QUARTER 2:

AFRO-LATIN
AMERICAN AND
POPULAR MUSIC
 MUSIC OF AFRICA
Our objectives:

1. Describe the historical and cultural background of Afro-Latin

American and Popular Music (MU10AP-IIa-g-2);
2. Analyze musical characteristics of Afro-Latin American and Popular
Music through listening activities (MU10AP-IIa-h-5);
3. Explore ways of creating sounds on a variety of sources suitable to
chosen vocal and instrumental selections (MU10AP-IIa-7);
4. Perform selections of Afro-Latin American and Popular Music in
appropriate pitch, rhythm, style and expression (MU10AP-IIa-h-6); and
5. Evaluate music and music performances using guided rubrics
(MU10AP-IIa-h10).
 MUSIC OF AFRICA
Music has always been an important part of the
daily life of the African people, whether for
work, religion, ceremonies, or even
communication. Singing, dancing, hand clapping
and the beating of drums are essential to many
African ceremonies, including those for birth,
death, initiation, marriage, and funerals. Music
and dance are also important to religious
expression and political events.
 TRADITIONAL MUSIC OF
AFRICA
African traditional music is largely
functional in nature, used primarily in
ceremonial rites, such as birth, death,
marriage, succession, worship, and spirit
invocations. Others are work related or
social in nature, while many traditional
societies view their music as
entertainment.
Some Types of African
Music: AFROBEAT
Afrobeat is a term used to describe the
fusion of WestAfrican music with black
American music”

Apala (Akpala) Apala is a musical genre

from Nigeria in the Yorubatribal style to
wake up the worshippers after fasting
during the Muslim holy feast of Ramadan.
Percussion instrumentation includes the
rattle ( sekere), Thumb piano ( agidigbo),
bell(agogo), and two or three talking
drums

Yoruba Apala Musicians

AFROBEAT
APALA
 AXE - It is a popular musical genre
from Salvador, Bahia, and Brazil. It
fuses the Afro-Caribbean styles of
marcha, reggae, and calypso.

JIT - It is a hard and fast percussive

Zimbabwean dance music played on drums
with guitar accompaniment influenced by
mbira-based guitar styles.
JIT
 Jive - It is a popular form of
South African music featuring a
lively and uninhibited variation
of the jitterbug, a form of swing
dance.
Juju - It is a popular music style
from Nigeria that relies on the
traditional Yoruba rhythms. A
drum kit, keyboard, pedal steel
guitar, and accordion are used
along with the traditional dun-
dun (talking drum or squeeze
drum).
JUJU
Kwassa Kwassa – It is a
music style that begun in
Zaire in the late 1980’s
popularized by Kanda
Bongo Man. In this dance
style, the hips move back
and forth while the arms
move following the hips.
KWASSA KWASSA
Marabi – It is a South African
three-chord township music of
the 1930s-1960s which
evolved into African Jazz. It is
characterized by simple chords
in varying vamping patterns
and repetitive harmony over an
extended period of time.
MARABI
 LATIN AMERICAN
MUSIC INFLUENCED
BY AFRICAN MUSIC
Reggae

Reggae is a Jamaican musical style that

was strongly influenced by the island's
traditional mento music, as well as by
calypso, African music, American jazz,
and rhythm and blues. One of reggae's
most distinctive qualities is its offbeat
rhythm and staccato chords.
Salsa

Salsa music is Cuban, Puerto

Rican, and Colombian dance
music. It comprises various
musical genres including the Cuban
son montuno, guaracha, chachacha,
mambo, and bolero.
 Samba

Samba is a Brazilian musical genre and dance style. Its

roots can be traced to Africa via the West African slave
trade and African religious traditions particularly in
Angola and the Congo. Samba is the basic underlying
rhythm that typifies most Brazilian music. It has a lively
and rhythmical beat with three steps to every bar,
making the samba feel like a timed dance. There is a set
of dances rather than a single dance-that define the
samba dancing scene in Brazil Thus, no dance can be
claimed with certainty as the "original" samba style.
Soca

Soca is also known as the "soul of

calypso." It originated as a fusion of
calypso with Indian rhythms, thus
combining the musical traditions of the two
major ethnic groups of Trinidad and
Tobago. It is a modern Trinidadian and
Tobagonian pop music combining soul and
calypso music.
Were

Were is Muslim music often performed as a wake-

up call for early breakfast and prayers during
Ramadan celebrations. Relying on pre-arranged
music, it fuses the African and European music
styles..
 Zouk

Zouk is fast, carnival-like rhythmic music, from

the Creole slang word for "party." It originated
in the Caribbean Islands of Guadaloupe and
Martinique and was popularized in the 1980s. It
has a pulsating beat supplied by the gwo ka and
tambour bele drums, a tibwa rhythmic pattern
played on the rim of the snare drum, a rhythm
guitar, a horn section, and keyboard
synthesizers.
VOCAL FORMS
OF AFRICAN
MUSIC
Maracatu

Maracatu first surfaced in the African state of Pernambuco, combining the

strong rhythms of African percussion instruments with Portuguese melodies.
The maracatu groups were called nacoes (nations) who paraded with a
drumming ensemble numbering up to 100, accompanied by a singer, a chorus,
and a coterie of dancers.
Musical instruments used in Maracatu

The maracatu uses mostly percussion instruments such as the alfaia, tarol,
caixa-de-guerra, gongue, agbe, and miniero.

The alfaia is a large wooden drum that is rope-tuned, complemented by the

tarol which is a shallow snare drum, and the caixa-de-guerra which is a war-
like snare. Providing the clanging sound is the gongue, a metal cowbell. The
shakers are represented by the agbe, a gourd shaker covered by beads, and
the miniero or ganza, a metal cylindrical shaker filled with metal shot or
small dried seeds.
Alfaia Drum

Tarol
Agbe
The blues is a musical form of the late 19th century that had deep roots in
African-American communities. These communities were located in the
so-called "Deep South" of the United States, where the slaves and their
descendants used to sing as they worked in the cotton and vegetable
fields. The notes of the blues create an expressive and soulful sound. The
feelings that are evoked are normally associated with misfortune, lost
love, frustration, or loneliness. From extreme joy to deep sadness, the
blues can communicate various emotions more effectively than other
musical forms. Noted performers of the blues genre are Ray Charles,
James Brown, Cab Calloway, Aretha Franklin, and John Lee Hooker; as
well as B.B. King, Bo Diddley, Erykah Badu, Eric Clapton, Steve
Winwood, Charlie Musselwhite, Blues Traveler, Jimmie Vaughan, and Jeff
Baxter. Examples of blues music are the following: Early Mornin', A
House is Not a Home, and Billie's Blues.

Ray Charles
Soul music was a popular music genre of the 1950s and
1960s. It originated in the United States, and combined
elements of African-American gospel music, rhythm and
blues, and often jazz. The catchy rhythms are
accompanied by handclaps and extemporaneous body
moves which are among its important features. Other
characteristics include "call and response" between the
soloist and the chorus, and an especially intense and
powerful vocal sound.

James Brown
Some important innovators whose recordings in the 1950s
contributed to the emergence of soul music include Clyde
McPhatter, Hank Ballard, and Etta James. Ray Charles, Little
Richard, Otis Redding, and James Brown were equally
influential. Brown is known as the "Godfather of Soul," while
Sam Cooke and Jackie Wilson are also often acknowledged as
"soul forefathers.“

Soul music continued to be popular into the 1970s. Examples

of soul hits from that era are: Ain't No Mountain High Enough,
Ben, All I Could Do Was Cry, Soul to Soul, and Betcha by
Golly Wow.
Etta James
Spiritual

The term spiritual is normally associated with a deeply religious person. In music,
however, it refers to a song form, known as the "Negro spiritual," sung by African
slaves in America who became enslaved by its white communities. This musical form
became their outlet to express their loneliness and anger and was a result of the
interaction of music and religion from Africa with that of America. The texts are
mainly religious, sometimes taken from Biblical psalms or passages, while the music
utilizes deep bass voices. The vocal inflections, African accents, and dramatic
changes in dynamics add to the musical interest and effectiveness of the singing.
Examples of spiritual music are the following: We are Climbing Jacob's Ladder,
Rock My Soul When the Saints Go Marching In, and Peace Be Still.
Call and Response

The call and response method is a succession of two distinct musical

phrases usually rendered by different musicians, where the second
phrase acts as a direct commentary on or response to the first. Much like
the question and answer sequence in human communication, it also
forms a strong resemblance to the verse-chorus form in many vocal
compositions. Examples of call and response songs are the following:
Mannish Boy, one of the signature songs by Muddy Waters; School Day
- Ring, Ring Goes the Bell by Chuck Berry; and Call Me Maybe by
Carly Rae Jepsen.
WHAT TO KNOW

1. From the descriptions of African and Latin-American music discussed, do you still hear such music on
the radio, television, YouTube videos, and others? If so, which types are these?

2. Among the types of African music, which evolved into dance forms that remain popular today?

3. What term is used to describe the fusion of West African with black American music?

4. What are the different musical instruments included in the maracatu?

5. What is the distinctive quality of the reggae music form?

6. What is the meaning of the term "spiritual" as a musical form?

7. What type of music was popularized by Ray Charles?

 MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
OF AFRICA
Classification of Traditional African Instruments

A. Idiophones
These are percussion instruments that are either struck with a mallet or against one another.

1. Balafon-The balafon is a West African xylophone. It is a

pitched percussion instrument with bars made from logs or
bamboo.

The xylophone is originally an Asian instrument that

follows the structure of a piano. From Asia, it went to
Africa, then to the Americas and Europe.
2. Rattles - Rattles are vessels made of seashells,
tin, basketry, animal hoofs, horn, wood, metal,
cocoons, palm kernels, or tortoise shells. These
may range from single to several objects that are
either joined or suspended to create sound as they
hit each other.
3. Agogo The agogo is a single bell
or - multiple bells that had its origins
in traditional Yoruba music as well
as in the samba bateria (percussion)
ensembles. The agogo may be called
"the oldest samba
3. Atingting kon- The atingting kon are slit
gongs used as communication between
villages. Traditionally, they were carved out of
wood to resemble ancestors and had a slit
opening at the bottom. In certain cases, their
sound could carry for miles through the forest
and across water to neighboring islands. Gong
"languages," composed of a series of beats and
pauses, made it possible to send highly specific
messages.
5. Slit drum-The slit drum is a hollow percussion
instrument. Although referred to as a drum, it is
more of an idiophone.It is usually carved or
constructed from bamboo or wood into a box
with one or more slits in the top. Most slit drums
have one slit, though two and three slits (cut into
the shape of an "H") occur. If the resultant
tongues are different in width or thickness, the
drum can produce two different pitches.
Djembe-The West African djembe (pronounced zhem- bay) is one of
the best-known African drums. It is shaped like a large goblet and
played with bare hands. The body is carved from a hollowed trunk and
is covered with goat skin.Log drums come in different shapes and
sizes as well as tubular drums, bowl-shaped drums, and friction
drums. Some have one head while others have two. The bigger the
drum, the lower the tone or pitch. The more tension in the drum head,
the higher the tone produced. These drums are played using hands or
sticks or both, while being held under the armpit or with a sling. They
sometimes have rattling metal jingles attached to the outside, or seeds
and beads placed inside the drum.
7. Shekere - The shekere is a type of gourd and
shell megaphone from West Africa, consisting
of a dried gourd with beads woven into a net
covering the gourd. The agbe is another dried
gourd with cowrie shells or beads usually
strung with white cotton thread. The axatse is
a small gourd, held by the neck and placed
between hand and leg.

Gourd Shekere
8. Rasp - A rasp, or scraper, is a
hand percussion instrument whose
sound is produced by scraping the
notches on a piece of wood
(sometimes elaborately carved)
with a stick, creating a series of
rattling effects.
Antique
Wooden
Rasp
Membranophones

Membranophones are instruments, usually drums, which have

vibrating animal membranes. Their shapes may be conical, cylindrical,
barrel, hour-glass, globular, or kettle, and are played with sticks,
hands, or a combination of both. African drums are usually carved
from a single wooden log, and may also be made from ceramics,
gourds, tin cans, and oil drums; while some are constructed with
wooden staves and hoops. Examples from different localities are:
entenga (Ganda), dundun (Yoruba), atumpan (Akan), and ngoma
(Shona).
1. Body percussion - African people
frequently use their bodies as
musical instruments. Aside from
using their voices since many of
them are superb singers they also
clap their hands, slap their thighs,
pound their upper arms or chests, or
shuffle and stomp their feet.
2. Talking drum - The talking drum is used to send
messages to announce births, deaths, marriages, sporting
events, dances, initiation, or war. Sometimes, the
messages may even contain gossip or jokes. An example
of the talking drum is the luna.It is also believed that
these drums can carry direct messages to the spirits after
the death of a loved one. However, learning to play
messages on drums is extremely difficult, resulting in its
waning popularity.
C. Lamellaphone

One of the most popular African percussion instruments is the lamellaphone, which is a set of
plucked tongues or keys mounted on a sound board. It is known by different names according
to the regions such as mbira, karimba, kisaanj, and likembe.

The mbira (thumb piano or finger xylophone) is from Zimbabwe that is used
throughout the continent. It consists of a wooden board with attached metal
tines (a series of wooden, metal, or rattan tongues) of graduated sizes. It may
also have an added resonator like a calabash (gourd) to increase its volume. It
is played by holding the instrument while plucking the tines with the thumbs,
producing a soft plucked sound.

An important feature of mbira music is its chiming, cyclical nature, with each
new repetition varying slightly from the last. It is used in ceremonial functions
such as weddings, funerals, and in honor of significant people, as well as for
religious purposes, to call on spirits and seek their advice.
D. Chordophones are instruments which produce sounds from the vibration of strings. These
include bows, harps, lutes, zithers, and lyres of various sizes.

1. Musical bow-The musical bow is the ancestor of all string instruments. It is the oldest and
one of the most widely-used string instruments of Africa. The principal types are the mouth
bow, the resonator bow, and the earth bow.

The mouth bow consists of a single string attached to each end of a curved stick, similar to a
bow and arrow. The string is held in the mouth and the string is either plucked or struck with
another stick, producing a percussive yet delicate sound.

The resonator bow is a form of the mouth bow with a calabash resonator attached at its mid-
point. In different parts of Africa, this bow is known by other names. In Rwanda, it is known
as munahi; in Dahomey, tiepore; and in Madagascar, jejolava.
The earth bow also called ground bow or pit harp consists of a flexible pole which is
planted in the ground. A string is attached to one end of the pole, while the other end
of the string is attached to a stone, a piece of bark, or a small piece of wood which is
then planted in a hole dug in the ground, thus bending the pole. The hole in the
ground acts as a resonator and the sound comes from under the earth. This type of
bow is often used in ceremonies involving magic.

A more advanced form of ground bow is made from a log, half a gourd, a flat piece of
wood, and cord. The wooden strip is driven firmly into one end of the log and the half
gourd is fastened to the log about two feet away from the wooden strip. The cord,
fastened from the wooden strip to the gourd, is stretched tightly into the shape of a
bow. The player holds the instrument on the ground by placing one leg across the log
between the gourd and the wooden strip.
 Nkoni
2. Lute- The lute, originating from the Arabic
states, is shaped like the modern guitar and played
in similar fashion. It has a resonating body, a neck,
and one or more strings which stretch across the
length of its body and neck. The player tunes the
strings by tightening or loosening the pegs at the
top of the lute's neck. West African plucked lutes
include the konting, khalam, and the nkoni.
3. Kora - The kora is Africa's most sophisticated
harp, while also having features similar to a lute. Its
body is made from a gourd or calabash. A support
for the bridge is set across the opening and covered
with a skin that is held in place with studs. The
leather rings around the neck are used to tighten the
21 strings that give the instrument a range of over
three octaves. The kora is held upright and played
with the fingers.
4. Zither - The zither is a stringed instrument with varying sizes and
shapes whose strings are stretched along its body. Among the types
of African zither are the raft or Inanga zither from Burundi, the
tubular or Valiha zither from Malagasi, and the harp or Mvet zither
from Cameroon.
5. Zeze - The zeze is a fiddle from Sub-Saharan
Africa played with a bow, a small wooden stick,
or plucked with the fingers. It has one or two
strings, made of steel or bicycle brake wire. It is
also known by the names tzetze or dzendze,
izeze and endingidi, and in Madagascar it is
called lokanga voatavo.
Aerophones

Aerophones are musical instruments that produce sound primarily by

trapping or enclosing a body or column of air and causing it to vibrate.
The air vibrates without the use of strings or membranes, and without
the vibration of the instrument itself-thus adding to the quality of sound
produced. Flutes in various sizes and shapes, panpipes, horns, whistles,
gourd and shell megaphones, and animal horn and wooden trumpets fall
under this category.
1.Flutes - Flutes are widely used throughout Africa. They are usually fashioned
from a single tube closed at one end and blown, while being held either
vertically or side-blown. Atenteben is a bamboo flute from Ghana. It is played
vertically like the European recorder. Fulani is the traditional flute of the Fulani
people. It is also known as fula or tambin which is the traditional Fulani flute of
the Fouta Djalon highlands of Guinea.

Panpipes consist of cane pipes of different

lengths tied in a row or in a bundle held
together by wax or a cord, and generally
closed at the bottom. They are blown across
the top, each producing a different note.
Horns - Horns and trumpets are found almost everywhere in
Africa, and are commonly made from elephant tusks and
animal horns. With their varied attractive shapes, these
instruments may be either end-blown or side-blown. They
vary in range and size from the small signal whistle of the
southern cattle herders to the large ivory horns of the tribal
chiefs of the interior. The wooden trumpet may be simple or
artistically carved, sometimes resembling a crocodile's
head.Kudu horn

Kudu horn - This is one type of horn made from the horn of
the kudu antelope. It releases a mellow and warm sound that
adds a unique African accent to the music.
This instrument, which comes
as a set of horns, reflects the
mix of musical traditions in
Africa. Today, the kudu horn is
also used in football matches,
where fans blow on to cheer for
their favorite teams.
3. Reed pipes - These are single-reed pipes made from hollow guinea corn or sorghum
stems, where the reed is a flap partially cut from the stem near one end. It is the
vibration of this reed that causes the air within the hollow instrument to create the
sound.

There are also cone-shaped double-reed instruments similar to the oboe or shawm. The
most familiar is the rhaita or ghaita, an oboe-like double reed instrument from
northwest Africa. It is one of the primary instruments used by traditional music
ensembles from Morocco. The rhaita was likewise featured in the Lord of the Rings
soundtrack, specifically in the Mordor theme.
4. Whistles-Whistles are found throughout the
continent and may be made of wood or other
materials. Short pieces of horn serve as
whistles, often with a short tube inserted into
the mouthpiece. Clay can be molded into
whistles of many shapes and forms and then
baked. Pottery whistles are sometimes shaped
in the form of a head, similar to the Aztec
whistles of Central America and Mexico.
5. Trumpets-African trumpets are made of wood,
metal, animal horns, elephant tusks, and gourds,
ornamented with snake or crocodile skin or the
hide of zebras, leopards, and other animals.

They are mostly ceremonial in nature, often used

to announce the arrival or departure of important
guests. In religion and witchcraft, some tribes
believe in the magical powers of trumpets to
frighten away evil spirits, cure diseases, and
protect warriors and hunters from harm.
African Musical Instruments from the Environment

Many instruments in Africa are made from natural elements like wood, metal,
animal skin, and horns, as well as improvised from objects like tin cans and
bottles. These are mainly used to provide rhythmic sounds, which are the most
defining element of African music. Materials in the environment, like wood
from forest areas, are used for large drums. Other drums are also made of clay,
metal, tortoise shells, or gourds. Xylophones are made of lumber or bamboo,
while flutes are constructed wherever reeds or bamboo grow. Animal horns are
used as trumpets, while animal hides, lizard skins, and snake skins can function
as decorations as well as provide the membranes for drum heads. Laces made of
hides and skins are used for the strings of harps, fiddles, and lutes.
On the other hand, bamboo is used to form the tongues of thumb pianos, the frames of
stringed instruments, and stamping tubes. Strips of bamboo are even struck together
rhythmically. Gourds, seeds, stones, shells, palm leaves, and the hard-shelled fruit of the
calabash tree are used in making rattles. Ancient Africans even made musical instruments
from human skulls decorated with human hair, while singers used and continue to use their
body movements to accompany their singing.

Modern Africans make use of recycled waste materials such as strips of roofing metal,
empty oil drums, tin cans, and wire. Even new materials that are more easily accessible,
such as soda cans and bottles, are becoming increasingly important for the construction of
percussion instruments and other rhythmic instruments like scrapers, bells, and rattles.
These provide the pitch and timbre when played in an ensemble, creating contrasts in tone
quality and character.
WHAT TO KNOW

1. What are the classifications of African music?

2. What are the characteristics in each classification of African music?

3. Briefly describe the nature and qualities of the following categories of African musicalinstruments:
a. Idiophones
b. chordophones
c. Membranophones
d. Aerophones

4. Name some African musical instruments from each of the above categories.

5.Describe how African musical instruments are sourced from the environment. Give 5 examples.
END
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