african music 2
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- Shango Ceremonial Music
- recorded in Port of Spain in 1939, example of the Shango cult which survives in Trinidad. Solo male lead voice with mixed chorus response. Use of iron bell for the timeline as well as three drums, named for the orisha: Ogu (lead drum), Shango (response drum) and Omele (support drums). The drums are double-headed drums resembling European marching drums.
- Brasil Berco Dos Imigrantes
- Brazil Cradle of the Immigrants) performed by the Escola de Samba Império Serrano, a historically important group. Example of Rio style Samba. This music is a neo-traditional music that comes out of traditional drumming groups that play for Carnival. African features include: multi layered percussion, a timeline played on the agogo double bell (similar to the Ewe gankogui) and call and response singing. Also features the cavaquinho, a 4-string plucked lute. Refer to class notes for instruments.
- Songs for Shango
- performed by Merceditas Valdez. Example of Santería worship music for the orisha (deity) Shango. Known locally as Lucumi, they are descended from Yoruba speaking people in Nigeria. Use of 3 sacred Bata drums (iya, itotele, okonkolo), call and response vocals. Merceditas Valdez was one of the most important female singers of orisha music in Cuba during the 20th century.
- Songs for Ogun
- performed by Lazaro Ros. Example of Santería worship music for the orisha (diety) Ogun. Use of 3 sacred Bata drums, call and response vocals. Songs praise the orisha Ogun, an important warrior orisha. The songs use the phrase "Awa nile", we will come into your house, which we will revisit in the third part of the course. Also the phrase Ogun Mariwo (Ogun of the palm frond skirt). Lazaro Ros was the most important male singer of orisha music in Cuba during the 20th century.
- Song for Ebioso
- performed by the religious association Ojun Degara, made up of members of the Baro family, descendants of Arara slaves from Dahomey. Example of Arara music for the fodun Ebioso, who is the Ewe-Fon equivalent of Shango. Instruments used relate to contemporary Fon instruments including the lead drum, junga, and suppoorting drums junguede, juncito, and jun plus the ogan (bell) and chere (metal rattles).
- Palo (Bantu)
- performed by the group AfroCuba de Matanzas. This is an example of music for the Kongo religion Palo. The instruments include three conga drums, bell, and shakers. Although the songs and religious culture derive from central Africa, the music is influenced by West African drum ensembles including the use of a timeline as well as the support drum parts.
- Siré-Siré
- (Let's go) by the group Viento de Agua (a wind of water) led by Tito Otero. Example of Bomba, the African predecessor to Plena music in Puerto Rico. Features two barriles (barrel shaped drums), maracas and cuá a pair of sticks playing the timeline.
- Maki bo
- example of papa music from the Maroon community at Moore Town. Papa comes from pawpaw the name given to Ewe-Fon people in Jamaica, and is one of the most serious and traditional musics in the repertoire. Papa songs are used to open a Kromanti Dance- a spirit possession ceremony where adepts are possessed by Maroon ancestral spirits. Features the use of a pair (male and female) of cylindrical drums known as printing (from Twi oprenteng); a bamboo pole struck with a stick called kwat; and the adawo- a machette struck with a piece of metal. the lead drummer is called the Printing-man or by the Twi word okrema.
- O Nega Que Vende Ai
- This music is played for a Brazilian martial art/ritual dance known as Capoiera. The participants try and come as close as possible without actually striking the opponent. The lead instrument is the berimbau, a musical bow with a gourd resonator and caxixi rattle, accompanied by a pandeiro (tamborine), agogo, and atabaque drum. Capoiera, as well as the berimbau, come from the African country of Angola, and are part of the culture of Angolan descendants in Brazil. This song is a corrido which are songs sung during the actual competition.
- Me Aks Me Dasha Weh Him Min Go
- example of jawbone dance from the Maroon community at Moore Town. Jawbone is a recreational dance used to enliven the ritual Kromanti Dance ceremony, rather than invoke spirits. Uses two printing drums. The song is about a girl who disappeared for several years and then suddenly returned to the village without explanation of where she had been.
- Ahora sí
- (All right now) by the group Viento de Agua (a wind of water) led by Tito Otero. Example of Plena. Features a set of panderetas- frame drums of various pitches similar to a tambourine.
- Agolonã
- example of Candomble music performed by Manoel's group in Salvador, Bahia. This group plays the Ketu style of Candomble, which is descended from Yoruba culture. Uses two drums: rum (lead) and rumpi (support) with ogan (iron bell). Agoloña is sung when the spirit mediums return to the dance space clad in their ritual attire. It is a song to welcome the orixa to the event.
- Brave Guede
- by Wawa and his group. Example of Rada music for the lwa Guede, specifically the Banda dance, which is his dance. Banda uses the Rada drums above, but replaces the lead drum (manman) with the Banda drum, which is played with the hands.
- Kumina cult drumming and singing
- This music is played for the Kumina spirit possession society, groups of immigrants from the Kongo who came in the 1800s. The song uses words from the Kongo language, as well as drumming that is closely related to Ga music from Ghana. The rhythms of Kumina became the basis of Nyabingi drumming and in turn Reggae music.
- Los Muñequitos de Matanzas "Congo Yambumba"
- Example of Rumba, Guaguanco style. A secular style of music that features a male and a female dancer doing a courtship dance. Use of timeline on the clave, and polyrythmic drumming ensemble consisting of three conga drums; Tumbador (bass) Segundo (mid) and Quinto (high). Tumbador and Segundo play a steady response melody while the lead drum, Quinto, improvises solo phrases which follow the steps of the dancers.
- Papa Legba Ouve Baye
- performers unknown. Example of music from the Rada branch of Vodun, from the Yanvalou dance, which descends from Ewe-Fon music in West Africa. Use of call and response, timeline, polyrhythmic drumming that shows clear affinities with the Ewe. Drums include manman (lead), segond (response), and bula (support) with ogan (bell) and asson (rattle). This song is for the lwa Legba, and is used to open every ceremony.
- Panama mwe Tombe
- performed by Ti Band L'avenir. Example of early Haitian Meringue. Meringue is also the national popular music of neighboring Dominican Republic; however, the Haitian sound is unique, as it is based on one of the Kongo sacred dance rhythms. Use Haitian sound is unique, as it is based on one of the Kongo sacred dance rhythms. Use of Haitian sound is unique, as it is based on one of the Kongo sacred dance rhythms. Use of tambourine, timeline (on a bottle), shaker, and guitar. Note that the timeline is the same pattern as the Cuban clave and will feature in Salsa music.
- Kings Highway
- performed by The Rastafari Elders. Nyabingi drumming from Jamaica. It is difficult to classify this music, but neo-traditional seems to fit best. There are two important sources for this music- traditional African drumming and call and response structures (note the alternation between the chorus and the spoken words of leader- it could even be related to Mande Jeli praise music with the sataro and donkilo) and European church hymns. This music is the liturgical music for the Rastafari faith.
- Cerca Da Bakel
- performed by the group Ilê Aiyê (House of Life). Example of music from a bloco afro a new cultural organization for African descendants that emerged in the 1970s in Salvador, Bahia. Ilê Aiyê is the first and most important bloco afro. This style of music became part of Carnival in Bahia, and eventually led to the development of Samba-Reggae, influenced by Bob Marley. Refer to class notes for instruments.
- Petwo
- by the group Djakata led by Sanba Zawo. Example of Kongo music culture in Haiti. Uses 2 petwo drums, plus the Rada bula and ogan. The Petwo lwa are dangerous warriors, and led the Haitian revolution.