Music Blog

African music

African music is as diverse as the peoples that inhabit the continent. Many people think that it is all African tribal music. They have heard African drumming music, no doubt, in some PBS documentary, and think it typifies the entire continent. No disrespect to West African drumming – I absolutely adore it. Nonetheless, it is important to understand the number of cultures and traditions that come from Africa. African musical instruments are some of the most interesting and varied creations in the world, and the ways that people choose to play them are equally varied.

I first got into African music by accident. I was actually downloading music on the Internet, and stumbled across an album. It was mislabeled, and I loaded it onto my computer without knowing what it was. What I heard just blew me away. The rhythms were complex, the melody was interesting, and the harmonies were gorgeous. I had never heard anything like it. I resolved right away to get in to African music.

Since then, I have understood what an ambitious task this is. African music runs the gambit from the tribal drumming music of West Africa to the haunting melodies of Egypt. Although there are some broad trends in African music, there are many exceptions to all of the trends. No matter where you start, you have a long way to go if you want to learn about the music of Africa.

One of the most interesting things about African music is that it really enhances your understanding of the music of America. It is just amazing how much influence it has had on the development of rock ‘n roll. When downloading African music, you can almost hear the roots of rock in the polyrhythms of African percussion. Looking at African musical instruments, you can see how they influenced the development of more modern musical instruments. Not only have African drums had a huge effect on the development of the drum set, but African music instruments also lie behind such modern mainstays as the banjo.

In my experience, it is always fun to understand the music, art, and stories of another culture. Learning about African music is not only an artistic experience, although it is that. When you buy African traditional music, you get a little glimpse of what it might be like to live in another place and time. It can be a meaningful look into another world.