THE ART OF MUSIC COMPOSING IN AFRICA.

Organising the talent

A good composer has high chances of making it on the music scene. At Aijuka Records, we are a home of creatives, some of whom have been scouted and others nurtured to where they are now. There is always a satsifying feeling when a talent expresses his message for exposure.

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Music is a universal language that crosses cultures and nations. It has the ability to express emotions, convey messages, and form connections. Music is another form of art that involves imagination, expertise, and enthusiasm. In this blog article, we will look at the art of music composition in Africa, a continent rich in musical traditions.

Composing music is the process of generating unique music by combining elements such as melody, harmony, rhythm, timbre, and structure. Music composers can create music using a variety of tools and approaches, including instruments, voices, notation, software, and improvisation. The composer’s background, inspiration, goal, audience, and genre can all have an impact on music composition.

Africa is a continent with a long and varied history of music composing. African music is often characterized by its complex polyrhythms, call-and-response patterns, pentatonic scales, and use of percussion instruments. African music also reflects the diversity of the continent’s cultures, languages, religions, and regions. Some of the genres of African music include Afrobeat, Highlife, Soukous, Mbalax, Gnawa, Rai, and Kwaito.

Music composing in Africa is not only a form of artistic expression but also a way of preserving and transmitting cultural heritage. Many African composers draw inspiration from their ancestral traditions, folktales, legends, and myths. They also incorporate elements from other musical influences, such as Western classical music, jazz, blues, rock, pop, and hip hop. Some of the famous African composers include Fela Kuti, Miriam Makeba, Youssou N’Dour, Salif Keita, Angelique Kidjo, Hugh Masekela, and Ladysmith Black Mambazo.

Music composing in Africa is also a dynamic and evolving art form that responds to the changing social and political contexts of the continent. Many African composers use their music as a platform to address issues such as colonialism, apartheid, independence, democracy, human rights, corruption, poverty, and HIV/AIDS. They also use their music to celebrate diversity, unity, identity, and hope. Some of the examples of African composers who use their music for social change include Bob Marley, Lucky Dube, Brenda Fassie, K’naan, Freshlyground, and Tinariwen.

Music composing in Africa is an art form that showcases the creativity and talent of the continent’s people. It is also an art form that reflects the richness and diversity of the continent’s cultures. Music composing in Africa is an art form that deserves recognition and appreciation from the global audience.

Africa is a vast continent with a rich and diverse musical heritage. Music is an integral part of African culture, expressing the values, beliefs, emotions, and experiences of the people. Music also serves various social functions, such as entertainment, communication, education, ritual, and healing.

African music is not a homogeneous entity, but rather a collection of many different musical traditions that vary according to the geographic, ethnic, linguistic, religious, and historical contexts of each region. However, there are some common features that characterize African music as a whole, such as:

The use of polyphony, which is the simultaneous sounding of multiple independent melodic lines or rhythmic patterns. Polyphony creates complex and rich textures that often contrast or complement each other. For example, in the Zulu choral music of South Africa, the lead singer initiates a melody that is answered by a chorus in a call-and-response pattern.

The use of interlocking techniques, which are ways of dividing a musical phrase or pattern among different instruments or voices so that each one plays or sings a different part that fits together like a puzzle. Interlocking creates a sense of unity and continuity in the music, as well as allowing for individual expression and creativity. For example, in the ng’oma drumming of Gogo women in Tanzania and Mozambique, each drummer plays a single note that alternates with the others to form a continuous rhythm.

The use of cyclical forms, which are musical structures that consist of repeating patterns or themes that are timed against a regular number of pulses or beats. These cycles can be divided in different ways to create different metrical units or accents within the music. Cycles can also be varied by changing the tempo, dynamics, timbre, or pitch of the music. For example, in the dimbila xylophone music of the Makonde people in Tanzania and Mozambique, each player performs a cycle of 24 pulses that can be subdivided into groups of 3, 4, 6, 8, or 12.