Music of Africa

The music of Africa is as vast and varied as the continent's many regions, nations, and ethnic groups. The African continent comprises approximately 20 percent of the world's land mass and has a population of roughly 934 million. African music is as diverse as its cultures and peoples and has flowered in many indigenous forms as well as been shaped by foreign influences.

Although there are many different varieties of music in Africa, there are a number of common elements to the music, especially within regions. The concept of music in Africa, especially insub-Saharan Africa bears a difference from other regions and cultures. The roles of music and dance are tightly woven together in sub-Saharan Africa, and music intersects with every aspect of life, expresses life through the medium of sound. By helping mark the important moments in life, music helps to underscore the divine and eternal value of human life.

African music also helps to connect people together in a variety of ways, strengthening the fabric of the community, which in turn reinforces people's commitment to support each other and the community, toward mutual health and prosperity. Another crucial role of music in Africa is as a mode of communication. Talking drums, signal drums, songs, and the sagas of the historian griots each communicate different types of important information.

As African society has changed in response to the forces of colonization, independence, andglobalization, the role of music changed as well, adapting to the new situation in which the people of Africa find themselves. Though there have been changes in some of the forms of the music, including the infusion of instruments, musical styles, and genres from outside the African continent, music remains very important in Africa today. Also, as Africans traveled from Africa to other parts of the world, both as a result of African slave trade and later migrations, the music and dance forms of the African diaspora have influenced a number of international musical styles and genres, including many Caribbean and Latin American music genres like rumba and salsa, as well as providing the foundation of musical tradition behind African American music.

Traditional music

When discussing African music, the term "traditional music" is used to refer to the characteristics of African music prior to the colonization of the continent by European countries, which was most widespread during the late nineteenth century. This pre-colonial period was full of social changes and dynamism. Great African empires and kingdoms rose and fell, many of their traditions and cultures still prevalent to this day throughout African villages.

Because of the extensive Arabian influence of the music on north Africa, which gives it a separate and distinct style, this discussion will be focused on the music of sub-Saharan Africa, which shares many characteristics from region to region. A great deal of African traditional music as it occurred in African life and culture throughout the years, was performed by full-time musicians. Although the terms "traditional music" and "folk music" are often used interchangeably in the literature describing this music, the term "traditional music" is more accurate, because some of it belongs to court music or sacral music traditions, therefore the term "folk music" is not always appropriate.

Music is an integral part of African ethnic life, accompanying many kinds of events, including childbirth, marriage, hunting, and even political activities. Many cultures use song and dance to ward off evil spirits, and pay respects to good spirits, the dead, and ancestors. The majority of sub-Saharan African folk music and traditional music is functional in nature. There are, for example, many different kinds of work songs, ceremonial or religious music, and courtly music performed at royal courts, and typically none of these are performed outside of their intended social context.

Musical components

Despite their diversity, traditional African musical forms share some common traits. The emphasis is placed more strongly on rhythms than on melody and harmony. Repetition is use as an organizing principle on top of which improvisation is built. African music is mostly performed by groups of musicians, frequently employing polyphony, polyrhythm, and a conversational style of music and interlocking.

Rhythmic Structure

Rhythm is the most distinguishing characteristic of African music tradition. Four basic elements characterize African rhythmic structure. They are an equal pulse base, a metric time arrangement, a specific organizing principle unifying a diversity of simultaneous rhythmic patterns together, and an exact starting point for rhythmic groupings.