Introduction to World Music: Lecture 11 - Music of Africa IV

Introduction to African Music

Guest Lecture by Dr. Margaret Buckner

• Dr. Margaret Buckner, a professor in the MSU Department of Sociology and Anthropology, presents a guest lecture on African music.

• Emphasizes the frugality of Africans in creating musical instruments from available materials, showcasing their resourcefulness.

• Dr. Buckner admits she is not a professional musician and has not read the textbook used in the course, relying instead on her personal experiences and research.

• Highlights the complexity and diversity of African music, countering misconceptions that it is simple; each group has unique styles influenced by language and culture.

• Introduces Zande culture as a case study, located in Central Africa, illustrating how diverse Africa's musical traditions are.

Insights into Zande Culture

• The Zande people speak one of many languages in Africa, each representing distinct cultures and musical traditions.

• Dr. Buckner shares her background with the Zande community during her time in the Peace Corps in the early 1980s.

• Describes her serendipitous meeting with a French professor who influenced her studies on Zande music.

Living Conditions and Self-Sufficiency

• Depicts the beautiful scenery of Central African Republic where Zande people live between tropical rainforests and savannas.

• Notes that some traditional communities lack modern technology like radios or tape recorders but continue to create their own music for entertainment.

Daily Life Among the Zande

• Illustrates typical housing structures made from clay bricks with thatched roofs suitable for rainy conditions.

• Discusses agricultural practices among households where families grow food locally without reliance on external sources; emphasizes freshness of produce consumed.

Cultural Observations

• Reflecting on self-sufficiency within villages until recent years when challenges arose; highlights resilience despite changes over time.

• Shares observations about children's happiness within these communities; notes that Africans reportedly laugh more than any other group globally.

Exploring Traditional Music Practices

The Agogo Girls and Their Unique Singing Style

• The speaker recounts discovering a group of girls singing traditional songs with variations in lyrics and harmonies, recorded in 1988.

• These girls are referred to as the "Agogo girls," named after a stream near their camping site.

• One song they sing humorously addresses a love triangle, showcasing their ability to improvise new verses based on personal experiences.

Community Singing and Mourning Rituals

• The next segment features older women singing during a ceremony marking the end of mourning for a deceased person, celebrating life after loss.

• This performance is characterized by joy rather than sadness, indicating cultural practices surrounding death and remembrance.

Water Drumming: A Unique Cultural Expression

• Younger girls (ages 10-15) engage in "water drumming," where they create rhythmic sounds using water as an instrument, known locally as kabu.

• This skill is often lost as they grow older, similar to other childhood games like clapping or jump rope that fade with maturity.

Discovering Hidden Talents

• The speaker expresses amazement at the talent of one girl named Poette, suggesting she deserves recognition for her exceptional skills in water drumming.

• Despite living among the Zande people for years, the speaker was unaware of this tradition until stumbling upon it while walking home.

Boys' Musical Innovations

• Transitioning to boys' musical expressions, they create instruments from bamboo resembling trombones, demonstrating ingenuity and resourcefulness.

• The speaker reflects on how such creativity contrasts with children in other societies who may not engage in making their own instruments.

Cultural Significance of Drums in Zande Society

Types of Drums

• The Zande culture features two main types of drums: the slit drum and a smaller leather drum, both integral to their musical tradition.

• Slit drums are primarily used for communication, sending messages across villages, while also serving entertainment purposes at parties and dances.

Communication Through Drumming

• The slit drum produces two main tones (high and low), with variations based on the wood's thickness affecting sound quality.

• The Zande language has three distinct tones; drumming mimics these tones to convey messages, allowing listeners to interpret meanings based on rhythm.

Practical Use of Drums

• An example is given where drums are used to call people to mass in lieu of bells due to lack of clocks or watches.

• Messages can travel between villages through a relay system using drums, similar to a telegraph system.

Real-Life Example

• A personal anecdote illustrates how one could discern specific news (like a missing person) solely from listening to the drum signals as they approached a village.

Exploring Other Musical Instruments

Thumb Piano Overview

• The thumb piano, known as an idiophone, is prevalent across Africa and consists of metal keys played with thumbs.

• A personal account reveals that the speaker acquired their thumb piano from Silver Dollar City and tuned it to a pentatonic scale.

Playing Techniques

• Demonstrations show that playing the thumb piano often accompanies singing; it's typically enjoyed solo rather than in group settings.

The Balaphone: A Diminishing Instrument

Description and Cultural Context

• The balaphone resembles a xylophone but includes resonance boxes beneath its keys. It reflects traditional music practices that are fading in contemporary society.

Musical Instruments and Cultural Significance

The Balaphone: A Historical Instrument

• The balaphone is a beautiful instrument historically used in royal courts, played by minstrels for kings. It is based on the pentatonic scale.

• A prince, a descendant of royalty, is set to perform a song using the balaphone, highlighting its cultural importance.

Understanding the Xylophone

• Unlike the balaphone, this xylophone lacks resonance boxes; it produces sound solely from its keys.

• The xylophone's keys are made from special wood and vary in size to create different tones. Typically portable with 12 to 14 keys, they can be easily transported.

Party Culture and Musical Use

• This xylophone serves as a party instrument; players cut down banana plants to create new instruments at each gathering.

• The xylophone features two octaves of five notes plus two additional keys, maintaining a pentatonic structure.

Dance and Celebration Atmosphere

• At parties, people gather around the xylophone for communal singing and dancing that can last several days after mourning periods.

• The atmosphere includes numerous participants dancing around the xylophone while drummers accompany them. Rattles worn on legs add to the festive noise.

Social Dynamics at Parties

• These gatherings often involve heavy drinking (manc beer and corn beer), contributing to an energetic but chaotic environment.

• Suggestion made humorously about introducing such lively music culture into fraternity parties for enhanced enjoyment.