaller instruments
• Wooden bars rest on a framework, which allow them to vibrate
Common features of African instrumental music
There are 5 common features of instrumental music:
1. Repetition including ostinati
2. Improvisation
3. Cyclic structures
4. Polyphonic textures
5. Intertwining melodies
Yiri’
•
•
This piece comes from Burkino Faso, a landlocked nation in West Africa
There are three clear strands in the piece:
1. The balaphone ostinati – which combined produce a complex polyphonic
texture
2. The drum ostinati – there is a relentless one bar pattern
3. The vocal line – this is a simple pentatonic call and response structure
Musical features of Yiri
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Generally….the TEMPO doesn’t change, BEAT is regular, DRUM OSTINATO persists
throughout, VOICES are followed by instrumental breaks on balaphone, DYNAMICS don’t
change much, the mood is celebratory
Structure: Intro – Chorus A1 – Chorus A2 – Solo with choral responses – Chorus B1 –
chorus A3 - Coda
Introduction – in free tempo with improvised balaphone solo (monophonic texture) in Gflat
major
Moderate tempo established as second balaphone, plays in octaves to first. TONALITY
established as MAJOR. Melody built on two bar phrases – both balaphones play more or
less same melody, with some variations – this is called a HETEROPHONIC TEXTURE.
Large talking drum, small talking drum and djembe added. Rhythms are SYNCOPATED
Chorus A1: voices in unison, with short simple and repetitive tune, followed by balaphone
break
Chorus A2: almost same as A1 followed by balaphone break
Solo with choral responses: solo voice introduces new melody with long held notes.
Rhythms of solo become more complex (uses TRIPLETS) and the original melody is heard
in VARIED FORMS
Chorus B1: full choir sing ‘Yiri’ in unison with short instrumental interjections. There is
DIALOGUE between voices and instruments (they are answering each other). Balaphone
break is now more complex and VIRTUOSIC
Chorus A3: full choir again in unison with instrumental interjections
Coda: five two bat phrases in octaves broken up by rests. The piece concludes with a
single ‘ting’ on the bell
Key Words
• OSTINATO
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
IMPROVISATION
POLYPHONY
CALL AND RESPONSE
MONOPHONIC / POLYPHONIC / HETEROPHONIC TEXTURES
:INSTRUMENTS: DJEMBE, DONNO, DUNDUN, BALAPHONE, MARACAS, FLUTE
ORAL TRADITION
POLYRHYTHMIC / CROSS RHYTHMS / SYNCOPATION
VARIATIONS
UNISON
Thought provokers:
• Key words linked to African music – improvisation, ostinati, polyrhythms, cross rhythms,
syncopation, call and response, heterophonic textures
• Roles of the various instruments and voices (Master Drummer)
• Ostinati – how they are used
• Call and response
• Improvisation (on the balafon)
• Rhythmic features – cross rhythms, syncopation, polyrhythm
• Instrumentation – identification
• Texture – how it changes
• The role of music in African society (celebrations, rituals, ceremonies, communication, story
telling)