African Music

african diaspora

largely in part to the slave trade

ostinatos

short repeating melodic lines

background shimmer

small added ornamentation

mbira

shona instrument; wooden with keys

juju

west african spiritual practice

king sunny ade

outspoken juju musician that helped to spread african music worldwide

talking drum

drums with which different beats have different “verbal” meanings; used to communicate over distances

akan

the tribe traced back through maternal line that practices fontomfrom

tonal language

different pitches have different meanings

fontomfrom

royal drum ensembles in which the king dances; conversational drums

kora

harp-lute unique to west africa

griot

the caste that jeli fall under

jeli

professional mande praise musicians

kumbengo

standard, regular ostinato patterns that the kora primarily utlizes

birimintingo

interrupts the constant steady beat, melodic voice may also cut in the be the melody

isicathamiya

zulu; meaning to walk or tread lightly. a style of dance that accompanies music

mbube

tight vocal harmonies

afrobeat

began with nigerian fela kuti. call and response music featuring many other musical genres

highlife

originally from ghana, with many musical fusions

hugh masekela added american jazz elements