Learning Objectives
- Examine African musical culture and history by considering music in the community as an integral part of social and religious activities (i.e. the belief system of the Shona people of Zimbabwe and the initiation rites of the Mende people of Sierra Leone).
- Analyze how and why music plays an important role in sustaining social values and maintaining the continuous relevance of traditional African institutions.
- Distinguish the regional similarities and differences between African musical instruments not only in terms of construction and performance, but also in terms of the symbols they represent (i.e. African drum languages and the Mbira).
- Analyze the role the human voice plays in displaying variety in form, such as call and response, as well social organization in African music.
- Identify the variety of African drum languages and their function to imitate the speech contours of words from various African cultures.
- Analyze the functions of modern popular African music, a relatively new musical idiom that developed in the early part of the last century.
African Instruments II
Musical Instruments as Symbols
It is important to note that musical instruments perform symbolic functions in addition to their musical roles. Among the Hausa and Fulani populations in countries like Niger, Mali, Ghana and Nigeria, the kàkákí brass trumpet and the alghaita oboe both symbolize royal authority and aristocratic status.
Among the Baganda people of Uganda, the drum is a powerful icon of royal authority. Below is a quote by Nannyinga-Tamusuza on the connection between royalty and drums.
NANNYINGA-TAMUSUZA (2005)
There is no Baganda without the drum. When a new king is installed, it is said that "he has eaten the drum ["alidde engoma."] The role of the drum as a symbol of power among the Baganda is further illustrated by the fact that each new king—the kabaka—asserts his royal authority by acquiring more drums to be kept at the palace. The more drums the king has the greater his power and authority. Placing a drum upside down is an indication that the kabaka has died.
In some other parts of Africa, drums and the music played on them indicate the identity and function of religious deities. Among the Yorùbá people of Western Nigeria, for example, each of the main deities is associated with a specific instrumental ensemble.
The Vai have professional musicians--both men (manja) and women (kengai)--who receive training in the secret societies and provide music for social activities and events.
