Music

African Music:

African music has a very long history and it is transmitted from one generation to another. African music is category based. Dance and music, and story-telling are only a few of the ancient art forms that have been in Africa for centeries. "Honest observers are hard pressed to find single indigenous group in Africa that has a term congruent to the usual western notion of “music.” There are terms for more specific acts like singing, playing instruments, and more broadly performing (dance, games, music); but the isolation of musical sound from other arts proves a western abstraction, of which we should be aware when we approach the study of performance in Africa" (p.7). Music and dance are activites that characterize their expression and plays huge role in their lives. Mnay different forms of music and dance can be found in traditional oral literature such as: folk tales, myths, and praise poems. African people have a rich oral tradtion, The Passage Of Cultural Practices from one generation to the next. Africans tie in their religious beliefs. It is mainly influenced by Christan and Islamic practices, but "aladura" is a newer religious group movement. Side note: Africa has some influences from other countries as well. People can look at back through music as far as human existence. Music practices flow within socio-cultural context. African music has influenced a number of practices in the new world. 

If you are interested take a look at these videos to get an idea of what their music and dance are like!

Tradtional African Music

Dance troupe

I chose to research about African music because music is a bug part of my life. I listen to almost every kind of music and I enjoy it all. My grandma was really into music as well, I remember going to her house on a Saturday night and she would be listening to the music that was on tv, she loved dancing as well. Learning about how Africans dance is really interesting becuase no one around here dances like that, or really ties traditions to their dance. They take it pretty serious which I find really cool. Life without music is boring.