Wenu Se Goli Analysis

In the memoir A Long Way Gone, author Ishmael Beah describes his survival journey as a lost child in his country, because of the civil war in Sierra Leone, then becoming a child soldier facing war daily, afterward the process that Beah went through during rehabilitation and finally in fear escaping the civil war. Ishmael Beah emotional journey has three stages of development in which Beah utilized music. In the first stage, Beah uses music as a survival mechanism to keep sane and safe. In the second stage, begins when he loses his brother and friends, Beah reaches the lowest point with the loss of his entire family again, some friends, music, and being forced to join the war. In the final stage, is the process of rehabilitation where Beah connects with music once again. Ishmael Beah exposure to music at a young age stayed with him throughout his life. (Beah, 2007, p. 5-218)

For as long as mankind has walked on this earth, music has been an important part of our culture and lifestyles. Each walk of life beats to a different drum. Different cultures use music for many aspects of their lives; for religious purposes, for celebrations, for comfort, for sorrow, for relaxation, for sports, for dances, for energy, for learning, for sleeping, and for sexual experiences. Everyone uses music for something. Music connects with people and reaches them in ways that words simply cannot. Music is a representation of what feelings sound like. It expresses emotion and brings that characteristic out from within us; it tells us a story. Every generation has its’ own sound and different music styles have emerged and become

1. How do the principal musical manifestations found in the sub-Saharan Africa reflect the collective community and encourage group participations?

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

The African beats, the wind instruments and the rhythms that have been passed down through the

Samba Afro had three main instruments that included the caixa, repinique, and surdo. Often times we fail to realize the close relationship between

African influence is evident in African secular and religious practices, in instruments modeled after African instruments, and in the use of musical traits associated with Africa’s ethnic groups.

Some may say music is just music; a song is just a song. However, music plays an enormous role in our psychology, because a single song has the ability to bring about many kinds of thoughts and emotions in the listener. Music is subtly one of the main factors in which people identify with certain groups and establish their belonging in society. It shapes people’s perspectives on how the world functions and the roles they play within it. Music can function the same way in a culture; it can reflect many of the culture’s values and ideologies. Music can have many effects on culture and the people’s idea of who they think they are within that culture. Music can serve in a way that promotes cultural identity and pride, yet it could also play a

In Africa, music isn’t just something they see as having fun, it has become something greater. Africans use music in their everyday lives. It has become a social event, where African community’s come together and accompany songs with cultural beliefs, traditions, rituals, festivals and “recreation after a day’s hard work”(Bame, 7). For instance, in some communities it is believed farmers are able to heal people while dancing. Other’s dance to honor the death of a person, and find their soulmates.

Most instruments were originated in Egypt and have unique features that have changed over time. This article was helpful because it summarized the history of important instruments and presented facts I was not aware of. Before I read this article I had a fair understanding of the history of musical instruments in ancient Egypt. The article helped clarify my understanding of the role the instruments played in their lives and taught me more about the

Music in the western society is viewed as a separate commodity. Although American music attempts to convey messages and make changes in the society, it is not a highly essential part of their lives. On the other hand, African music is a natural expression of the identity and social values of people in Africa. Music is a cultural activity within the African communities that help people live together and communicate the major values of their social units. It is a tool that explains their existences and adds meaning to their lives.

Gamelan is a term for various types of orchestra played in Indonesia. As Indonesia entails 17000 islands, there are many different styles of gamelan, and no gamelan orchestra is considered to be the same as another (See Y-S, 2000). The music of Bali - a Hindu island afloat in a Muslim sea - was described by the American composer Colin McPhee as the “stirring mystery of a thousand bells” (Gordon, 1994). Varieties of gamelan are distinguished through tunings, style, cultural context and the collection of instruments used. The varieties are generally grouped geographically, with certain styles being shared by nearby ensembles, therefore leading to a regional style (See Y-S, 2000). Balinese gamelan is the main element of Indonesian traditional music as well as belonging to the sacred elements of their culture. Throughout the following investigation, the style of Balinese gamelan will be analysed through its history, beliefs and values, musical elements, cultural effects and future observations.

Ukuleles, what makes them so special? Why devote an entire paper to them? Obvious questions for everyone who are not familiar with the instrument, however those who know they instrument as well as someone who plays them know they have a vibrant history, are perfect for entertaining and creating, and more so than the average stringed instrument like the more popular big brother, the acoustic guitar, are warmly unique.

In this course we have learned about all of the different cultures and their musical traditions. My favorite so far has had to be the west African music culture. They have a variety of different music, instruments, and dances to contribute to the reasons I liked this music culture so much. So, I have taken it upon myself to further my research on this particular musical group. I will compare and contrast a variety of different videos from the west African music culture and I will analyze how they connect to this culture.

Scholars have attempted to define music, and to be quite honest, it will be a huge challenge to try to weave a definition around the art that is music, because it is beyond definition. However, for the purposes of this work, we shall adopt the definition by Aluede & Eregare (2009), not because the definition is, in itself, complete, but because it captures the very essence of what we look for in the definition of music. Music, according to Aluede & Aregare (2009), is not only an organization of sound but also a symbolic expression of a social and cultural organization, which reflects the values, past and present ways of life of human beings. Also, Jones (1975), cited in Amana and Onogu (2015), defines music as “a language which encodes emotions, aspirations and people’s goals in autonomous and self-expressive arts forms.” These definitions are important in understanding music, because they highlight the fact that music does not only appeal to the feel-good emotion, it is not only used for entertainment; it is a valid form of social expression and this underscores the centrality of music in African socio-cultural life.