African Music

Music is important in the life of African people. In America, we tend to be spectators or listeners. Nearly everyone in Africa sings and plays one or two instruments. African musicians rarely stand on a stage as they do in America. They perform among the audience and move, or “dance,” while playing.

Africans make music in the home, at the marketplace, and at social gatherings. Also, music plays an important part in political, religious, and ceremonial life. Music has roles in healing, at trials, announcing the presence of very important people like chiefs and kings, weddings, funerals, and visits of important people.

Fill out a Google Form about this reading passage here.

John Jacobsen's Musical Planet Videos

West Africa
Fill out a Google Form about West African music here.

South Africa
Fill out a Google Form about West African music here.

Uganda

Botswana

"Give Me Five" Google Form

Click on the photo below to learn more about the music of Africa. The "Prezi" slideshow works by clicking on the arrows or using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

Traditional African Instruments

Kora

The Kora is an African harp that can have over twenty strings strung across its bridge. The sound boxes of the Kora is made from half a calabash. The front of the kora usually has a cow skin draped tightly across it and can be painted for decoration. It is called a double harp because the strings are divided into two groups across the bridge area. The sound of the kora is similar to that of a harp and played with the thumb and first finger of both hands.

Mbira/Kalimba

Mbiras/Kalimbas are fully enclosed hollow metal boxes that have keys (called lamellas) fastened on the face of the box. Each lamella can be tuned by its length as well as its position against the bridge piece that holds down all of the lamellas. Kalimas as also called thumb or finger pianos. The Kalimba was created based on the African mbira, an instrument that had its sound box made out of wood or a gourd.

The lamellas (i.e. keys) are plucked by the thumb. Since the kalimba can be easily held with two hands, both thumbs can pluck the lamellas at the same time or after one another to create fluid tonal music.

Balafon

The balafon is a kind of wooden xylophone or percussion idiophone which plays melodic tunes, and usually has between 16 and 27 keys. It has been played in Africa since the 12th century. It is similar in appearance to a European Xylophone, dates back to the courts of the Mandinka Empire and is still a popular West African instrument today.

Shekere

The shekere is a West African percussion instrument consisting of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net covering the gourd. The instrument is common in West African and Latin American folkloric traditions as well as some of the popular music styles. In performance it is shaken and/or hit against the hands.

The shekere is made from vine gourds that grow on the ground. The shape of the gourd determines the sound of the instrument. A shekere is made by drying the gourd for several months then removing the pulp and seeds. After it is scrubbed, skillful bead work is added as well as color.

Claves

Drums
There are many different kinds of drums in Africa. Drums are the basic instrument for most African music. Each group of people uses a special type of its own. Though mostly of wood, drums can be gourds, turtle shells and clay pots. Drums have many uses in Africa. They announce such important events as births, deaths, or, important public events and dancers. Some drums make sounds that can be heard as far as seven miles away. These drums can communicate with people long distances away. Drums can be as tall as 10 feet or small enough to hold in one hand. Some drums belong only to the chief or king and represent his office. These drums are played only for ceremonies involving the chief or king.