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Music Of The Gambia
The music of the Gambia is closely linked musically with that of its neighbor, Senegal, which surrounds its inland frontiers completely. Among its prominent musicians is Foday Musa Suso. ''Mbalax'' is a widely known popular dance music of the Gambia and neighbouring Senegal. It fuses popular Western music and dance, with '' sabar'', the traditional drumming and dance music of the Wolof and Serer people. National music " For The Gambia Our Homeland", the national anthem of the Gambia, was composed by Jeremy Frederic Howe, based on the traditional Mandinka song ''"Foday Kaba Dumbuya"'', with words by Virginia Julia Howe, for an international competition to produce an anthem (and flag) before independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. Traditional music The Gambia, the smallest country in mainland Africa, is an independent coastal state along the River Gambia. It gained its separate identity as a colony of the United Kingdom while Senegal was a colony of France, but the two co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mande Empire
The Mali Empire ( Manding: ''Mandé''Ki-Zerbo, Joseph: ''UNESCO General History of Africa, Vol. IV, Abridged Edition: Africa from the Twelfth to the Sixteenth Century'', p. 57. University of California Press, 1997. or ''Manden Duguba''; ) was an empire in West Africa from 1226 to 1610. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita () and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Mansa Musa (Musa Keita). At its peak, Mali was the largest empire in West Africa, widely influencing the culture of the region through the spread of its language, laws, and customs. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centered around the Manding region. It began to develop during the 11th and 12th centuries as the Ghana Empire, or Wagadu, declined and trade epicentres shifted southward. The history of the Mali Empire before the 13th century is unclear, as there are conflicting and imprecise accounts by both Arab chroniclers and oral tradition ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Musical Motif
In music, a motif () or motive is a short musical idea, a salient recurring figure, musical fragment or succession of notes that has some special importance in or is characteristic of a composition. The motif is the smallest structural unit possessing thematic identity. History The defines a motif as a "melodic, rhythmic, or harmonic cell", whereas the 1958 maintains that it may contain one or more cells, though it remains the smallest analyzable element or phrase within a subject. It is commonly regarded as the shortest subdivision of a theme or phrase that still maintains its identity as a musical idea. "The smallest structural unit possessing thematic identity". Grove and Larousse also agree that the motif may have harmonic, melodic and/or rhythmic aspects, Grove adding that it "is most often thought of in melodic terms, and it is this aspect of the motif that is connoted by the term 'figure'." A harmonic motif is a series of chords defined in the abstract, that ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Njuup
The Njuup tradition is a Serer style of music rooted in the Ndut initiation rite, which is a rite of passage that young Serers must go through once in their lifetime as commanded in the Serer religion. The Culture trip "Youssou N'Dour: An Unlikely Politician"(Retrieved : 28 June 2012) History Njuup songs are religious in nature. For a large part of its history, Njuup was only used within the Ndut ritual. The history of Njuup comes from the older Ndut style of teachings. Young Serer boys in the ndut (nest) were required to create religious tunes during their rite of passage to take their minds off the transitional experience, build their aesthetic skills, and enhance their spirituality. The veneration of Serer Pangool influenced the songs of the Ndut, including Njuup. Gravrand, HenryLe Ndut dans « L'héritage spirituel sereer : valuer traditionnelle d'hier, d'aujourd'hui et de demain » n''Éthiopiques'' n° 31 Modern Senegambian artists who sing the purest form of Njuup in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tama (percussion)
The talking drum is an hourglass-shaped drum from West Africa, which can be used as a form of speech surrogacy by regulating its pitch and rhythm to mimic the tone and prosody of human speech. It has two drumheads connected by leather tension cords, which allow the player to change the pitch of the drum by scraping the cords between their arm and body. Originating from the 18th century, talking drum players used tones to disseminate messages, such as news of ceremonies and commands, over 4-5 mile distances. A skilled player is able to play whole phrases. Most talking drums sound like a human humming depending on the way they are played. Similar hourglass-shaped drums are found in Asia, but they are not used to mimic conversation, although the idakka is used to mimic vocal music. Five varieties of ''dùndún'' pressure drums of the Yoruba and the ''atumpan'' and ''fontomfrom'' of the Asante (Ashanti) are especially notable. They send messages up to , where other drumme ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sabar
The sabar is a traditional drum from Senegal that is also played in the Gambia. It is associated with Wolof and Serer people. The drum is generally played with one hand and one stick or "galan". There are many different kinds of sabar, each with a different sound and a different role in the ensemble. Some common forms of sabar are Nder, Thiol, Goron, Mbeng Mbeng, Tungone, and Xiin. The sabars are made from the wood of the dimb tree from the Senegambia region. They are carved by the laobé, or carvers, and generally skinned by the griot. The skinning process involves using goat skin and securing it with 7 pegs, cord, and "mes" or webbing. Among its most renowned exponents was the Senegalese musician Doudou N'Diaye Rose. Sabar is also recognized as a type of dance and the style of music played while using this drum. It is commonly performed at weddings and festivals, and other events. Men will play the drum (Saba) and the women will dance. See also * Jung-jung *Mbal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingdom Of Saloum
The Kingdom of Saloum (Serer language, Serer: ''Saluum'' or ''Saalum'') was a Serer people, Serer monarchy, kingdom in present-day Senegal and parts of Gambia. The precolonial capital was the city of Kahone. Re-established in 2017, Saloum is now a non-sovereign traditional monarchy within Senegal. Its history, geography and culture is intricately linked with the sister state, the Kingdom of Sine, and it is common to refer to them as the Sine-Saloum or the Serer Kingdoms. Typonymy Serer people, Serer oral traditions recount that the area was named Saluum/Saloum by the Maad Saloum Mbegane Ndour in the later part of the 15th century (c. 1494),Ba, Abdou Bouri, « Essai sur l’histoire du Saloum et du Rip », Bulletin de l'IFAN, tome 38, série B, numéro 4, octobre 1976 named after Saalum Suwareh, the marabout of Mbegan Ndour. Alternatively, the name 'Saluum' could mean 'land of the Luum', an important family in the region. Portuguese explorers in the 15th century referred to Salo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kingdom Of Sine
The Kingdom of Sine (or Siin in Serer, variations: ''Sin'' or ''Siine'') was a post-classical Serer kingdom along the north bank of the Saloum River delta in modern Senegal. Toponymy and Demonym During the Guelowar Era the region was named after Sine-o-Méo Manneh (Serer proper: Siin o Meo Maane), sister of Maysa Wali Manneh. The inhabitants are called ''Siin-Siin'' or ''Sine-Sine'' (a common structure for demonyms in Senegal, e.g. ''Bawol-Bawol'' and ''Saloum-Saloum'' / ''Saluum-Saluum'', inhabitants of Baol and Saloum respectively). Portuguese explorers in the 15th century referred to Sine as the kingdom of ''Barbaçim'', a corruption of 'Bur-ba-Sine' ( Wolof for 'King of Sine'), and its people as ''Barbacins'' (a term frequently extended by early writers to Serer people generally, while others insisted that ''Serreos'' and ''Barbacins'' were completely distinct peoples.) Old European maps frequently denote the Saloum River as the "River of Barbacins/Barbecins". Alvise C ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kronos Quartet
The Kronos Quartet is an American string quartet based in San Francisco. It has been in existence with a rotating membership of musicians for 50 years. The quartet covers a very broad range of musical genres, including contemporary classical music. More than 1,000 works have been commission (art), written for it. The quartet has recorded over 40 albums and received a number of awards. History The quartet was founded by violinist David Harrington in Seattle, Washington (state), Washington. Its first performance was in November 1973. Since 1978, the quartet has been based in San Francisco, California. The longest-running combination of performers (from 1978 to 1999) had Harrington and John Sherba on violin, Hank Dutt on viola, and Joan Jeanrenaud on cello. In 1999, Jeanrenaud left Kronos because she was "eager for something new"; she was replaced by Jennifer Culp, who, in turn, left in 2005 and was replaced by Jeffrey Zeigler. In June 2013, Zeigler was replaced by Sunny Yang. In Feb ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Philip Glass
Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is an American composer and pianist. He is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. Glass's work has been associated with minimal music, minimalism, being built up from repetitive Phrase (music), phrases and shifting layers. He described himself as a composer of "music with repetitive structures", which he has helped to evolve stylistically. Glass founded the Philip Glass Ensemble in 1968. He has written 15 operas, numerous chamber operas and musical theatre works, 14 symphony, symphonies, 12 concertos, nine string quartets, various other chamber music pieces, and many film scores. He has received nominations for four Grammy Awards, including two for Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Classical Composition, Best Contemporary Classical Composition for ''Satyagraha (opera), Satyagraha'' (1987) and ''String Quartet No. 2 (Glass), String Quartet No. 2'' (1988). He has received three Academy Award for Best ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Bill Laswell
William Otis Laswell (born February 12, 1955) is an American bass guitarist, record producer, and record label owner. He has been involved in thousands of recordings with many collaborators from all over the world. His music draws from funk, world music, jazz, Dub music, dub, and ambient music, ambient styles. According to music critic Chris Brazier, "Laswell's pet concept is 'collision music' which involves bringing together musicians from wildly divergent but complementary spheres and seeing what comes out." Although his bands may be credited under the same name and often feature the same roster of musicians, the styles and themes explored on different albums can vary dramatically. Material (band), Material began as a noisy dance music band, but later albums concentrated on hip hop, jazz, or spoken word readings by William S. Burroughs. Most versions of the band Praxis (band), Praxis have included guitarist Buckethead, but they have explored different permutations on albums. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive with a respective county. The city is the geographical and demographic center of both the Northeast megalopolis and the New York metropolitan area, the largest metropolitan area in the United States by both population and urban area. New York is a global center of finance and commerce, culture, technology, entertainment and media, academics, and scientific output, the arts and fashion, and, as home to the headquarters of the United Nations, international diplomacy. With an estimated population in 2024 of 8,478,072 distributed over , the city is the most densely populated major city in the United States. New York City has more than double the population of Los Angeles, the nation's second-most populous city. [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
