Sub-Saharan African music Ostinato

ghanaian gyil


counter-metric structure

many instruments south of sahara desert play ostinato melodies. these include lamellophones such mbira, xylophones balafon, bikutsi, , gyil. ostinato figures played on string instruments such kora, gankoqui bell ensembles, , pitched drums ensembles. often, african ostinatos contain offbeats or cross-beats, contradict metric structure. other african ostinatos generate complete cross-rhythms sounding both main beats , cross-beats. in following example, gyil sounds three-against-two cross-rhythm (hemiola). left hand (lower notes) sounds 2 main beats, while right hand (upper notes) sounds 3 cross-beats.

ghanaian gyil cross-rhythmic ostinato  play (help·info)



african harmonic progressions

popular dance bands in west africa , congo region feature ostinato playing guitars. african guitar parts have drawn variety of sources, including indigenous mbira, foreign influences such james brown-type funk riffs. however, foreign influences interpreted through distinctly african ostinato sensibility. african guitar styles began congolese bands doing cuban cover songs. cuban guajeo had both familiar , exotic quality african musicians. gradually, various regional guitar styles emerged, indigenous influences became increasingly dominant within these africanized guajeos.

as moore states, 1 i – iv – v – iv [chord progressions] african music 12-bar blues north american music. such progressions seem superficially follow conventions of western music theory. however, performers of african popular music not perceive these progressions in same way. harmonic progressions move tonic subdominant (as known in european music) have been used in traditional sub-saharan african harmony hundreds of years. elaborations follow conventions of traditional african harmonic principles. gehard kubik concludes:

the harmonic cycle of c–f–g–f [i–iv–v–iv] prominent in congo/zaire popular music cannot defined progression tonic subdominant dominant , subdominant (on ends) because in performer s appreciation of equal status, , not in hierarchical order in western music—(kubik 1999).