African Music – The Blog of Samite

Archive for the ‘African Music Blog’ Category

Any discussion of African Music must include the various influences of other countries on the African Continent.

Northern Africa is dominated by Arabic culture.  South Africa is affected by Western styles.  So the most authentic African music is widely accepted to come from the central, or sub-Saharan part of the continent.

Most ancient societies use music as a means of communication and Africa is no exception.   In fact, the very language itself is musical, as the tone of delivery changes the meaning and context.   For this reason, African languages are considered “tone languages”.

Modern life has crept into sub-Saharan Africa.  Traditional music is getting harder and harder to find.   Today it is common to see blends of cultures in the music.  The Caribbean is present in songs which incorporate African and Western sounds.  Latin America makes its way into music of the Congo.  The United States’ history of swing is apparent in the music of South Africa.

Traditional dance and music of Africa are threatened with extinction so it’s vital that artists spread the importance of this cultural art form throughout the world.

One way this can be accomplished is with the unique sounding musical instruments used in African music.  In sub-Saharan Africa artists use resonant devices such as bells, the thumb piano or mbira, the xylophone and stamping tubes.

Drums are available in many varieties such as kettledrums, membranophones made from parchment, and drums of different shapes such as cylindrical, semicylindrical and barrel-shaped.  There are even drums in the shape of an hour-glass.

The indigenous animals of the continent are represented in other instruments.  Animal horns make up wind instruments like horns made of elephant tusks.  Other natural materials like wood and gourd, and millet stalks and reeds make flute-like wonders similar to the western flute.

It’s no wonder that African Music of yesterday and today is finding an appreciative audience worldwide.  It is with pleasure that we recommend Samite’s latest CD album, “My Music World” to bring you the type of music that Samite Mulondo appreciates and loves to share.

Click this link for a previous article about African Music.

We received a review from Samite regarding his support for a new CD sampler of music from Zimbabwe. We encourage you to check it out and enjoy more African music.

“I recently had the opportunity to listen to a new CD from Zimbabwe titled:

“Zimbabwe Today“.

It is a compilation CD by talented musicians from a place that we were used to hearing only bad news about. It is very exciting to learn that while the politicians in Zimbabwe have yet to figure out how to run their country and feed their people, musicians remain creative and feed their countrymen’s souls.

The songs vary from reggae rhythms to intricate arrangements with marimbas, mbira (what East Africans call kalimbas) and flutes.

One of my very favorite musicians today is Oliver Mtukudzi and when I heard that his daughter Selmor Mtukudzi was one of the featured artists in this compilation, I could not wait to hear it.

I was not disappointed when I heard her track “Mhembwe Rudzi.” I think she is as talented as her father is. While the songs on this CD do not necessarily go well with each other, it does not matter because I think it is a great sampler of what we can expect to hear from Wide World Artists and especially from Zimbabwe.
I encourage you to check them out at www.wideworldartists.com.

Samite”

To understand music from Uganda it is necessary to know about the history of this strong and turbulent country. Samite’s music comes from deep within his soul, a soul that was assaulted by a brutal regime, but which was overcome with pure human spirit. That is what you hear in Samite’s music.

Uganda is a country in East Africa, landlocked with savanna plateau and combined with lakes and mountains. The most famous body of water is Lake Victoria, named while under British protection. Lake Victoria is the source of the Nile River and lead British Prime Minister Winston Churchill to refer to Uganda as “The Pearl of Africa”. The Ruwenzori Mountains are native to the mountain gorilla, a species on the endangered list.

Uganda achieved independence from Britain in 1962 and that vacuum gave birth to the brutal regime of Idi Amin. An estimated 800,000 Ugandans were murdered. The National Resistance Army had some success at restoring stability and in 1996 leader Yoweri Museveni became the first Ugandan elected by popular vote.

As peace returned to the people of Uganda, its army sent troops to the Civil War raging in Congo. When it withdrew forces thousands of Congolese people flooded Uganda seeking asylum and straining the fragile resources of that emerging economy.

To this day a people’s militia stands organized in Northern Uganda and it brings terror to the people there. Many people have been forced to fight with the Lord’s Resistance Army, including an estimated 20,000 children who have been kidnapped and made soldiers.

In spite of the challenging political history Uganda remains a fertile jewel of the planet, holding successful farms and coffee plantations. The AIDS epidemic is particularly virulent in Uganda, making this dreaded disease the biggest threat to that beautiful country, but also providing the inspiration for a unique and beautiful style in the music from Uganda texture.

As you listen to the music of Samite think of some of these things that influence the stories told and the emotions felt. You will find yourself wanting more and like those of us who bring you this blog, will become fans. Please be sure to order Samite’s latest CD, “My Music World.”

Traditional African music is as old as the human race, 150,000 years old. As such, it is not a kind of music with a written history. The intonations and melodies are difficult to note with the western staff.

One of the true legends in American folk music, Pete Seeger, supports Samite’s African Music and wants you to do so also. Here is Mr. Seeger talking about “My Music World” and the revolutionary aspect of the way Samite brings his music direct to you.




The closest western patterns that mimic African music are pentatonic, teratonic, hexatonic and heptatonic arrangements. Drums are the most popular musical instruments in Africa and these drums include almost anything such as hand clappers, sticks, bells, pots and friction sticks. Musicians in Africa also use wind instruments and like the percussion devices these instruments are made of gourds, wood, conch shells, horns and tusks.

The purpose of African music can be recreational, but it can also be ceremonial and ritualistic too. Closely intertwined with music is dance which amplifies the tonal quality of the sounds. Like the Asian languages, African dialects often hold different meaning when a particular word is “sung” with different tones. Dance is integral to the music as a way of enhancing its meaning.

Like music in the west, sub-Saharan African music is used for religion, battle, lullabies and work. Both cultures share instruments like wind instruments, strings and percussion.

The purpose of African music is to express the full extent of life through the sound. It’s an integral part of African culture and society. Children are taught the value of music and musical instruments at a very early age. By the age of three or four, African children are taught how to make their own instruments.

In this way art and Africa are intimately enmeshed, so much so, that some dialects lack a specific word for “music”. Music is so integral; there needn’t be a word for it, showing just how important African music is to its people.

You will help Samite immensely by ordering his new CD, “My Music World” and we thank Pete Seeger for his support.

We share with you another message from Samite on the African Music Blog, in answer to a question asked about the music that he personally listens to.

“I am often asked what kind of music I enjoy listening to and what music inspires me.  My taste is broad and varied because the music I listen to depends on the mood that I am in.

However, there is one group of musicians that I can listen to anytime – no matter where I am or what I am doing.  I met these musicians in Soroti, Uganda while visiting IDP (Internally Displaced Persons) camps that house those who have been forcibly moved from their homes due to conflict. I will tell you  more  later about the work that I do in these places.

I call these musicians the “Soroti Boys” – they did not have a name for themselves and I knew they deserved one.  They made the most amazing music on the kalimba, and a traditional string instrument called an adungu – a nine-stringed arched harp that has the silhouette of a sail boat at sea, and of course their voices were beautiful instruments as well.

If I did not tell you my name for this musical group, the falsetto voices of some of the members would trick you into believing you hear women singing.  They played kalimbas of a few different sizes that represented the sounds of bass, solo, and rhythm guitars.

I was very fortunate that they allowed me to record them performing which is why I am able to share it with you today.  I think you will enjoy this taste of music from Uganda. -  Samite Mulondo”

“Wewe ndugu zangu”
(“For you my friends” – Swahiri)

You may listen to the Soroti Boys by using the built in mp3 player here:

Soroti Boys mp3

You may also download the song here: Soroti Boys mp3
Enjoy.

We asked Samite to forward some information about his instruments and music to post here on the African Music Blog, and this was his reply.

“Most of the instruments I play, find me.

Some of them are given to me by instrument makers, and others like all the instruments I have collected from East Africa, are very old and have been played by masters who are now dead.

Such instruments have soul.  They are the “Soul of Africa” in my opinion.

If these instruments were to talk, they would repeat all the stories that they have accompanied over the years as musicians were entertaining in the villages.  Many of the stories would happy stories about newborn babies, and others would be sad stories about the death of a loved one.

I am very excited to have this Africa Music Blog so that I can share stories with you.  I look forward to telling you about the music that I write, the experiences that have shaped my songs, and my hopes for the future of African music.

photo credit: Sheryl Sinkow

When I am not playing the kalimba or flutes, I am playing the litungu.  The litungu is a seven string Kenyan harp, typical of the kind of instrument you will find in all the stringed East African Music.

I love this instrument because it’s very gentle.  If you just listen, you might think you are listening to a guitar.  In this link you can download for free, an MP3 version of a song I call “Waterfall.”

Waterfall

It was recorded live in a concert I did with David Cullen in Elizabethtown PA.  Let me know what you think.

I look forward to sharing other songs with you in the future.

Mirembe (peace),

Samite”

Wow, all I can say is this is very moving.  You will truly appreciate the spirit of Samite’s talent and beautiful music in this free African music download. > Right Click Here to Download – Select Save Link As

Rich Hill, editor
AfricanMusicBlog.com

(Please leave your comments below.)

The African music culture has an important place in society.  It is completely different from Western sensibilities.  Whereas Western musicians aim to create a pleasing combination of sound and lyrics, African musicians seek to express all aspects of life, from joy to pain and heartbreak, and this doesn’t always sound “pretty”.

An appreciation of music begins at a very early age in Africa.  Young children take an active role in the learning process by learning how to make instruments for themselves soon after learning how to walk; around the age of three or four.

Adult recreational activities have a foundation of learning in music.  Activities like hunting, processing corn, farming, fishing and even attending life events like weddings and funerals are all part of early learning with music.

The bond between the African man and his music is so intimate that many cultures do not even have a word that defines music.  Drums and percussive instruments are often synonymous with man and women are advised to treat the drum with great care so as not to symbolically mistreat her man.

There are some African societies in which women are prohibited from touching a drum, no matter the circumstance.  Interestingly, the influence of Islamic and European cultures has softened this ancient position.  Furthermore, music in Africa is often paired with other art forms like dance and poetry.  It is referred to as the greatest form of expression.

Since music is so ingrained in the African culture, particularly in the history of men, you would think every African is a musician, however this is not true.  In some cultures musicians are semi-professional.  They earn their living in a certain way, and then compliment their earnings with their music, making African music culture a revenue maker for some.

Listen to pure African music by ordering Samite’s latest CD: “My Music World“.

If you never heard east Africa music, it is closer to your ears than ever before.  Some talented musicians are bypassing traditional avenues to bring their sound directly to the audience.

For example, there used to be dozens of recording studios in Manhattan including the famed Hit Factory on West 54th Street.  The biggest names in American music all got their records produced there, names like Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen.  Today that building is a condominium complex.

This is a story repeated on block after block.  Sony, Media Recording and the Hit Factory are all gone now in this digital age.

The reason is because technology has evolved so that musicians can invest in home studios that produce terrific sound quality right from a laptop computer.  Real estate prices are also exorbitant and they rose at a time when aspiring musicians stopped hiring studios to record demos which were the bread and butter of the industry.

The major record labels have cut their budgets, so the recording studios cut hours of operation until they could no longer survive.

One critic of the home studio trend is Tino Passante, general manager of Avatar studios, one of the last thriving operations in New York City.   He says it’s impossible to get quality sound from a home, so even if you are able to do it, it doesn’t mean you should.

Another trend in the music world is artists appealing directly to their fans for the money needed to produce a recording in a professional studio.  This is what Samite is doing.  He believes his resources can be best spent creating the unique sound for which he is known, bringing east Africa music to the masses and a personal connection to the music he loves and knows you will too.

Order Samite’s latest CD: “My Music World“.

Traditional African folk music has a rich and textured history that influences musicians of today.  In some societies certain instruments and traditional celebrations are not open to all.  Only the professional musician may partake.  These musicians live in very traditional family structures like castes.

The African term used to describe a professional musician is griot and it incorporates more than just music.  The Griot is a resident historian, philosopher and mythology expert.  He is the wise soul entrusted with keeping community traditions.

While Griots have dual roles of musician and medicine man, they are feared by many who treat them with contempt because they typically belong to a lower caste.

African musicians have a cultural battle to be true to their roots and also assimilate into modern life.  There is great competition and few musicians break through to great critical and financial success.  While music is integral to African society, traditional music is under seize from more modern influences.  Some historians believe traditional African music is endangered and may eventually be extinct.

One of the greatest challenges in perpetuating traditional music is that is not translated to paper very easily.   It is an oral practice handed down through generations of families and cultures.   Currently there is some controversy about the extent that traditional African music should be protected from foreign influences.  Some critics believe those outside influences enrich the tapestry of African musical tradition.

While the outside observer might remark that all African music sounds essentially the same, there is great diversity among the many regions of the continent.   The music of northern Africa has a decided Islamic flavor, while sub-Saharan regions have a lively and energetic appeal.

Only when we embrace the ancient history of the continent and appreciate the traditions and culture of Africa can we begin to understand African music culture fully.

The story of Uganda music is much like the tumultuous history of the country itself for the last 100 years.

The center of Ugandan music is the city of Kampala and the area of Wandegeya.  The musical icon of this region is Bernard Kabanda who played a form of music called Kadongo Kamu, meaning “one guitar”.   This style of sound is revered by the older people of the villages, though it is a hard sell to the younger generations who enjoy more complex sound involving more instruments.

The newest form of music in East Africa is called takeu.  It is borrowed from the first letters of Tanzania and includes sounds from Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda.

In the central area of Uganda are the people of Baganda who constitute one of the largest tribes there.  The King of Buganda is Kabaka and he is the customary patron of the music.  In this region music includes drums and expressive dances called the Nankasa, Amaggunju and Bakisimba.

Unlike other tribes in Uganda which rely heavily on percussive elements, the Baganda incorporate melody with instruments like the entongoli lyre, the ennanga harp, aerophonnes, idiophones and lamellophones.   One of the largest xylophones in the world comes from this area and it is called the madinda.

In central Uganda are the Langi tribe and they create music with a reliance on the thumb piano, or okeme.   This instrument was introduced to the region 100 years ago by the Congolese.  Their lyrics also closely resemble the rap music of America.  The dancing that accompanies this tradition of music is particularly lively and features much jumping and marching.

The uganda music industry is growing quickly and as much as 40 % of the sounds you hear on Ugandan radio stations are from local musicians, showing there is widespread support for this authentic music niche that is spreading worldwide.

Our friend Samite brings you a true authentic form of Ugandan music instilled in his childhood and delivered with all the passion that is the true Soul of Africa.  Watch the video on Samite’s main website and you will be moved by his description of his mother playing a stringed instrument stretched between a bent tree sapling and a tin cover.

You will help the cause and spread the joy of African Music by pre-ordering Samite’s forthcoming CD.