African Drumming Concert Report
I attended a concert
performed by the African Drumming and Dance Ensemble by
Baruch Whitehead. It took place on October 24,
2013 at 8:15 pm in Ford Hall. It was a really unique, culturally enriching
experience that showcased a different style of music to Ithaca College. Drumming
was the basis of this music, but it also encompassed chanting and dance. The
artists performing were students who are learning the art of African drumming.
The songs played were “Calabash”, “Gyil”, “Kundun”,“Sinta”, “Gahu”, “Jare”, and
“Adjogbo”, all originating from different regions and people of Africa.
There
was one extremely unique composition called “Kundun”. It was a war dance
drumming composition that originated from Cape Coast, Ghana. This piece was
created for slaves who were held hostage and were unable to leave Cape Coast
Castle. To these slaves it must have been an extremely horrifying and emotional
experience. This piece was created for what these people felt and the emotions
that encompassed them. In this case, the piece was dedicated to the slaves and
the mistreatment of them. African drumming isn’t composed in the traditional
manner of Western music styles, such as baroque or classical. Instead, African
drum music was created by tribe members and was used as a means to communicate
and pass down important events and history throughout generations. Even though
many Africans at the time didn’t have a word for rhythm, they created their
music through chants and drum strokes that allowed them to create rhythm. This
piece is a good example of African drumming music because it was a response to
the intense emotional suffering of these people and what was occurring to them.
There
were many different parts of “Kundun” that were memorable, but the most
striking feature was the rhythm of the drums. “Kundun” started off with
chanting in a different language. The deep drums then entered and created this
deep warlike beat. Cowbells emerged and the texture in the music was
incredible. The texture had multiple rhythms combining and blending. The music
painted a picture in my mind of men getting prepared and riled up for war. Each
instrument in the piece helped to create this image within my mind. The way the
maracas were shook and the way these deep drums pounded on the beat was
intense, with the intensity building up throughout the piece. I literally felt
the floor vibrating because of the drums. The African drumming in this piece
proved to be very rhythmic, constant, and persistent. While there were no
unusual instruments, the emphasis on the drums and the chanting made for a very
distinctive song.
I
really enjoyed this concert by the African Drumming and Dance Ensemble. It was
extremely unique. I enjoyed the African drumming for there was so much energy
in the room and you could literally feel the floor pulsing with the rhythm. Due
to the upbeat energy my mood was high from the first to the last song. I would not
only like to attend more concerts like this, but the performance enticed me to
possibly get involved in African drumming. I reacted this way because the whole
atmosphere consisted of high energy and people cheering each other on. The
performers made me feel very involved in the music experience and I love to
feel like I am a part of the experience!
African
drumming is an extremely different type of music than what we have studied in
class so far. It is very different from traditional Western music in its
composition and the way it sounds. Therefore, it may seem far-fetched to relate
the traditional, classical music of Beethoven to African drumming music, but the
intensity of the music and the emotions I felt were similar. One piece we
studied in class was Beethoven’s “Symphony No. 3”. One section of this symphony
conveys a story about the French people who had to deal with death and despair.
This powerful piece is about the struggle of the French Revolution and it is
full of intense deep rhythms that easily entrance a person. The music comes in
like a storm; it is highly dramatic as all the instruments come together
creating great emotion to convey the war. Beethoven pushes the music to the
limits and really creates a song full of emotion. Just like the intensity in “Symphony
No. 3”, it can be seen in African drumming music. African drumming music also has
the powerful intensity to create emotions similar to those emotions stirred
when listening to Beethoven’s creation. In addition, “Kundun”, the African war
song from Ghana, was built off of the relationships and struggles of people,
just as was Beethoven’s inspiration. While I did see these similarities between
classical music and African drumming, the differences were far greater. The
music styles are extremely different from one another. Obviously, African
drumming does not have the same compilation of instruments as classical music,
drums and chanting versus an orchestra. Classical music is more melodic and has
homophonic texture, while the texture of African drumming derives from a rhythm
that is fast-paced, upbeat, and repetitive. It is more focused on rhythms than
melody and harmony. African drumming is created for dancing and having the
ability to connect to the music through body movement. African drumming is also
more audience involved and the performers encourage being cheered on. These characteristics allowed African drumming music to mark
important moments in life and communicate them from generation to generation.
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