MUS 185 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Mali Empire, Oral History, Cowhide
29 Oct 2015
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Document Summary
Mande of west africa represent one of the most important ethnolinguistic groups in sub- saharan africa. Most groups claim a common descent from the thirteenth-century mali empire. Mande are characterized by a social hierarchy as well as by occupational specialization. Sula- ordinary people , farmers, merchants, people in urban occupations, aristocracy. Nyamalo-those who rely on a specialized craft as a profession: metalsmiths, wood and leather workers, musicians, having a special life force. Craft specialists are service providers to the king and general population. Jali have the greatest power and they emphasize verbal artistry and elaborate texts. Kontigo is a five-stringed plucked lute with a skin face like a banjo. Donkilo is the basic sung melody of mande jali songs, basic vocal melody. Sataro is a speechlike vocal style performed by mande jalolu, improvised and declamatory singing style, receives major emphasis in jali performance, as does text improvisation and the insertion of proverbs and sayings appropriate to a given context.
