Traditional West African music varies due to the regional separation of West Africa, yet it can be distinguished by two distinct categories: Islamic music and indigenous secular music. The widespread influence of Islam on culture in West Africa dates back to at least the 9th century, facilitated by the introduction of camels to trade routes between the North of Africa and West Africa.[1] Islam-influenced West African music commonly includes the use of stringed instruments like the goje, while more secular traditional West African music incorporates greater use of drums such as the djembe.
Contemporary styles of music in West Africa have been influenced by American music, African jazz and gospel music.[2] The forced migration of Africans to the Americas as a result of the transatlantic slave trade gave rise to kaiso[3] music, which has influenced the sounds of Calypso,[4] a style with major popularity throughout West Africa.
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Griots, also known as 'wandering musicians', have traditionally been a major part in the distribution of music throughout West Africa, as their purpose is to spread oral tradition through musical storytelling. The role of griots remains significant in preserving smaller ethnolinguistic groups' cultures.
The sounds of popular music throughout West Africa are comparable to a combination of Western, Latin American and traditional African music. Genres such as Highlife, Afro-Calypso and African Jazz reflect this fusion[2] and have developed upon these styles' sounds.
Highlife is an upbeat, multi-instrumental and jovial style of music which is sung in many regional languages including Igbo, Yoruba and Ewe. Ghanaian music scholar V. Kofi Agawu (2006) writes: "Highlife is invested with a bundle of attributes that include personal and communal pride, stateliness, self-satisfaction, and a strategic complacency".[5] Highlife is rarely sung in English.[2] The original form of highlife holds its origins in Ghana, however most regions that have adopted highlife music compose their own variations on its sounds, altering the pace, instrumentation and lyrics. E.T. Mensah and E.K. Nyame were two Ghanaian musicians who pioneered the Highlife genre, gaining major popularity and acclaim throughout their careers.[6]
Highlife is regularly played by big bands composed of a wide variety of instruments. The prevalence of modern, typically European instruments in large highlife bands dates back to the 19th century; when the Gold Coast was established, European missionaries and merchants brought with them accordions, brass instruments, guitars and harmonicas.[7] The sounds of these instruments combined with the more traditional drum-focused music of West Africa to create the fusion that is highlife. A major factor in highlife's increase in popularity during the mid-20th century was the desire to raise spirits after World War Two.[7]
Calypso music remains popular throughout West Africa. Developed from West African kaiso, the sounds of calypso are similar to those of highlife, however the two differ slightly in lyrics and instrumentation. Lyrics in highlife are generally repeated more than those in calypso songs, despite the two genres' subject matter remaining similar - both are commonly about romantic relationships and desire.[2]
Many genres and styles of music popular throughout the Caribbean and French Antilles have their roots in West Africa due to transatlantic slave trading under various European colonial empires. This involved mass transportation of West African people such as the Ewe and the Yoruba, who took with them the distinct sounds of their musical culture.[8]
Afrobeat music is characterised by multi-instrumental bands playing a jazz and funk-inspired groove with a focus on guitar riffs and horn sections. The lyrics have historically been political in nature, with Fela Kuti's lyrics covering topics from black power to dictatorship.[12] The earlier sounds of Afrobeat have influenced Western artists such as British producer Brian Eno[13] and American rapper Talib Kweli,[12] while American EDM group Major Lazer are known for the regular inclusion of rhythms inspired by Afrobeat in their music.[12]
Sub-Sahara region refers to the region that lies south of the Sahara Desert. They include; Angola, Benin, Mali, Gambia, Cape Verde, Chad, Guinea, Guinea Bissau and Burkina Faso among others. Countries of West Africa include Nigeria, Niger, Senegal, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ghana and Togo.
African cultures and their music had a lot of instrumentation and dances since music and dance was and is still considered inseparable. The West African cultures were known for their art and craft in drums and stringed instruments. They had diverse array of instruments including drums such as the Djembe drums, talking drums and sabar among other prominent drum instruments. They also fancied their strengths in making stringed instruments such as the famous Ngoni, balafon and the legendary Kora which will be further discussed later on. They also had quite impressive taste in wind instruments also. During different ages before the colonial rule, the people had their way of transferring their musical knowledge from one generation to the other. This brings us to discuss ways of their information transfer.
Oral traditions- This was the most common especially among the Griot families of Mali and The Gambia where the practices were transferred orally from generation to generation. This included telling stories of the cultural heritages and music so that it could bond with the people.Rituals and communities- Through certain rituals, generations had to understand the chants, the dance movements and the music performed in the ritual. This automatically made them to know and understand the music.
Mentorship- Kids born to musical families were most influenced by this as they got direct engagement with their parents or relatives which made them have them as musical mentors and they gained their knowledge through practice and advices.
West African music is arguably the most famous version of African music. The diverse sounds and energies that make up the music and a little of language backing has led to an own original Afrobeat genre of music that has the whole respecting it. Afro music is known for its famous log drums and Shekere shakers that play throughout the songs. These instruments have proven to be the masterpiece in music as their timbre is unique and appeals to a larger crowd. The musical recognition has now put African music on the scope of the world and has made local musicians show case their talent to international stages. Consequently, the music has led to increased interest by other people in African countries and oversees countries therefore growth in the industry in general.
Griots also known as the Jali, are traditional West African musicians, storytellers and oral tradition historians. They are responsible for preserving and passing knowledge from one generation to another. Griots were and still are very respectable people in the society as the compose, sing and praise songs that celebrate accomplishments of individuals, families and communities as a whole. Through these people music developed from generation to generation depending on the skill level and expertise of the Griot. With an example given, Sona Jobarteh a famous Gambian Kora player was born in a family of griots which explains her successful career as a female Kora player in a field dominated by male gender.
West Africa, Sub-Sahara Africa and Africa in general during the pre-colonial periods was considered as an outdated region of the world. This was mainly because traditional cultures encouraged rituals and sacrifices. Witchcraft was also prominent in the West African countries. Traditional music also accompanied the religious practices which was condemned by the missionaries and was made to change due to introduction of Islam and Christianity. This shift in religion killed some of the original ritual songs and developed new songs that adhered to the new religious rules. For example, Christianity came with hymn singing and Gospel music that led to abandonment of some musical instruments that were considered demonic.
This accenting is a result of the local languages, where the pitch and accenting can determine what word is being said.Compared to rhythm, melody is unimportant and can be altered at the musicians' discretion.
[17] This book shows us into the rich tradition of Afro-Cuban Bat drumming, by showing its aesthetics, transmission methods, the communal bonding it brings, and the creativity it inspires. The Writer Who is Schweitzer examines the rhythms, spiritual significance, and cultural heritage that are in Bat drumming, showing us on its historical roots and contemporary practices. The book also explores how Bat drumming is passed down through generations and its role in strengthening social ties within Afro-Cuban communities. Through this exploration, Schweitzer brings the artistic nuances concept of Bat drumming and its broader significance in both musical and cultural contexts
Rhythm is the foundation of West Africa's traditional music,[18] so percussion instruments play a major role in constructing its sounds. Traditional music of West Africa incorporates the use of a variety of percussive instruments, the most popular of which is the djembe. Known also as the 'magic drum' or the 'healing drum', the djembe is spiritually important to West African tradition as it is believed that three spirits reside within the drum. These spirits are those of the tree which provided the drum's wooden frame, the animal which gave its skin for the drumhead and the carver or drum assembler.[19]
The sounds of the djembe vary from low-pitched bass sounds (achieved by beating the centre of the drumhead with a flat, outstretched hand) to tone and slap sounds, which have a higher pitch, created by striking the drumhead closer to its edge with only fingertips. The greater tension of the drumhead skin towards the edge of the drum causes this higher-pitched note.[20] 152ee80cbc
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