MUS 206 Lecture 7: MUS 206 Africa 2
MUS 206 Lecture 7
More on Ghana:
Agbekor:
● Type of singing + drumming + dancing featuring percussion ensemble, dancers, and a
singing chorus
● Inspired by observations of monkeys in the forest
○ Legend: hunters/warriors taught monkeys’ songs
● War drumming/dancing
Learning of Agbekor:
● Special training
○ Practice in secluded area
○ Learned through simulated performance contexts
● Drum dance societies, school groups, theatre companies, etc.
Music of Agbekor:
● Double bell
● Gourd rattle
● Single-headed drums
Individual instruments = simple Combination of instruments = complex
Features of Agbekor:
● Syncopations
● Polyrhythms
● Polymeter
● Drum language
○ “Not translatable”
● Text subjects
○ “About war”
● Call + response
● Intonations
○ Not aimed at a particular pitch, but rather pitch areas
Performance of Agbekor:
● Several sections
○ Some more ritualized
○ Different names used for different sections
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com