Why Drumming is the Soul of African Traditional Music

Music of Africa The term "music of Africa" is a concept that encompasses a wide range of musical cultures, usually referring to black traditional music of indigenous origin in sub-Saharan Africa, while music from north of the Sahara belongs to the category of Arabic music. This entry summarizes only the former.

Categorization

Africa is vast, ethnically diverse, and has different beliefs, so African music is complex, and according to ethnomusicologists, it can be categorized into four main categories: 1) Ancient Egypt 2) The three North African countries (Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria) 3) Ethiopia 4) Sub-Saharan (the countries of East, West, and Central Africa, and South Africa) .　5) Black music

Specific introduction 1) Egyptian music

Ancient Egyptian music can be traced back to 2700 B.C.E. Ancient musical instruments appearing in ancient Egyptian ruins show that Egypt's history of ancient music is second only to that of Mesopotamia, and that Egypt's music has a history of nearly 5,000 years; at that time Egyptian music was believed to be based on ceremonial rituals and court music.　Egyptian traditional music, through Greece, Rome, Persia, Arabia, the Ottoman Empire, France, Napoleon and modern rule of the British Empire, religious change, Judaism, Christianity, the influence of Islam, Egyptian traditional music and ancient Egyptian music, the relationship between the two is no longer testable.　

2) Ethiopian MusicEthiopia Music

Ethiopia retains the oldest church in Africa with a history of 1600 years, Ethiopians believe that 2000 years ago, the Roman Empire persecuted the Church of Jesus, many believers fled to the Ethiopian mountains, in the cave on the top of the mountain, built numerous secret churches. Ethiopians still believe that the Ark of the Ten Commandments is located in one of the churches in the mountains of Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Church still maintains an exclusive parish in Yerushalayim Cathedral, a part of which is still in use today.

3) Andalucia (Andaluse Music) music:

North Africa Moorish style of Maghrib (Maghrib) Maghrib (Maghrib) refers to the 11th century in North Africa in the territory of the Moroccan royal family, including Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and other countries until 1465 of the collective name, the music of the region, to the The music of this region is characterized by the music of Andalusia and the music of the Sufi David's (Darwish).　The music of Andalusia, ancient Arabic Nawbah, originated in Andalusia, southern Spain, and in the 8th century the music of Baghdad was a mixture of Jews, Gypsies, Iberians, and rulers of the Moors in North Africa, and in the 15th century the Catholic Isabel restored Andalusia in 1414, and Jews, Moors, and Moors in Cordoba, who did not want to submit to the Catholics, were forced to return to Andalusia, and in the 15th century, the Catholic Isabel restored Andalusia. Doba (Cordoba) and Guaranaada (Granada) and court musicians, forced to go to North Africa Maghrib (Maghrib) countries to become the new home of Andalusian music.　

4)Music south of Zahra-

West Africa

West Africa's African countries include Mali, Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Guinea, Equatorial Guinea, Togo, Sierra Leone, Guinea-Bissau, The Gambia, Mauritania, Namibia, the Ivory Coast, Ghana, and a dozen other countries. The standard of music in West Africa is generally higher than in East and Southern Africa.

Central Africa

Central African countries

Central African countries are Central Africa*** and countries, Gabon, Congo Democratic*** and countries, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Congo, etc., and their music styles are more or less the same,

East African countries

Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Malawi, Rwanda, Burundi, Somalia and seven other countries.　East Africa's music form and West Africa, Central Africa, not much difference, only in the song and dance, to clap instead of drums, shouting to beat, cheer for this area characteristics; musical instruments are also similar to the South African region.

This area in addition to the well-known South Africa **** and the country, Swaziland, Namibia, Lesotho, Botswana and other five countries. This region's music, dance, ceremonial style and the use of musical instruments and East Africa, Central Africa, West Africa is not very different, musical instruments are due to the material and the 16th century foreign immigrants to India, Portugal, Holland, the United Kingdom immigrants, a slight influence, for example, South Africa, the region of the miners' music.　This area, one of the most traditional special package of musical instruments Coke piano (Kora) This two basketballs large **** ouqin, is placed in front of the abdomen to play by hand, is an ancient African court instrument, the player is also a singer, which singers, in addition to performing in the royal family, but also to the villages to go singing, such as the wandering poets of Europe. The beautiful sound of the piano, with a pure thick troubadour singing, special flavor, and drums and shouting form of great interest.