African Music – The Blog of Samite

Posts Tagged ‘Africa music’

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“.

The bond between Africa music and its people is so tight that it is enjoyed by all senses including touch and sight and it spans lifestyles and cultures too.

Cattle are the central theme of music originating in East Africa.  In the South the predominant subject is food because societies are nomadic and in constant search of sustenance.  North-western Africa has very little cattle so the music there is reflective of the politics involving European domination.

The West coast of Africa, between the Khoi-San region and the northwest, combines  East African and Northwest characteristics.   There remain various Pygmy tribes in that area which gives rise to ancient rhythmic drumming music and dance.  Lastly, the far north is influenced by Islamic culture and there is little diversity within the north versus the style of music to neighboring areas.

For its European characteristics, the west coast of Africa has “hot rhythm” and metronome timing.  There are many meters and a form of singing that overlaps with a leader and chorus.

Vast numbers of instruments and styles are what typify the music of central Africa.  And in the east, Islamic textures bleed in, but they are not as dominant as in the north.   The music in the east includes vertical fifths with an uncomplicated rhythmic build.  Drums and other percussion instruments are less apparent.

The music of the center of Africa, or the Khoi-San, is much like that of the east, however it more simple in form and in instrument.  It includes the hocket structure, like the Pygmy region which incorporates a vocal quality that sounds a bit like yodeling.

For all its diversity African music has spread around the world and is currently enjoying a renaissance right at home again.  Assaulted by colonialism and slavery Africa music has remained true, an authentic art form finding popularity across the globe.

You are all invited to visit the main website of Samite and hear his delightful African music renditions.  Help the cause of world music by pre-ordering Samite’s latest CD album.

Click this link to read a more recent article on African Music and “My Music World”

The Soul of Africa music is unique to the African continent but which everyone can enjoy.  Prepare yourself for a different experience that is grounded in folklore, mythology, Gods and legends.

The first thing you will notice about African music is the predominant rhythm.  It is based on tens of thousands of years of cultural evolution and it will make you want to dance.  In fact, dance is very much a part of the African musical experience.  African music is intended to link the things you can see, with the unseen and dance brings these unseen visions some clarity.

African music has strong percussive elements and these can be produced with various instruments reflective of their societies; friction sticks, clappers, cymbals and rattles, commonly used to create a beat.

Some populations rely on xylophones and the mbira, a musical instrument from sub-Saharan Africa that has been a part of African musical culture for 800 years.  Often referred to as a thumb-piano, its metal strips are plucked or depressed to create both rhythm and melody and to accompany a singer and provide a rhythmic component.

Of course, conventional drums create rhythm too, as well as, bells and even clay pots.  African music has always capitalized on what was available.   You will enjoy the beauty of this instrument as played by Samite on several of his recordings.

Some African societies emphasis percussion more than melody, but others rely on the melody instead.  For these cultures, the mbira is seen primarily as a melodic instrument.  Interestingly, in some societies the use of the mbira is restricted to Chiefs or other traditional hierarchical figures, particularly if the instrument is being used for a religious purpose.

There is much to enjoy about African music; an art form born of ancient mystery and wonder, and one which is readily shared with the world.  Thanks to modern technology, the Soul of Africa can be a part of your music library too.