Cool Stuff: Sub Saharan Africa

 1. The Music of Madagascar - Like all music cultures, the traditional music in Madagascar has developed and formed its own identity due to various influences. The populations that have had an impact upon the music of Madagascar include the Austronesian people, African, Arab, and the Europeans. In the Madagascar society, the traditional music still remains alive and has both a sacred and secular side. The music plays a role in rituals and can also animate the games of teenagers in villages. The phenomenon of modern appliances and pop culture have started taking a toll on the traditional music and their melodies. With this being said, these appliances have made an impact so much that it has taken over the big cities. The traditional music in Madagascar has ternary rhythm. Ternary rhythm is when each beat of the song is divided into three smaller equal beats. In Madagascar, the artist's main goal isn't to become a big star, but rather sing about the community's history. In the south of Madagascar, the Antandroy are one of the strongest people to preserve their musical traditions. In their eyes, they view the body as the first musical instrument. In the east of Madagascar, the Betsimisakara made their impact upon music with rhythmic variations. The traditions musicians of Madagascar are often self-taught. With this being said, everything is learned through a family setting orally and by listening. The traditional music of Madagascar plays a significant role in ceremonies in honor of the ancestors, funerals, circumcisions, marriages, the return of the dead, initiation rites, past clan wars, victories, and popular pleasures. traditional-music-madagascar

2. The Music of the Congo - The two countries that hold the name Congo include -- The Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and the Republic of the Congo. Both capital cities have played an intricate role in the musical development of the Congo; however, the capital of the DRC, Kinshasa, was the musical heart that produced endless dance music and great bands. Each generation brought forth their own style; however all played music known in the West as rumba or soukous. Rumba was the Congo's musical form that had a bigger effect on Western dance floors than any other African music. Rumba entered the West and Central Africa before and after World War II. The Congolese people adapted the piano part for guitar. The Congolese music was less European-influenced unlike Ghana. Instead, music from the Congo was able to have more of an African influence. Rumba became even more popular in the 1930s due to the forefathers of Congolese music. Congolese music was boosted because it was 'non-tribal', using the Lingala which was an interethnic language. To add on the language, the guitar style was influenced from West and Central Africa. https://worldmusic.net/blogs/guide-to-world-music/the-music-of-congo

3. Djembe Drum - The Djembe Drum is one of the most well-known instruments in West Africa. This drum is usually carved from a single piece of African hardwood along with it being topped with a piece of animal skin for the drumhead. This instrument also belongs to the membranophone family. "Dje" means gather and "be" means everyone. The Djembe Drum is at least 400-800 years old and was created during the Malian Empire by the Mandé people. It is said that the drum contains three spirits. These three spirits consist of the tree in which it came from, the spirit of the animal the skin is played, and the spirit of the carver or the one who cut the tree and the people who put the drum together. When played, the drum needs to speak the music. When the instrument talks the language of the people, it takes on a life of its own. Which in return, the drum can then share the energy that is coming from without and within. https://www.drumconnection.com/africa-connections/history-of-the-djembe/