Music of the Central African Republic

Music of the Central African Republic
Music of Central Africa
Angola Angola
Cameroon Cameroon
Central African Republic Central African Republic
Chad Chad
Democratic Republic of the Congo Congo - Kinshasa
Republic of the Congo Congo - Brazzaville
Equatorial Guinea Equatorial Guinea
Gabon Gabon
São Tomé and Príncipe São Tomé and Príncipe

The music of the Central African Republic includes many different forms. Western rock and pop music, as well as Afrobeat, soukous and other genres have become popular nation-wide. The sanza is a popular instrument.

The Pygmies have a complex folk music tradition. Polyphony and counterpoint are common components, as is a varied rhythmic structure. The trumpet-based music of the Bandas has also gained some popularity outside of the area due to its jazzy structure. The Ngbaka use an unusual instrument called a mbela, which is made with an arched branch and a string strung between the two ends and held in front of the musician's mouth. When the string is struck, the mouth is used to amplify and modulate the tone. Instruments similar to the mbela are sometimes considered the oldest ancestors of all string instruments [1].

The national anthem of the Central African Republic is "La Renaissance". This song, which has been the anthem since 1960, was written by Barthélémy Boganda (words), the first President of the Central African Republic, and Herbert Pepper, who also composed the melody for the Senegalese national anthem [2].

Contents

Popular music

Popular music in the Central African Republic generally comes from the music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo or elsewhere in Africa; however, Latin, European and American pop are also common, as is jazz and rock and roll. African folktales are very popular as well, like the Panda.

Folk music

Banda music

The Banda people have produced some modern popular music, using a trumpet-based kind of jazzy music which UNESCO has called one of the "great musicological discoveries of our century" [3]. Banda folk music includes ongo, a kind of trumpet made from wood or antelope horn. Ongos are used in ceremonies and rituals, including adolescent initiation rites, in polyphonic ensembles of eighteen trumpets.[1]

Pygmy music

Formally Pygmy music consists of at most only four parts, and can be described as an, "ostinato with variations," or similar to a passacaglia, in that it is cyclical. In fact it is based on repetition of periods of equal length, which each singer divides using different rhythmic figures specific to different repertoires and songs. This interesting case of ethnomusicology and ethnomathematics creates a detailed surface and endless variations of not only the same period repeated, but the same piece of music. As in some Balinese gamelan these patterns are based on a super-pattern which is never heard. The Pygmies themselves do not learn or think of their music in this theoretical framework, but learn the music growing up.

Pygmy styles include liquindi, or water drumming, and instruments like the bow harp (ieta), ngombi (harp zither) and limbindi (a string bow) (Abram).

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно сделать НИР?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Outline of the Central African Republic — …   Wikipedia

  • Central African Republic — Not to be confused with Central Africa, British Central Africa, or Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Central African Republic République centrafricaine Ködörösêse tî Bêafrîka …   Wikipedia

  • Central African Republic — a republic in central Africa: a member of the French Community. 3,342,051; 238,000 sq. mi. (616,420 sq. km). Cap.: Bangui. Formerly, Central African Empire, Ubangi Shari. * * * Central African Republic Introduction Central African Republic… …   Universalium

  • Central African Republic — <p></p> <p></p> Introduction ::Central African Republic <p></p> Background: <p></p> The former French colony of Ubangi Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After… …   The World Factbook

  • List of Central African Republic-related topics — This is a list of topics related to Central African Republic. Those interested in the subject can monitor changes to the pages by clicking on Related changes in the sidebar. Central African RepublicBuildings and structures in the Central African… …   Wikipedia

  • Music of the Democratic Republic of the Congo — Genres Rumba Madiaba Mutuashi Soukous Folk music Pop music Regional music Algeria Burkina Faso Burundi …   Wikipedia

  • Music of the Republic of the Congo — Music of Central Africa Angola Cameroon …   Wikipedia

  • Music of the Gambia — Music of West Africa Benin Burkina Faso …   Wikipedia

  • Music of the Comoro Islands — Music of Southern Africa Botswana Comoros …   Wikipedia

  • Music of the Canary Islands — The music of the Canary Islands reflects its cultural heritage. The islands used to be inhabited by the Guanches which are related to Berbers; they mixed with Spaniards, who live on the islands now. A variant of Jota is popular, as is Latin music …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”