Cool Stuff! no. 1 (Native American and African Music-Cultures)
Native American music was originally used to pass along all sorts of information, such as their history. There are some descriptions of Native American music written by Europeans, however, these descriptions are written with great prejudice.
The phrase powwow has become an over and misused one. I found this out a few months ago. I was talking to my mom and said something about a powwow when she stopped me and asked if I even knew what it was. I had absolutely no idea what the real meaning was, so my mom showed me. This was the video she played for me.
I did not really know anything about Sub-Saharan African music, or Sub-Saharan Africa in general until recently. Modern Sub-Saharan African music includes Polyrhythm, a layering of rhythms. They also have call and response music. They use the pentatonic scale.
These are a few videos I found after searching "Sub-Saharan African Music":
This first video is played with a Mbira.
This first video is played with a Mbira.
In the following video, they are using the Balafon, a type of gourd xylophone. I thought it was especially interesting because I had never seen any instrument like it. When I clicked on the video, I did not expect it it to sound just like a xylophone. The base and top of the Balafon is made of wood that has had all of the moisture taken out. Between this are gourds. The gourds help create the resonance.
This is all good, Sarah. I'm glad you found these particular items, because they are things we covered while you were in Florida. In fact, I have a small balafon with gourd resonators in my office (my step-father brought it back from Ghana many years ago)--you should come by and check it out sometime!
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