All things shall perish from

Under the sky.

Music alone shall live,

Music alone shall live,

Music alone shall live,

Never shall die.

Music has been a part of my life since I learned how to play the guitar. At age six, I learned to play a simple song using a ukulele (pronounced as /yoōkəˈlālē/) by watching my brother-in-law as he played the instrument. Then, I learned to play the guitar. My father bought a guitar for us even if he does not know how to play it. When I was in the first grade, Beatles was my favourite band (until now). I sang “No Reply”, “I Will”, “Yellow Submarine” and a lot more. I memorized the lyrics through rote learning. I didn’t understand the lyrics, but I enjoyed singing them. Since then I call myself music-minded. In high school, I came across with Spandau Ballet, Tears for Fears, Jefferson Starship, Gloria Stefan and the Miami Sound Machine, Madonna to name a few.

As time passed by, my taste in music became varied.  I learned to love classical music like Canon in D by Pachelbel, Prelude in C sharp minor by Sergei Rachmaninoff, Eine Kline Nachmusik (Little Nightmusic) by Mozart, Fur Elise and Ode to Joy by Beethoven as well as contemporary music of Swift, Perry, Lady Gaga, Shakira, Demi Lovato, Tegan and Sara, just to name a few (again!).

My love for music brought me to the unique music of Africa. I became interested in African music since Shakira sang Waka Waka (the official song of 2010 FIFA) and when I thought of going to Africa as an overseas volunteer. Music in many African cultures has varied purposes. It is used as a means to communicate daily tasks, religious events, and even used as calls to war. African musical instruments differ from one society to another (Lugue et al, 2009). Africans depend on the environmental resources available. For example, African tribes who live in the savannah (a grassy plain with few trees) use drums which are made from animal skin and from tree trunks while other tribes, like nomadic tribes, do not use drums to accompany their music.

Here are some of African musical instruments. (Get your notebook to have a copy of these instruments.)

IDIOPHONES

These are commonly used instruments. The societies which do not use drums commonly use idiophones.

Sekere rattle of Nigeria

1. Rattles

There are two kinds of rattles – one that is held by the hands (primary rattles) and the other which is worn by the performers on their bodies and are activated through bodily movements (secondary rattles). Rattles are made of dried gourd from the calabash tree and are covered with beads to create rattling sounds when tapped or shaken.

Clapper

2. Clappers

                      Clappers reproduce the sound of handclapping for ritual or ceremonial purposes. They take the form of a wood or a stone slab resonator that is struck by a smaller piece of the same material.

3. Scraped and Stamped Idiophones

Some sounds are produced by rubbing a gourd against a board or by scraping a bottle with a thin. Others produce sound as they are pounded on the ground in vertical motion. Pestles are usually used as stamping sticks to accompany the female chorus.

4. Mbira (Sansa or hand piano)

Mbira

This melodic idiophone is made from a graduated series of wooden or metal tongues or strips that are arranged and mounted on a resonator. The metal tongues are plucked with the thumb and fingers to produce a sound similar to a xylophone.

5. Xylophone

The xylophone is a tuned instrument made of hardwood bars in graduated lengths set horizontally on a metal frame. Striking the bars with hard mallets produces a bright, sharp sound. The xylophone was originally an African instrument and its name is Greek, meaning "wood sound".

MEMBRANOPHONE

African Drums

African music is rhythmic and percussive in nature. The use of the drums emphasizes these characteristics. Drums are the most common instrument throughout Africa. Drums are made of wood or made from strips of wood that are bound together. On top of the hollow drum is a softened or stretched antelope or goatskin. These drums are of various shapes and sizes. Some are conical, cylindrical, cup-shaped. Others take the shape of an hourglass.

Talking drum

The drum plays a big role in communication. Its sound can link tribes that are detached by tracts of forest or bushland. The talking drums have been used in wars to signal the arrival of relief supplies.

AEROPHONES

African aerophones are of limited variety. They are grouped as

flutes, reed pipes, horns, and trumpets.

1. Flutes

An African playing panflute

These are usually made from bamboo, stalks of millet, the tip of a gourd, and the husks of cane. They may have four to six finger holes that allow the musicians to play melodies with a wide range.

2. Reed pipes

These are also made from a stalk of a millet. They are played by inhaling and exhaling through the slit around its opening.

3. Horns and Trumpets

Masai warrior playing a traditional horn

These are made from animal horns, elephant tusks, and wood. The trumpets and horns are used for conveying signals and messages, as well as for music.

CHORDOPHONES

African Zither

Musical bows are the simplest of all African chordophones. They are made of flexible sticks and strings. Some musical bows are placed on the ground, while others are resonated using the mouth. This type of instrument is common in Southern Africa.

A zither is a well-known African chordophone. It is a stringed instruments positioned horizontally. Lutes are instruments with strings that run parallel to their necks and are played through plucking or bowing.

Other examples of African chordophones are haps and lyres that are used to accompany solo singing, poetry, narrative songs and praise songs.

        

         Music really plays an important part in our daily lives. During important celebrations, rites, rituals, and special celebrations, music is always there.  Its value depends on how we use it and how we often engage in it. 

What about you? How does music affect your life?

References:

Lugue, V. R., et al. 2009. Enjoy Life with Music and Arts. Manila: SD Publications, Inc.

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