The Cultural Interaction of African Music
Although all these groups retained their identity, they did not live in isolation. In the pursuit of trade, members of some societies, such as the Mande and Housa, traveled far and wide; other states maintained diplomatic relations with one another. Likewise, there was cultural interactions that resulted in the borrowing and adaptation of cultural items, including music.
As a result of this interchange, there sometimes occur musical types bearing the same names in different areas, as well as other types with different names but similar patterns. For example, asafo music of warrior organisation or one of it's subtypes, as Kyirem, or apagya, will be found in the Akan, Ga, Adangme, and Ewe areas of Ghana; in Dagomba country in Ghana, a music and dance type called Kanbonwaa is modeled on the same kind of music, but combines both Akan and Dagomba musical styles. Similarly, a musical style called jongo is found among many societies in northern Ghana-in Frafra, Kusasi, Kassena-Nankani, Builsa, and Si-sala while damba is performed in Dagomba, Gonja, and Wala at festivals of Islamic origin. The use of similar musical patterns or terms extends beyond regional boundaries: for example, Dahomean musical genres kete, ketebound, katanto, and akofin are reminiscent of some types also prevalent in the Akan region of Ghana.
The areas of intensive interaction tend to follow fairly well-defined geographical boundaries which incorporate centers of economic or religious activities. One of such areas extends from the western Sudan to Lake Chad and it's environs, where varieties of instruments of the lute and harp-lute family and certain features of monodic (single-voice) singing style predominate. Another of such area is eastern Africa, including the East Horn (Somalia and Ethiopia), which is set apart from west Africa by a similarity of instrumental types. Varieties of long trumpets, but overlapped and interact. The use of xylophones, for example, extends right across continents, from east to west through the Niger-Congo linguistic zone. A map of the distribution of this instruments prepared by the Olga boone has been revised by A.M.Jones, who has superimposed on it the distribution of thirds, since it seems to be concentrated in the same zone. Another illustration is J.Vansina's survey of the incidence of welded double-flange bells in the area of the Niger-Congo divide, which suggests not only that the societies in this zone, of state organisation in which such bells functioned as part of the regalia of kings.
As a result of this interchange, there sometimes occur musical types bearing the same names in different areas, as well as other types with different names but similar patterns. For example, asafo music of warrior organisation or one of it's subtypes, as Kyirem, or apagya, will be found in the Akan, Ga, Adangme, and Ewe areas of Ghana; in Dagomba country in Ghana, a music and dance type called Kanbonwaa is modeled on the same kind of music, but combines both Akan and Dagomba musical styles. Similarly, a musical style called jongo is found among many societies in northern Ghana-in Frafra, Kusasi, Kassena-Nankani, Builsa, and Si-sala while damba is performed in Dagomba, Gonja, and Wala at festivals of Islamic origin. The use of similar musical patterns or terms extends beyond regional boundaries: for example, Dahomean musical genres kete, ketebound, katanto, and akofin are reminiscent of some types also prevalent in the Akan region of Ghana.
The areas of intensive interaction tend to follow fairly well-defined geographical boundaries which incorporate centers of economic or religious activities. One of such areas extends from the western Sudan to Lake Chad and it's environs, where varieties of instruments of the lute and harp-lute family and certain features of monodic (single-voice) singing style predominate. Another of such area is eastern Africa, including the East Horn (Somalia and Ethiopia), which is set apart from west Africa by a similarity of instrumental types. Varieties of long trumpets, but overlapped and interact. The use of xylophones, for example, extends right across continents, from east to west through the Niger-Congo linguistic zone. A map of the distribution of this instruments prepared by the Olga boone has been revised by A.M.Jones, who has superimposed on it the distribution of thirds, since it seems to be concentrated in the same zone. Another illustration is J.Vansina's survey of the incidence of welded double-flange bells in the area of the Niger-Congo divide, which suggests not only that the societies in this zone, of state organisation in which such bells functioned as part of the regalia of kings.
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