The History Of African Music - 1139 Words

The history of Africa dates back four to five million years ago. Throughout Africa’s history, music has always been a consistent element that is important to the culture. The music can vary from being a story passed down orally to a melody that represents a war cry. Many elements of the music that are listened to today have been shaped by older African cultures. Through the usage of different musical components, various instruments, and musical influence, African music heavily contributes to its culture. Africa is considered to be one of, if not the, most important continents to date. Many scientists believe that Africa was the birthplace of mankind, around 1000,000 BC. The first culture was discovered in The Sahara, called the new Stone Age. The people that lived in the Saharan area, and the Sub-Saharan are divided into several tribes. These tribes are characterized by a distinguished language with â€Å"a unique click in its repertoire sounds†. In the Kingdom of Ghana, drumming orchestras, as well as praise-singers, musical storytellers, and reciters played a vital role in helping to kick-start music’s influence within the continent. The different languages and distinct cultures of Africa demonstrate the diversity musically within the continent. It is known that African music has gone through frequent and significant changes throughout the centuries. â€Å"Traditional music† is very different today than what others may consider African music from the past. The musician’sShow MoreRelatedEssay on History of African American Music1267 Words   |  6 PagesYasmin Gonzalez Mrs. Herrera Junior English 1 March 2012 History of African American Music â€Å"In less than a minute, the death wail went up out of every cabin in the Quarters, and Brother Ezekial began the death chant: Soon one morning, Death come knocking at my door†¦. Oh, my lord, What shall I do† (Walker 17)? Death was common for slaves. They routinely died from disease, beatings and accidents on the plantation, and they expressed their sorrow in the form of song. â€Å"I see death around the cornerRead MoreA Brief History of African Music Through the Colonial Period1457 Words   |  6 PagesA Brief History of African Music through The Colonial Period Music before the 20th century was very different when compared to the music of the 21st Century. There were distinctive occasions for each type of African music. West African music, the African Diaspora, and the music of the Colonies each had different musical instruments. West African music was the music of the African people before the Europeans captured and sold them into slavery in the Americas. It was unique in the manner in whichRead MoreAfrican Music And Its Impact On The World1051 Words   |  5 Pagesmost music we hear today is profanity such as rap or pop or basically any music in the united states. But there is one culture that hasn t changed that much but has stayed to their roots and is still popular today. That is African American music. Because of the rise of modern day music in America such as rap and pop I want to show how African music has impacted the world today and stayed in their roots. African music or better known as black music brought a lot of different types of music to AmericaRead MoreWorld Music: The Emotional Effect of Music Essays846 Words   |  4 Pagesthe communication that is experienced when listening to instrumental music. This will cover the intrapersonal and intercultural connection that the music communicates. The paper will discuss both of these points by focusing on 4 different cultures and show the differences in the music styles by showing what emotions the music is communicating by way of instrument, voice, tone and tempo. While many cultures use all forms of music to communicate their beliefs and emotion I could only pick a few toRead MoreThe History, Criticism And Theory Of The Arts935 Words   |  4 Pages both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (â€Å"What Are the Humanities?†). This definition can be used to analyze the African continent; the practices and various cultural aspects that can be found in America, in particular in the African American population; as well as the international relations, and history. Interviewees were asked different questions about AfricaRead MoreHistory of the Blues Essay1018 Words   |  5 Pages In one way shape or form Blues music has influenced almost every music artist and their work. Jazz and Blues gave way to such artists as Elvis Presley and Chuck Barry. The history and origins of Blues traces back many generations. Many articles have been written over the years helping readers better understand the history and importance of Blues music. All the articles have a similar attitude toward The Blues. Each article makes Blues Musics social and musical importance and impact blaringlyRead MoreInanga: A Song of Survival in Daughter’s Rwanda1673 Words   |  7 Pages Transcending individual differences, music in Africa has proved to be more than just a collection of notes and the production of sounds. Throughout this past semester, Professor B drew materials from West, East and South Africa to demonstrate the powerful ability of music to bring and bind people together. Consistently exemplified throughout African history, music has served as the unifying link betwee n generations. In the documentary, Inanga: A Song of Survival in Daughter’s Rwanda, a family’sRead MoreAfrican Americans Influence On Music1229 Words   |  5 Pagesblack culture represented in most hip-hop; that is the dominating music genre that expresses African American views. It’s not so easy to remember where African Americans influence on music al began. Black influence on music today is really unrecognized but it’s important to bring to light just how much African Americans really have contributed to the sound, style, and feel of today’s music. Not just hip-hop or rap, but all kinds of music. There was one particular sound that really changed America andRead MoreThe Black Atlantic : Modernity And Double Consciousness1190 Words   |  5 Pagesvarious experiences of Africans across various locations such as Africa, the Caribbean, and Europe. Gilroy also highlighted many intellectual contributors to the discussion, which included Fredrick Douglas, Donald Byrd, W.E.B. DuBois and Richard Wright. His approach to the diaspora study differed from the typical, but did incorporate personal stories from those who experienced it themselves. While focusing on the various components of the work including nationalism, race, music, double consciousnessRead MoreJazz And Jazz Culture1273 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is culture? What is African culture? What is Jazz music and where did it come from? How can one culture, in a sense, impact the musical landscape of the whole Western world and eventually assimilate into ‘pop’ culture? If we want to truly understand jazz and it’s concepts, we have to navigate through history and explore it’s roots. Simply put, jazz is African American music, and the genre, as we know, formed in New Orleans. However, the origins of jazz started well before then, in Africa. The