Ancient African American Culture

a. Most of the collective music manifestations found in sub-Saharan Africa represent the community, and encourage group participation using a method that is called call-and-response. If they aren’t using a call-and-response such music’s are usually to be found at events such as religious ceremonies, and/or most other ritual based activities.

The roots of modern american rock and roll music, are firmly planted in Africa. As the native Africans were torn apart from their family’s and brought to the new world their lives were immediately and drastically changed forever. Finding themselves immersed in a completely new environment with a foreign culture, they thankfully persevered and carried on with their own traditions and most importantly to this paper, musical ones. Most American slaves originated from Western and Central Africa. The West Africans carried a musical tradition rich with long melody lines, complicated rhythms (poly rhythmics) and stringed instruments CITATION. The West Africans music was also strongly integrated into their everyday lives. Songs were preformed for religious ceremonies and dances and music was often a

In Latin America, African music and dance did not rise to prominence in an unadulterated form, but rather one transformed by interactions with European styles in a process known as transculturation. Such an intricate transmutation occurs when cultures exchange aspects, including music, language, or dance, and mutually influence each other in both beneficial and adverse ways. John Charles Chasteen explores this concept in profound detail throughout National Rhythms, African Roots wherein he explains the origins of Latin American popular culture in a tale that spans centuries, continents, and race gaps. This radical transformation of culture is not removed from current events, but has become increasingly relevant with the rise of the internet and social media to serve as channels for such diverse interactions. After African and European dance and music were interwoven through transculturation, Latinos gradually embraced the hybrid rhythms as their own after being exposed to them at carnival street parades and clandestine dance clubs. Nonetheless, these interracial interactions were not completely free from racism and degradation to the African identity.

African music is deeply rooted in the typically polyrhythmic music of the ethnic groups of

African American music has evolved into unique musical tradition, reflecting the experiences of Africans in the New World. This musical tradition, however, has been influenced by African cultural patterns in profound and subtle ways. To define such a broad genre is a difficult task, as African music is not a static system of notes and beats, but rather it is a conceptual approach to music making. There are, nonetheless, a set of common basic elements that help define the genre. African music in terms of spirituality, community, and language have influenced African American music profoundly. Musical organization and syntax can be traced directly to sub-Saharan peoples in terms of cyclical

“O.M.G, I love that beat.” The few years I have spent in the United States of Americas, more generally in the western culture, it is very common to hear young people embrace such phrases in appreciating music. In non-western culture, music is always created for very specific purposes and one cannot just ‘love that beat.’ Music is more than just the beat, rhythm and a sing-along melody. In this paper, I will compare the traditional purpose of music and the culture of the drum in Native American and Ugandan tribes. Dr. Peck, in her book, Native American Music, defines culture as “way of life of a people, learned and transmitted from one generation to the next” The similarities in either

The African tradition started way back when the slaves were brought over. While working in the fields, the slaves would sing and dance. They thought by singing and dancing, it would help them to keep their connection with Africa. The Catholic Priests tried to demolish anything which resembled “Devil Worship.” Traditions which the Africans brought over, the priests wanted to get rid of. That is not how the African tradition is, their religion is danced and celebrated. One big element which caused problems, was the drum. The Europeans were afraid of the power the drums had on the dancers.

African culture began to spread rapidly throughout Latin America, influencing the music, food, dance, art and poetry.The mix of these African cultures has produced many unique forms of language such as Palenquero, Garifuna and Creole.

I must say that my hole spring quarter has been dedicated to deepening my overall understanding of West-African dance alone. In preparation this to study with the Urban Bush this summer I wanted to make sure that I was able to develop a stronger foundation in my West-African dance technique this quarter. My Mondays and Wednesday from 2:00-6:30 were dedicated to Professor Parker's ( Makeda- Kumasi) West-African dancing and drumming classes held at UCR. I also seeked outside the classroom to gain a community experience of this dance genre so that I could compare and contrast the similarities and differences I found. My goals were to truly embody the many elements that are associated in this dance genre. In my discoveries I was able to

In this essay, I will be examining the musical genre of Afrobeat which was created by Fela Anikulapo Kuti. Afrobeat first came to be in the late 1960’s during the Civil Rights Movement in America. Fela Kuti a Nigerian, was able to create a genre that has change the way we view music today. Afrobeat is made up of two different words, “Afro” and “Beat”. “Afro” correlates with “African organized sound while beat is a rhythmic counting pattern in relation to such music” (Oikelome, 2013). Therefore, the meaning of Afrobeat is the unique African rhythmic patterns of such music. The coming of this genre is very interesting since the man behind it has quite a story.

The authors talked about the importance of African Dance and their functions. The author quoted

As African people travelled from Africa to other parts of the world, both as a result of the African slave trade and later migrations, the music and dance forms of this African diaspora influenced many international musical styles and genres, including Caribbean and Latin American music, for example Samba and Salsa, as well as providing the foundations for the musical traditions behind African American Music, for example Jazz and Rhythm and Blues.

Over centuries hundreds of years dance has been and always will be a major part of every culture. It is used as a form of expression which incorporates many types such as art, prayer, meditation, fitness, therapy and the list goes on. Dance is not only a resource for such things, but it is also a lifestyle for many, including it in their everyday lives.

This paper will examine how drums are used in three African cultures. Africans value music deeply, it is a part of their everyday existence. Music plays a part in their spiritual, emotional and physical lives. The people of Africa compare the beat of a drum to that of the beat of a heart. Music is a part of young children’s lives from the beginning, as music is used in to celebrate births and used in games children play. Drums are used to at rites of life such as marriage or and the time of death to mourn. Drummers were highly regarded by the community and if a young person mastered drumming by the age of 10, he would be considered royalty. The animal skin drum was a common type of drum (Smith 22).

Long before people came to know about rumba or salsa dance, the ancient people of both South and Central America were developing what is currently known as the Latin dance. These styles of dances were profoundly influenced by the European and the African modes of dancing in both the movements and the music used. The dances had the following characteristics/beginnings in the olden days;