Akan Music: Traditional Sounds From West Africa - Essay Sample

Introduction

The music of the Akan population in the Ivory Coast and Ghana is based on the traditional way of music from West Africa. Their music also involves the new styles that are forestanding with Ghana because of how it dominates the vital genes like the music of Dagomba, the music of Ga, and also the music of Ewe. In Traditional society, the music is sung by using the local languages like Fanti or Twi (the Akan Language). However, the success of singing such music must be under two ensembles: from ritual music because of its part of the institution and through recreational music because of lack of affiliation (Obeng, 2015). Since any band can be used, the instruments used are primarily composed of membranophones and idiophones. Usually, the Akan drums are derived from the atumpan and the eguankoba.

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The History of the Akan Music

In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, the British had popular music styles such as the ballroom dance music, the American vaudeville, and the brass band marches. Later these music styles were Africanised by the marching music because it relates to the traditional singing, the rural instrumentation, and the Western brass bands. It was only the urban Ghanaians that could use the brass instruments that created adaha music (2017). Other essential subgroups formed by the Akan population were the Ahsanti and the Baule. The latter, however, turned out to be the best and biggest characterized group because their Akan music focused on the Ashanti subgroups.

The type of music that was the people of Akan develop that is the Highlife music. Any group of people cannot make it on their own, so it has been a free spirit since human being depends on the others to live. Ghana is divided between the south and the north, according to the culture of each of the groups (Cox, 2016). The spiritual identity of the people tampers with Akan music from the south. Highlife music emerges in the early 20th century and also the Gold cost as the country was known (2017). But the music was the first trace in Europe since the 15 century. The Ashanti people tried to upraise against the British, but they were unsuccessful. Since they wanted to be free from the British, they share objective which give rise to the musical union.

The Contemporary Context of the Akan Music

The modern music of the Akan population mostly used the Hiplife and the Highlife musical styles during composition. Akan music also used the latest and most popular method of Azonto and also the Azonto plus (Diabah& Amfo, 2018). The highlife type of music was recorded first in the 1930s, but it reached its famous peak in the '50s and the '70s. Highlife music takes the traditional percussive beats and combines it with other flavours such as the American, Caribbean, and European.

There are different good performers of the highlife songs, but the most popular are A.B.Crentsil, Nana Acheampong, Rex Omar, and Daddy Lumba (Diabah& Amfo, 2018). The newer style of music is the Hiplife, and it combines the Highlife beat that is influenced by American Hip-Hop and Rap. Hiplife music is prevalent among younger people, and most of the time, it can be heard blasting from many establishments (Carl n.d). Shatta Wale, Stonebwoy, Samini, Tinny are the most popular Hiplife artists and also Reggie Rockstone, who is recognized as the father of Hiplife.

Music Parameters

The music of the Akan people of Ghana has overshadowed the essential music, such as the music of Ewe, the music Ga, and also the Dagomba music. The Akan music is mostly based on some of the earliest traditions music of the Western side of Africa. Their music also comprises of neo-traditional and the styles that were used mostly in central Ghana during the traditional days. Mostly the popular Akan music is sung in the local language. Akan music is classified into two ensembles: the ritual music and recreation music (Anku, 2009).

No matter the type of music being played, the instruments used are mainly idiophones and membranophones. The various drums that are used by the Akan people are from the eguankoba, and mostly atumpan. The Akan traditional music also inherent calls response, and polyrhythmic structures. The British during the 19th and the 20th century had popular music styles like the ballroom dance music, the American vaudeville, and the brass band marches. Later these music styles were Africanised by the marching music because it relates to the traditional singing, the rural instrumentation, and the Western brass bands (Anku, 2009). It was only the urban Ghanaians that could use the brass instruments that created the adaha music.

The Fanti formed the main subgroups of the Akan people. The music that belongs to the Fanti subgroup is considered as the neo-traditional genre. This type of music combines the accordions that were brought by sailors and Akan percussion (Stella, 2014). The osibisaaba firstly began in the coastal regions of Ghana and spread through to rural Ghana, where it was later adopted as the lead instrument. As a result of the spread of osibisaaba music, Palm wine music was formed, which acted as the root formation of the Highlife (Stella, 2014). Other essential subgroups formed by the Akan population were the Ahsanti and the Baule. The latter, however, turned out to be the best and biggest characterized group because their Akan music focused on the Ashanti subgroups. During the composition of Akan music, the composers used a different style, which includes songs of Wisdom and Rhythms of life.

Analysis of the Song KETE: KYENKYEHENE

The KETE: KYENKYEHENE Rhythm. The music was performed by the following people that are the Kete Children's Group, Leader, Attah, and Mr. P.K. The music was recorded in Kumasi. The various instruments that were used during the composition of the song were Donno which include hourglass drum and stick beaten. This also includes pegged drum and crowned with two sticks, and Apentema which provides for pegged and hand-beaten drum. Petia, on the other hand, provides for the pegged drum and beaten with two sticks.

Abrukua provides for pegged drum and beaten with two sticks. Dawuro which provides for metal bell and also the Akasa which includes gourd rattle. The chief is the person who keeps the KETE drum. The ensembles are only played at the royal funeral, but sometimes it is also represented in other burials with the permission of the chief. A dance accompanies it. The Ashanti people describe this type of dances as pleasant and charming. The dance has a very distinctive characteristic as it combines the male showing off their masculine and women moving their bodies.

The key song is made up of various that are the drum ensemble, a section of pipers, and the vocal counterpart of the pipers. During the recording of this song, the pipe, and the spoken parts were dropped due to lack of knowledge and pipers. This has been happening to most performance today. However, during the Ashantihene's court, all the three-section are maintained. More ever when playing kete ensemble, eight different pieces can be used. The various parts that are used during playing kete each of the peace have its meaning and a particular rhythmic organization. The Kyekyehene rhythm in this selection is associated with being a might chief who bears the same name. At times the kete piece might be played one after the other, and they are not added any musical connotations. Mostly the selection could accompany a procession of the chief during ceremonial occasions.

Musical Characteristics and Constructions

Music plays a vital role in the socio-economic and political development of Ghana (Atsutse, 2014). The Ashanti kings were well known to be patrons of music, and through the music, they encourage the creation of new royal orchestras. Other instruments that played a significant role is the NKOFE horn ensemble in the development of the Ashanti social behavior, and it was developed by king OseiKwadwa (Frimpong&Asinyo, 2013). People use different pieces in music currently to elaborate on the role played by music in the social life of the Ashanti community (Atsutse, 2014). The polyphonic stratification underlies the rhythmic organization of these pieces. The pieces can be categorized into three strata depending on the role played by the instruments.

The idiophones that include the following bells, stick clappers are used as contemporary to maintain a rhythmic ground during the performance. But handclapping and drums may be used to reinforce and play the role needed. (Saint-Dizier, 2014). The Ashanti also used the repetition style in their songs, which gives the listeners the ability to predict various lines. At different times during the playing of the drums, there is the interplay of distinct patterns. Different instruments are played simultaneously in a recurring mode where the master drum most of the time plays a changing pattern sending a message or providing the dancers with commentary during the performance.

Different pieces that are used in the music of the Ashanti mostly emphasize their social life (Saint-Dizier, 2014). From the evidence presented, people may tend to conclude that the Ashanti music is for percussion instrument, but that is not the case - the reason as to why the percussion instruments are used because many African societies use it. But we can conclude that also other devices are used. The African music is classified in sections that vary depending on the length.

Conclusion

The Akan culture plays a vital part in the development of Akan music and exhibits the instruments to be used in their composition. Tradition instruments such as the bell, sticks, and drums are the main objects used in developing a song. During the writing and recording of the Akan music, the artist combines the tradition and the modern instrument in tune. However, in the KETE: KYENKYEHENE song, it portrays characteristics of Akan people through the exploitation of different styles that are used in the song, such as the Highlife musical styles.

The songs are used as the traditional oral ways to communicate and pass information from one generation to the other. The conventional songs must be maintained to be able to pass the cultural values of the communities to the younger generation. Abrukua provides for pegged drum and beaten with two sticks. Dawuro which provides for metal bell and also the Akasa which includes gourd rattle. For instance, the idiophones that include the following bells, stick clappers are used as contemporary to maintain a rhythmic ground during the performance. In short, the African music is classified in sections that vary depending on the length.

Reference

Aberration of Cultures: A Study of Distortion of Akan Cultures in Kumawood Movies in Ghana. (2017). International Journal of Research in Humanities and Social Studies, 4(5). doi: 10.22259/ijrhss.0405002

Anku, W. (2009). Drumming among the Akan and Anlo Ewe of Ghana: an introduction. African Music: Journal of the International Library of African Music, 8(3), 38-64. doi: 10.21504/amj.v8i3.1827

Carl, F. (n.d.). Negotiating the Local and the Global in Ghanaian Hiplife Music. Speaking in Tongues. doi: 10.14361/9783839432242-003

Cox, J. L. (2016). From Primitive to Indigenous. doi: 10.4324/9781315583488

Diabah, G., & Amfo, N. A. A. (2018). To Dance or Not to Dance Masculinities in Akan Proverbs and Their Implications for Contemporary Societies. Ghana Journal of Linguistics, 7(2), 179. doi: 10.4314/gjl.v7i2.8

Frimpong , C., & Asinyo, B. K. (2013). A Comparative Study of History, Equipment, Materials, Techniques and Marketing Approach of Traditional Weaving in Ghana. Current Protocols in Cell Biology, 7(1), 1-6. doi: 10.1002/0471143030.cba02cs00

Stella, A. (2014). Erotic expressions in Adowa dance of the Asante: The stimulating gestures, costuming and dyna...