The Musical Traditions of Africa
It is now common knowledge that the continent of Africa is not as culturally homogeneous as has been generally assumed. North Africa is inhibited by societies whose languages and cultures are very closely related to those of the Arab world of the Middle East,while the southern portion is dominated by settler population from Europe.
By extension, the music practiced by these societies belongs to stylistic families outside Africa. Arabic music is cultivated by societies in north Africa, as well as by Arab communities in the Sudan, parts of the Maghrebs, and the east African littoral. Although the music of these cultures appears to have developed some characteristics of it's own on the African continents, it belongs to the oriental family of modal music. It's classical, folk, and popular idioms are so distinct from those of the rest of Africa that it cannot, on stylistic grounds, be included in the family of indigenous African music. Likewise, those varieties of Western music cultivated in the southern portion of the continent by European settler populations and by Africans of Western orientation must also be excluded from this family of musical styles.
When we turn to the rest of Africa, we find African societies whose musical cultures not only have their historical roots in the soil of Africa, but which also from a network of distinct yet related traditions which overlap in certain aspects of styles, practiced, or usage, and contextual similarities. Those related musical traditions constitute a family distinct from those of the West or the Orient in their areas of emphasis.
The most important characteristic of this family of musical traditions is the diversity of expressions it accommodates, a diversity arising from different applications of common procedures and usages. In part, this may be the outcome of the complex historical grouping of Africa people into societies ranging from as few as two thousand people to as many as fifteen million. Over seven hundred distinct languages are spoken by these societies; and although these languages can be grouped into large families, in some cases many hundreds of years separate the members of such families from their parent languages. The counterpart of this linguistic situation exist in music, for the music of Africa, like it's language,is, so to speak, "ethnic-bound." Each society practices it's own variant. Hence one can speak of the Yoruba variety of African music, the Akan, the Ewe, the Senufo, or the Nyamwezi variety, and so on.
By extension, the music practiced by these societies belongs to stylistic families outside Africa. Arabic music is cultivated by societies in north Africa, as well as by Arab communities in the Sudan, parts of the Maghrebs, and the east African littoral. Although the music of these cultures appears to have developed some characteristics of it's own on the African continents, it belongs to the oriental family of modal music. It's classical, folk, and popular idioms are so distinct from those of the rest of Africa that it cannot, on stylistic grounds, be included in the family of indigenous African music. Likewise, those varieties of Western music cultivated in the southern portion of the continent by European settler populations and by Africans of Western orientation must also be excluded from this family of musical styles.
When we turn to the rest of Africa, we find African societies whose musical cultures not only have their historical roots in the soil of Africa, but which also from a network of distinct yet related traditions which overlap in certain aspects of styles, practiced, or usage, and contextual similarities. Those related musical traditions constitute a family distinct from those of the West or the Orient in their areas of emphasis.
The most important characteristic of this family of musical traditions is the diversity of expressions it accommodates, a diversity arising from different applications of common procedures and usages. In part, this may be the outcome of the complex historical grouping of Africa people into societies ranging from as few as two thousand people to as many as fifteen million. Over seven hundred distinct languages are spoken by these societies; and although these languages can be grouped into large families, in some cases many hundreds of years separate the members of such families from their parent languages. The counterpart of this linguistic situation exist in music, for the music of Africa, like it's language,is, so to speak, "ethnic-bound." Each society practices it's own variant. Hence one can speak of the Yoruba variety of African music, the Akan, the Ewe, the Senufo, or the Nyamwezi variety, and so on.
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