Songs, Dances, and Games Inspired by AFRICA

Transcription

1 Songs, Dances, and Games Inspired by AFRICA Arts Express 2018 Jennifer Purdy The continent of Africa covers 20% of the Earth s total land area and has a total population of about 1.2 billion. Historically it included as many as 10,000 different states, kingdoms, or tribes with many variations of rule and politics. Today Africa is home to 54 countries each with its own languages and traditions. Africa is the most multilingual continent in the world. The climate of Africa varies widely. Its highest peaks are subarctic, the northern regions are primarily desert, and the central and southern areas are made up of both rainforest and savannah plains. Africa is the hottest continent on earth with desert land making up 60% of it. Africa has abundant natural resources, a wide variety of wild animal populations, and 3,000 protected land and marine reserves. Africa s art, architecture, culture, and music reflect the beauty, history, and individuality of the people who live in this diverse and fascinating continent. senwa Dedende This is part of a call and response song from Ghana called Pete Pete about a vulture being called home for dinner. It is in the Twi language. 1. Clap the rhythm and say the words of the first 2 measures. T (Teacher) sings the entire song as S (students) listen for the number of times they hear that same rhythm. 2. T sings again as S clap the rhythm of the first 2 measures every time it occurs. 6. Sing in place as a 4-part round with groups entering every 2 beats. 7. On the second, fourth, and last measures, add body percussion (BP) as taught by Salvo Russo as follows: 3. S form a circle. T sings the song as S step to a steady beat around the circle. 4. All sing the song in unison. T makes any corrections needed for accurate melody, pitch, and rhythm. 5. All sing while performing this simple 8-bar circle dance: 1-2 Walk around the circle on the beat for 2 measures with students putting their hand on the shoulder of the person in front of them. 3-4 All turn and walk the other way for two measures with hands on shoulders as before. 5-8 Face center, join hands, and step in for one measure, step back one measure, slowly drop hands and stand in place for last two measures. Stomp the beat through remaining measures while singing. 8. Try this performance sequence: sing in unison sing in canon do only BP in canon (audiate or softly hum) sing in canon with varying dynamics end with all singing slowly in unison and the final chord sung in harmony

2 OBWISANA (music and some lesson ideas from the USBE Elementary Songbook) The Akan words to this stone-passing game are The rock has crushed my hand, Grandma. The rock has crushed my hand. It assures children that someone will always be there to take care of them. The game is about cooperation. The purpose is for everyone to have success. If one person makes a mistake, then everyone works to help that child be successful. Consider the difference between the way children in Ghana think about playing games, and the way American children usually play a game until the best one wins. 1. T sings the song. S listen for 2 phrases same or different words/rhythm in each phrase? (same) 2. T sings the song again. S listen for the note at the end of each phrase (2 bars) and show palm up or palm down if the note goes up or down. 7. Now add a tap with the sticks. S pick up the stick on one beat, tap it in front of themselves on the next beat, and place it in front of the person to the R on the following beat. This can be tricky because the song is in a pattern of two beats, and this stick-passing sequence uses a pattern of three beats. 8. If your students would like to be challenged with another variation, have them put their R hands behind their backs and do the whole thing with their L hands, passing to the L. NOTE: Shoes, yarn balls, crumpled pieces of scrap paper, and of course rocks can be used to play this passing game. However, sticks make a nice rewarding sound on the beat and help keep everyone together. 3. Explain the meaning of the words and the origin of the song. S practice saying Obwisana (The rock crushed my hand) with different inflections -- hurt, angry, sad, whining, scared, laughing. 4. All sit in a circle. S put their L hand behind their back or under their L leg. Each holds a stick in their R hands. S softly tap the stick on the floor to a steady beat as T sings the song. T encourages S to join when they feel they can sing along. T makes corrections to rhythm and melody as needed. 5. To a steady beat, S practice grabbing their stick and placing gently it in front of the person to their R. Saying lift, drop or grab, pass will help some students be more successful at this. S listen to the sound the sticks make as they are placed all at the same time on the beat. 6. Now all sing the song and pass the sticks at the same time to a steady beat. You could also try this to the USBE Elementary Songbook recording. ( mp3)

3 Nginani Na (as sung by Miriam Makeba) This call and response song is from South Africa. Sangoma is a Zulu term for a South African traditional healer, often one who channels the ancestral spirits who advise the living. Miriam Makeba included this song on her album titled Sangoma. According to the liner notes of her album, Makeba explains that in this song a person is being treated by a healer and asking Nginani na What sickness do I have? In the lyrics the initial n in words such as ndiya and nginani are silent, and the g is pronounced dg as in the word judge. Call: Response: (2 nd time) Wah - mah-maze Oon go - mah ah Dee-yah goo-la Dgee-na - nee Na Call: Response: (2 nd time) nay lo -ko Dee-nay lah-bah. Di -yah goo-la Dgee-na - nee Na All: Di - yah goo - la Dgee - na - nee Na Listen to the Miriam Makeba recording. Notice the simple percussion accompaniment. Make your own version of this accompaniment or create something new. One interesting effect is to stomp and/or clap on the last beat of each phrase and the first beat of the next phrase as in the recording. The simplest way to teach this song is to teach S the response part only, since the response is always the same. Teach the harmony parts in solfege or by rote. Encourage S to sing the part that feels best for their voices. This song is included in the book and CD Jazz it Up! by Susie Davies-Splitter and Phil Splitter.

4 PATA PATA (sung by Miriam Makeba) Here s another Miriam Makeba classic from South Africa. There are many variations of these dance steps, but these are the ones I use. A. Touch R out to side (arms out to sides with snaps) Touch R next to L foot Touch R out to side (arms out to sides with snaps) Step R Touch L out to side (arms out to sides with snaps) Touch L next to R foot Touch L out to side (arms out to sides with snaps) Step L B. Toes out (raise arms in front, elbows in) Heels out (lower arms) Heels in (raise arms in front, elbows in) Toes in (lower arms) (Repeat B) C. R knee up R toe touch R knee up R step next to L L kick L kick Jump ¼ turn clockwise Clap BANUWA

5 This is referenced as a Liberian love song, lullaby, or processional. I m not sure how culturally authentic it is the words supposedly translate to Don t cry pretty little girl, don t cry but I ve never been able to find what the original language or dialect is. Nevertheless, it is a really enjoyable song. I have seen many different and wonderful ways to sing, play, and perform this song. Use the creativity and the strengths of your students to design your favorite way! This song is most effective when the parts are layered in one at a time. Here are some ideas to start: The groups enter the space one at a time, singing their part as they enter then joining the others. Try this Orff arrangement in the key of C. Try variations of layering with and without vocal parts and non-pitched percussion. Each group creates a hand/arm movement and does it together as they sing their part. It is beautiful to watch the movements grow as the parts layer in. Create a non-pitched percussion rhythm using djembes, gangokui or agogo bells, claves. Introduce one vocal part, play the non-pitched percussion part, layer in the next vocal part, play the non-pitched percussion part, etc. until all are playing and singing at the same time. The percussion parts may be more simple while the singers are singing and more complex during the percussion-only parts. Throw-Catch transcription, notes, and variations by Jennifer Purdy

6 Throw-Catch is referenced as a song from South Africa, but it may have been created by an Englishman living in South Africa. Its syncopated rhythms and easy harmonies make it fun to sing with elementary students. Sing "throw" and "catch" as a call-response between two groups facing one another. Group 1 does a throwing movement and Group 2 performs a catching movement as they sing those words. "Jikeleza" (jee - keh - leh - zuh) is Xhosa for "turn around". Harmony parts are optional. May add another harmony part a third above the melody on "jikeleza". The chord progression for pitched percussion instruments is G, C, G, D with the chords changing each measure or four beats. VARIATIONS: 1. The two groups throw and catch imaginary balls. One group sings when throwing, the other sings when catching. all sing jikeleza and the chorus. 2. Create new words and movements in place of throw, catch, and jikeleza. Example 1: snow, ball, wintertime fun Example 2: autumn, time, leaves are falling Example 3: Merry, Christmas, happy new year MUSIC CORE STANDARDS Create: Improvise rhythmic patterns and musical ideas. Combine and/or sequence rhythmic and melodic ideas. Evaluate and refine work and present final version of created music. Perform: Explore effects of various dynamic levels, tempos, and articulations. Sing folk, traditional, and call-and-response songs in tune, with good vocal tone. Respond to visual representations of melodic contour and melody patterns. Perform two- and three-part rounds, layered rhythmic or melodic ostinatos, and parallel harmony. Perform and identify rhythm patterns in two-, four-, and six-beat meters using body percussion, voice, and simple instruments. Develop persistence and cooperation in refining performance pieces. Perform music with expression, technical accuracy and appropriate interpretation; watch and respond to the conductor to perform dynamics, style, and phrasing, and start, stop, and stay together; and demonstrate performance decorum. Respond: Listen to and interact with a variety of contrasting music. Listen for and identify form, meter, rhythm, timbre, dynamics, tempo, melody, texture, and harmony/tonality. Identify music elements that are characteristic of different genres of music. Connect: Describe how music relates to personal, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Use life experience and additional content knowledge to inspire and respond to music and deepen understanding of another content area through music. Experience and explore music which connects us to history, culture, heritage, and community; identify connections between a music genre and cultural or historical contexts. SOCIAL STUDIES CORE STANDARDS K.1 Explain elements of culture. K.3, 1.3, 2.3 Use geographic terms and tools. 1.1 Share stories, folk tales, art, music, and dance inherent in community traditions. 2.1 Examine and identify culture. 3.1 Understand how geography influences community. 4.2 Explore points of view about life in Utah from a variety of cultural groups. Explore cultural influences. 5.1 Assess the global impact of cultural and economic impacts that occurred as a result of trade between North America and other markets (expansion of the slave trade). Compare varying degrees of freedom held by different groups. 5.4 Assess the geographic, cultural, political, and economic divisions between regions that contributed to the Civil War. 5.5 Describe the role of the United States during World War I and World War II. Identify leaders of social and political movements. Identify a current issue facing the world and propose a role the United States could play in being part of a solution Understand how ancient civilizations developed and how they contributed to the current state of the world. 6.3 Analyze the impact of revolutions. 6.4 Understand current global issues and their rights and responsibilities in the interconnected world.