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| the practice of fitting one’s pitches and beats into spaces of other parts, or alternating the pitches or phrases of one part with those of others to create the whole; also called hocket |
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| The alternation of interlocking of leader and chorus musical parts or of a vocal and instrumental part. |
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| Repeating melodic or rhythmic pattern. In much African music, one or more ostinatos provide the basic form for musical sections of pieces. |
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| Interlocking melodies and rhythmic patterns
Preference for dense, overlapping textures and buzz-like timbres
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Cyclical forms (based on melodic/rhythmic ostinatos)
Flexible approaches to rhythms often combining or juxtaposing units of twos and threes.
Descending melodic shape
Musical roles including “core” and “elaboration” parts. |
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| Aggregate/collective, much like jazz, blues, and some rock performances.
Shona consider Mbira pieces to be verbs not nouns.
Kushaura – “to lead the piece” |
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| Africa General and Africa Specific (1of2) |
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| Over 50 countries
800 ethnolinguistic groups
In Nigeria alone, there are 386 different languages
Sub-Saharan Africa was organized into modern nation-states based on the European colonial legacy from the late 19th c.
Little to do with social, linguistic, or spiritual aspects
Various political organization:
Big government – hierarchical
More decentralized, smaller-scale societies |
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| Africa General and Africa Specific (2of2) |
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| Musical values, practices, and social styles varies greatly from one place to the next.
But because many musical traditions are linked to specific ethnolinguistic groups, it is often better to think about African music in these rather than national terms. |
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A Bantu-speaking people of Zimbabwe in southeastern Africa.
Lamellapone – A general class of musical instruments that have tuned metal or reed tongues set on a bridge mounted to a soundboard or box; it is played by striking the keys.
Mbira – a lamellaphone – one of the most highly developed classical instruments of the Shona. |
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| Mbira Music: “Nhemamusasa” (2of2) |
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Music fades in
Statement of basic ostinato or kushaura played by 1 mbira; interlocking accompaniment part of 2nd mbira.
New, higher-pitched, descending melodic variation played over the basic ostinato heard for the first time; played for two 48-beat cycles
Return of the basic ostinato repeated twice with reduced high key variation
Full high key variation repeated twice with increased bass note accents towards the end
High key variations X5 cycles
Basic ostinato X2 cycles
High key variation X2; basic ostinato X1; high key variation (fades)
Kushaura – “to lead the piece” – plays the basic piece
Kutsinhira – a second accompanying part. Sometimes this part is almost exactly like the kushayra, but is played a beat behind so that each pitch played by the first part is doubled by the second.
Nhemabmusasa – “cutting branches for a shelter”
At 40 seconds – listen for doubling effect described above, in the high descending lines. |
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| Mbira Music: “Nhemamusasa” (1of2) |
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| Only considered complete if 2 players are present.
Kushaura – “to lead the piece” – plays the basic piece
Kutsinhira – a second accompanying part. Sometimes this part is almost exactly like the kushayra, but is played a beat behind so that each pitch played by the first part is doubled by the second.
Nhemabmusasa – “cutting branches for a shelter”
At 40 seconds – listen for doubling effect described above, in the high descending lines. |
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