Take a Musical Trip - South African Music
There are several different styles and genres of African music. The various types of African music each represent different cultures, languages, and religious beliefs that are found in Africa. There are several different musical elements that are utilized in various genres of African music to give it its unique sound.
What Gives South African Music its Unique Sound?
One of the features that characterizes South African music is its use of the pentatonic scale. In Western music, the heptatonic scale is most often used which has seven notes in an octave. The pentatonic scale uses five notes per octave. The use of the pentatonic scale provides a unique sound. South African music also usually uses modal structures rather than the tonal structures often found in Western music. In tonal structure, the music always centers around the "tonal" note or chord, which is generally the first note of the scale. In modal structures, we generally find repeating patterns or phrases. These can be used to create various melodies and harmonies, producing a more flexible sound.
South African music often makes use of polyrhythms, which are multiple rhythms layered on top of one another. These rhythms are played in different meters. Due to the overlapping of the rhythms, the music creates a sound of tension and release as the rhythms intersect.
We often see a "call-and-response" element in South African music. This pattern is demonstrated when the lead singer or instrument provide a "call" phrase and then the rest of the group "responds" with another phrase. This creates a "conversation" throughout the musical piece. We often find ostinatos in South African music as well. An ostinato is a musical phrase or pattern that is repeated throughout the piece. We often see these in the melody or rhythm of the song.
South African music also makes use of multiple different musical ornaments including trills, vibrato, slides, and glissando. Traditional South African music usually has several microtones. Microtones are notes that fall in between semitones found in Western music providing a distinct sound.
"Nomakanjani" by Brenda Fassie
"Nomakanjani," sung by Brenda Fassie, was released on November 15th of 1999 by CCP Records and EMI Records. "Nomakanjani" is a South African piece, but it received attention all over the continent. It sold over 525,000 copies in South Africa. At the South African Music Awards, "Nomakanjani" received both the best selling album reward and Song of the Year.
"Nomakanjani" represents the Afrobeats and Kwaito genres. The Afrobeats genre originated in Nigeria. It combines elements of hip-hop, R&B, as well as traditional South African music. The Kwaito genre became popular in South Africa during the 1990s. A variation of house music, Kwaito music usually is performed at a slower tempo. It has distinctive melodies that generally have deep bass lines and memorable vocals.
Polyrhythms
"Nomakanjani" has polyrhythms throughout the piece. There are multiple rhythms throughout the piece played by multiple different instruments. This provides texture to the piece by creating a dynamic sound. We can hear different rhythms taking the focus throughout different sections of the piece.
"Call-and-Response"
We can hear the "call-and-response" element that is often prominent in South African music throughout "Nomakanjani." We can hear the "conversation" throughout the piece. Fassie often sings a phrase, and the music responds. This creates a sense of unity in the piece.
"Umqombothi'" by Yvonne Chaka Chaka
"Umqombothi'" is sung by Yvonne Chaka Chaka and was released in 1988 from the album Thank you, Mr. DJ. Sello "Chicco" Twala and Attie van Wyk composed the piece. "Umqombothi'" is also a South African piece. Umqombothi' is is a traditional Nguni beer that is made of maize, yeast, and water. It is often used to celebrate young men coming home in Xhosa culture.
"Umqombothi'" represents the Champeta genre of South African music. The Champeta genre originated in the early 1980s in the Caribbean coast of Colombina. Chapeta music is characterized by three sections: an introduction, a chorus, and a repetitive section known as el Despeluque.
Timbre
Timbre is the tone color or tone quality of the piece. "Umqombothi'" demonstrates rich sound due to the variety of instruments and voices used. Each of these instruments has a distinct timbre that, when combined, produces such vivid and full-bodied sound.
Polyrhythms
"Umqombothi'" also makes use of polyrhythms. We have multiple rhythms that are being layered over one another creating depth in the piece. It provides texture to the piece with the continuous "tension" and "release" through the music.
Sources:
Piza, A. 2019. Listening to the World. PressBooks.
Dorsey, D. 1 July 2020. Everything You Wanted to Know About Champeta. Culture Trip.
I can certainly hear the call and response during "Umqombothi". It does seem to me more tonal than modal to me though, at least with the instrumentation. The music repeats often, but falls back to the root. Interestingly, the music seems to center around the 1 and 5 of the key signature, which makes sense if they are using a pentatonic base. I find it interesting that the music doesn't sound unlike some of the music I typically listen to, meaning either western influences are growing in south african music, or vice versa.
ReplyDeleteHi Shelby,
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about South African music, I enjoyed your post. I can definitely see the repetitive patterns/phrases, especially in the "Nomakanjani" song.
I wanted to share this song I found - the tone and beats seemed similar to me from the "Umqombothi" song: https://youtu.be/8g0v2SDe6MU
The tone color in Nomakanjani is very interesting. I really like it, I can see why it was so popular. I wonder if understanding the phrases would significantly enhance their quality. I wonder why the calls are happening at certain times or why there are such changes in tone. Thanks for sharing; it was very pretty.
ReplyDeleteHello Shelby,
ReplyDeleteThe South African music post is very interesting and fascinating! I learned so much different elements so far and this one adds to my learning. The deep tones and repeating chorus are unique for sure! Good job.