Robert W. Templeman
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Music of Africa

Prof. Templeman

Announcements (updated: 14 March, 2002 03:06:41 PM)

  1. Final Study:
    bulletAnswers to student questions:

    The final will be cumulative only in a general sense; you should know the basics of Southern, Western, Northern, Central, Eastern, etc. We did not spend as much time in some areas as others. You can expect the exam will be similarly unbalanced. Listening examples will be from the second part of the quarter, after the midterm.

    I haven't made the African music exam yet, but yes, you should know geography. You won't need to know the entire continent but be sure to know where the music examples and reading assignments are from. For example, the Shona mbira is from Zimbabwe and we studied that particular tradition, so Zimbabwe is a country to remember. We did not study any music from Angola, so while it would be nice to know where it is, you should learn others first.

    Regarding both halves of the quarter and the map, yes, you should try to remember/review at least those countries that were especially important to the first half, such as Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Botswana, South Africa, Gambia, etc.

     

  2. Midterm Study:
    bulletStudent question: You mentioned that before independence chimurenga music were rural songs, and that during the War of Liberation chimurenga were protest songs. However, you also mentioned that the meaning of chimurenga music changed after the War of Liberation. What do you mean by this? Did chimurenga music just become pop songs that use mbira styles and instruments? Also, is Thomas Mapfumo from Zimbabwe?

    Mapfumo is from Zimbabwe, he is a Shona musician. There's some dispute and mythology surrounding his role in the War of Liberation. He claims that he was imprisoned because of the contents of his song lyrics. Others say yes, but he was only in jail for a few days. I'm not sure of the facts. If you are interested, check Turino's new book, the details should be in there. Mapfumo credits himself with having developed the chimurenga style of urban popular music (e.g., "Pidigari" and "Moyo Wangu"). Whether he solely developed the style I can't say, but it's clear that he played a big role. The guitar style was developed by his guitarist and Mapfumo was the first to add hosho and mbira to the rock ensemble. Before this, they used hi-hat for hosho and before there was mbira, the guitars interlocked. Going farther back, chimurenga referred to rural "protest" songs that developed out of hymns. In a nut shell there are two chimurengas: the rural "protest" songs and the urban popular style that Mapfumo developed. Mapfumo would probably say that there is continuity between the two; he developed his style in urban areas as "protest" music and he was imprisoned because of it.

     

    bulletStudent question: I have a quick question from my Music of Africa notes. Examples #3-11 on Tape 2 state that they are from the San of the Kalahari. I have in my notes that the Giraffe Dance (#10-11) is a tradition of the Kung Bushmen (as opposed to the San). So are musical examples #10-11 from the San or the Kung?

    Response: I see the problem... The confusion is due in part to their common language family, Khoisan, and the generic meaning of San, which to replaced the colonial "Bushmen."

    San refers to the entire group of Khoisan speaking peoples; about 50,000 as of the 1950s-1960s. Among them are the /Gwi and the !Kung. It is correct to speak of the /Gwi San and the !Kung San. The Giraffe Dance pertains to the !Kung, they possess its n/um. Other San of the Kalahari such as the /Gwi dance the Giraffe but only the !Kung control its medicinal power. Recall in the movie Bitter Melons, among the many dances they mentioned was the Giraffe Dance. They are /Gwi San.

    Good question! I hope this helps,

     
  3. New Office Hours:
    bulletMondays: 2:00-3:30 PM
    bulletTuesdays: 2:00-2:50 PM
    bulletor by appointment

     

  4. I have some questions about our musical bows due Wednesday that I am a little confused about. Are the necessary materials only some length of wire and a single stick of wood? Does a straight piece of wood (i.e. a dowel rod) suffice, and, if so, how does the wire attach to the wood? In class, you described carving notches in the wood and looping the wire through those notches, but I'm not sure I understood exactly how that works.
    Thanks for your help,

    A dowel rod will work as long as it is flexible enough to bend without breaking. Any piece of wire, or an instrument string (bass, cello, guitar, violin, etc.), or another type of cord that you might already have will work. The San people use a hunting bow to make music with great success, so just imagine making the bow part of a bow and arrow. Attach your wire or string to the stick or dowel by first making a knot at one end, using a notch in the wood (or plastic) to keep the knot from slipping. Then stretch your cord across to the other notch. As you pull the cord, your wood or plastic bow will bend. While keeping the tension that causes this bend, tie a knot at the other end of the bow. The dowel, branch, or rod that you use should be at least a few feet long, but there's no rule on any of this. Remember that the San live in the Kalahari, they don't have hardware stores or used cello strings; they make do with whatever materials are available. You should be able to do the same. I hope this helps:

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