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The musical concepts in Africa are inherently different to
what people in the West are used to hearing. We use music
to accompany work and activities, whereas in African society,
it is incorporated into their work. They create sounds that
reflect and express life as opposed to strictly being for
their aesthetic value, making it difficult for the Western
ear to interpret. The music is strongly linked to myth, proverbs
and folklore, and is generally practiced as a group activity.
Musical traditions are traced back as far as the cultures
themselves. Whereas Western music favours melody and instrumentation,
you will find rhythm at the core of West African music, the
texture and layering from the percussion, especially the drum,
adding colour and life to the culture.
Instruments used in West African music
As well as the musical product, West Africa is also famous
for it's imaginative instruments, designed from materials
close to hand. The djembe, tama and sabar are
drums. The balafon is like a xylophone, and there are
several stringed and wind instruments, such as the reed
flute, the kora and the kontingo.
The djembe is on the verge of achieving world status
as a percussion instrument. Since the late eighties, it is
increasingly being recorded professionally. It is prolific
throughout West African countries, however it is still little
understood outside of its homeland. Speaking English is a
low priority when it comes to players of the djembe, the mother
tongue often being Mandinka, Susu or Bamana, with other African
languages such as Fula, Wolof and Soninke and then French
being spoken.
The origin of the djembe is uncertain, however it is widely
believed to have descended from the numu, Mandinka
and Susu blacksmiths believed to hold certain powers. The
dispersion of the people caused the djembe to spread throughout
the Western region of Africa.
The rhythms of the djembe have associated dances and meanings.
The drum family is considered the most representative of African
instruments, found in societies and tribes across the continent.
The drums speak in codes the language of the tribes, and are
frequently used to communicate news and messages between towns.
The talking drums of West Africa are renowned for
their ability to closely imitate the rhythms and intonations
of the spoken word, the more skilled players can reproduce
dialogue understood by a knowledgeable audience. By sending
the messages along, they can be carried for miles.
It is said that the djembe dates from as far back as 500AD,
made from a curved tree trunk and goatskin. No sticks are
used, and it should not be placed on a surface, instead suspended
from the players' shoulders. Dubbed the 'magic drum' for its
ability to move people and the 'healing drum' for its history
as a fundamental tool in healing traditions
The Griots
The West African griot arose from the Mandinka
empire in the fifteenth century, and for over four thousand
years the caste members have retold the history of that ancient
empire, handed down through the generations to keep the stories
of the villages and the families alive. Jeli is the Mandinka
word for griot, and he is described as the 'mind' of his people,
the oral library of their culture and history.
The griots accompany their songs with a kora, a 21-string
lute, with a sound resembling that of a melodic harp. A complex
instrument, it is placed between the legs, and plucked delicately
with the forefingers and thumbs. The griots themselves make
the koras they play from cowhide stretched over a calabash.
They often attach gris-gris charms to the instrument. Griots
must spend years training as apprentices, and they learn the
skills of playing the kora at twelve, only after spending
their childhood listening and observing their elders. It can
then take thirty or forty years to become accomplished in
this difficult instrument, and be classed a nara.
Within the traditional African society, however, the griot
is still deeply respected by all its members, as he remains
an integral and influential part of the culture and history.
Now he is less a conveyer of politics, as an oral link to
the past. In Europe, it is noted how we have no equivalent,
and modern culture has all but eroded our oral traditions,
we can just hope the same will not be true of the African
griot.
Another factor risking the continuance of this tradition
is the increase of young griots marrying outside of their
caste, declining the line of tradition. It is feared that
the griots' primary role is now moving towards that of an
entertainer, with government sponsorship marginalizing the
movement. Ultimately, in order to survive the times, any tradition
needs to be adaptable to change, and while remembering their
forefathers' traditions, the young griots do in fact embrace
modern influences, as it is up to them to interpret the tradition
to another generation.
The role of the griot is slowly diminishing, partly due to
the threat from encroaching Western culture, and some tribes
are struggling to maintain their traditions. This has been
recurrent throughout much of Africa, and as a result, the
younger generation have found new ways to embrace the modern
global world, fusing their traditions to create hybrid styles,
such as mixing the kora with jazz and flamenco.
Modern musical fusions
Increasingly, Western musicians are incorporating African
styles and rhythms into their music to produce diverse sounds.
Musicians coming out of West Africa also enjoy worldwide fame,
such as Youssou N'dour and Salif Keita.
One of the most popular examples of traditional Senegalese
music, mixed with Western instruments is the mbalax,
using the sabar drum to lead the rhythm section. Described
as Afro-Beat fused with African music, soul and jazz, it is
based in Nigerian Yoruba culture.
Ghanaian highlife, a goodtime, urban dance form is their
most famous musical export. Also found in Sierra Leone, it
combines traditional African rhythms with western influence,
anything from gospel to brass.
Learning to hear the rhythms
It's possible to take lessons from the local teachers who
will put you through your paces, and beats. There is a mix
of backgrounds and a range of instruments, from the traditional
djembe to sabar, played with an acacia stick, the 'talking
drum', which you rest under your arm, and can play in a way
to communicate with others. You can get lessons in the village
of Ker Sering, in The Gambia.
Closer to home, you can take classes in the UK and Europe,
from Traditional Guinean Dance and Djembe Workshops, who run
one and two day courses over a weekend for between £12-30.
Check out www.djembeschool.org
for more information and when the courses run.
In the US, African
Drumbeat lists teachers and groups whom meet regularly
to practice the art of African drumming. This site also features
schools in the UK, Canada and Australia.
If learning at a school is more your thing, at Gambia
Griot you can find details of schools running in the
Gambia. These intensive three-hour sessions are taught by
griots, whom ensure you get the best possible tuition in the
kora, balaphone, and various drums. You can expect to pay
about $20 for a group session, and $30 for private tuition
in peak season, with a reduction off-peak. Accommodation is
available, room-only, for about $40 a week. The classes are
held in Serrekunda. |
