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Vocal Forms of African Music

Maracatu music originated in Brazil and combines strong African percussion rhythms with Portuguese melodies. Groups are called "nations" and include up to 100 drummers accompanied by singers and dancers. The blues developed in the late 19th century among African American communities in the Deep South and uses soulful notes to express feelings like lost love through the vocals and instruments. Soul music originated in the 1950s-60s combining elements of gospel, R&B, and jazz with catchy rhythms, body movement, and call-and-response vocals to create an intense sound. Spirituals were expressions of enslaved African Americans and utilize their interaction of African and American religious music through dramatic vocal styles.

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230 views29 pages

Vocal Forms of African Music

Maracatu music originated in Brazil and combines strong African percussion rhythms with Portuguese melodies. Groups are called "nations" and include up to 100 drummers accompanied by singers and dancers. The blues developed in the late 19th century among African American communities in the Deep South and uses soulful notes to express feelings like lost love through the vocals and instruments. Soul music originated in the 1950s-60s combining elements of gospel, R&B, and jazz with catchy rhythms, body movement, and call-and-response vocals to create an intense sound. Spirituals were expressions of enslaved African Americans and utilize their interaction of African and American religious music through dramatic vocal styles.

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VOCAL FORMS OF AFRICAN MUSIC

1. MARACATU
First surfaced in the African Music state of
Pernambuco, combining the strong rhythms of
African percussion instruments with Portuguese
melodies.
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.
Coterie- an intimate and often exclusive group
of persons with a unifying common interest or
purpose
Pernambuco is a state in northeast Brazil, on the
Atlantic Ocean.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN
MARACATU
Mostly Percussion Instruments such as:
1. Alfaia
2. Tarol
3. Caixa-de-guerra
4. Gongue
5. Agbe
6. Miniero
Percussion means the beating or striking of a musical
instrument
ALFAIA DRUM
Alfaia is a large wooden drum that is rope-
tuned, complemented by the tarol.
Alfaia
TAROL
Tarol is shallow snare drum.
Tarol
CAIXA-DE-GUERRA
Caixa-de-Guerra is a war—like snare
GONGUE
Gongue is a metal cowbell producing a
clanging sound..
Gongue
AGBE
Agbe is a gourd shaker covered by beads
Agbe
GANZA OR MINIERO
Ganza or Miniero is metal cylindrical
shaker filled with metal shot or small dried
seeds.
Ganza or Miniero
BLUES
The blues is a musical form of the late 19th
century that had deep roots in African-
American communities.
These communities are 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
vegetables 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.
Fro extreme joy to deep sadness, the blues can
communicate various emotions more
effectively than other musical forms.
Noted Performers of the Blues
1. Ray Charles
2. James Brown
3. Cab Calloway
4. Aretha Franklin
5. John Lee Hooker
6. B.B. King
7. Bo Diddley
8. Erykah Badu
9. Eric Clapton
10. Steve Winwood
11. Charlie Musselwhite
12. Blues Traveler
13. Jimmie Vaughn
14. Jeff Baxter
Examples of Blues Music
1. Early Mornin’
2. A House is not a Home
3. Billie’s BLues
SOUL
Soul music was a popular music genre of the
1950’s- 1960’s.
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.
CONTRIBUTORS
1. Clyde McPhatter
2. Hank Ballard
3. Etta James
4. Ray Charles
5. Little Richard
6. Otis Redding
7. James Brown
James Brown- “Godfather of Soul

“Soul Forefathers”
1. Sam Cooke
2. Jackie Wilson
Examples of Soul Music
1. Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
2. All I Could Do Was Cry
3. Soul to Soul
4. Betcha by Golly Wow
SPIRITUAL
The term spiritual is normally associated with a
deeply religious person.
In music it refers to a song form, known as “Negro
spiritual”, sung by African slaves in American 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 to the singing.
Examples of Spiritual Music
1. We Are Climbing
2. Jacob’s Ladder
3. Rock My Soul
4. When the Saints Go Marching In
5. 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
1. Manish Boy- one of the signature songs by
Muddy Waters
2. School Day- Ring, Ring Goes the Bell by
Chuck Berry
3. Call Me Maybe by Carly Rae Jepsen.

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