The musical instruments of sub-Saharan Africa include a wide variety of resonant solids (idiophones) such as rattles, bells, stamping tubes, the mbira (thumb piano), and the xylophone. Rhythm patterns in one line or several simultaneous lines may interlock, overlap, or form polyrhythmic structures. In group singing, some societies habitually sing in unison or in parallel octaves with sporadic fourths or fifths; others sing in two or three parts, using parallel thirds or fourths. The special collections at the AAAMC contain unique materials documenting a wide range of topics and musical genres. Explore the collections collected and preserved by the Archives of African American Music and Culture La grande majorité des Afro-Américains sont des descendants d' esclaves déportés entre 1619 et 1810 . New idioms have emerged, however, that combine African and Western elements; they include West African highlife (showing certain Caribbean traits), Congolese popular music (reflecting Latin American influence), and in southern Africa, sabasaba and kwella (both akin to U.S. swing and jive music). Indigenous African musical and dance expressions that are maintained by oral tradition and that are stylistically distinct from the music and dance of both the Arabic cultures of North Africa and the Western settler populations of southern Africa. All sub-Saharan traditions emphasize singing, because song is used as an avenue of communication. Tribal dances from West Africa morphed into “step” dances, and tribal melodies became song styles like the “shout” and the “echo”. In the precolonial period, trade, wars, migrations, and religion stimulated interaction among sub-Saharan societies, encouraging them to borrow musical resources from one another, including peoples exposed to Islamic and Arabic culture, who had integrated some Arabic instruments and techniques into their traditional music. African music and dance, therefore, are cultivated largely by societies in sub-Saharan Africa All sub-Saharan traditions emphasize singing, because song is used as an avenue of communication. Established in 1991, the Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC) is a repository of materials covering a range of African American musical idioms and cultural expressions from the post-World War II era. The flute, whistle, oboe, and trumpet are among the African wind instruments. African music and dance, therefore, are cultivated largely by societies in sub-Saharan Africa Slaves brought knowledge of West African musical instruments like drums, zithers, xylophones, and the banjo. Such structures may utilize cross-rhythms or alternate double and triple rhythms in linear patterns. Among wind instruments (aerophones) are flutes made of bamboo, millet, reed, or the tips of animal horns and gourds; ocarinas; panpipes; horns (made from elephant tusks or animal horns) and trumpets (made of wood, sections of gourd, or metal tubes); single-reed pipes made from millet stalks; and double-reed pipes adopted from Arabic culture.

Established in 1991, the Archives of African American Music and Culture (AAAMC) is a repository of materials covering a range of African American musical idioms and cultural expressions from the post-World War II era. African stringed instruments include the musical bow, lute, lyre, harp, and zither. Music The earliest forms of African-American music were imported with the slaves themselves. Similarly, the music of East Africa is distinguished from that of Central Africa by a number of instruments, and from that of southern Africa, which traditionally emphasizes certain kinds of choral organization and complex forms of musical bows. Experience AAAMC collections through online exhibits. // ]]> Les Afro-Américains (également nommés Noirs américains ou plus rarement Africains-Américains), sont le groupe ethnique formé par les citoyens des États-Unis d’ascendance totale ou partielle d' Afrique subsaharienne . Body percussion is also exploited, the most common being handclapping and foot stamping. The dance may be open to all, or it may be an activity in which one, two, three, or four individuals (regardless of sex) take turns in the dancing ring. Thus, the savanna belt of West Africa forms a music area distinct from the Guinea Coast because of its virtuosic instrumental styles and the presence of a class of professional praise singers, or griots, in that area. Stringed instruments (chordophones) include musical bows, zithers, bowed and plucked lutes, harp-lutes, arched harps, and lyres. Because many African languages are "tone languages," in which pitch level determines meaning, the melodies and rhythms of songs generally follow the intonation contour and rhythms of the song texts. Some usages became concentrated in particular culture areas, whereas others were widely distributed. Our collections highlight popular, religious, and classical music, with genres ranging from blues and gospel to R&B and contemporary hip hop. Our collections highlight popular, religious, and classical music, with genres ranging from blues and gospel to R&B and contemporary hip hop. The Trustees of Indiana University | Copyright Complaints | Privacy Notice, Explore the history of Black radio from the 1920s to the present, Delve into the history of gospel and sacred music, Explore the origins and history of rap music, Discover collections covering everything from Ray Charles to Afro-punk, Study Black composers and classical musicians, Learn about Black music industry executives and artists, Archives of African American Music and Culture. Learn more about AAAMC collections through the following categories, or visit our Special Collections page for a list of all collections.

With urbanization and the impact of Western culture, traditional music and dance, although still practiced, have decreased.

The basic movements may be simple, emphasizing the upper body, torso, or feet; or they may be complex, involving coordination of different body parts and intricate actions such as fast rotation, ripples of the body, and contraction and release, as well as variations in dynamics, levels, and use of space. These slaves were beaten, whipped, malnourished, and led short painful lives. By the 1970s, a new brand of folk music started to solidify in the African-American communities of major cities like Chicago, New York City, Los Angeles, and Detroit. Drums are among the more popular African instruments, but other important percussion instruments include clap-sticks, bells, rattles, slit gongs, struck gourds and clay pots, stamping tubes, and xylophones. Modern Trends African Music, Gospel Music Gospel Music The African-American religious music known as gospel, originating in the field hollers, slave songs, spirituals, and Protes… Taj Mahal, Singer, Songwriter, Composer Singer andFsongwriter Taj Mahal is a musician for whom origins are everything. Parchment-head drums (membranophones) are found in many forms, such as goblet drums; kettledrums; cylindrical, semicylindrical, and barrel-shaped drums; and hourglass drums with variable-tension heads. The tuning systems, scales, and rhythms associated with instruments tend to be more complex than those of songs. Evidence suggests that the needs of the church and other transplanted institutions may stimulate a new art music. Slave culture: Music From the beginning on the American colonies in 1607, all the way to 1856, slavery was a massive part of the economy and culture of the U.S. American was practically built on slave labor. Hip-hop borrowed rhythms from across the musical spectrum – from ancient African drum calls to contemporary dance music. Melodies are usually organized within a scale of four, five, six, or seven tones. In selecting any instrument for music making or communication, consideration is given to its melodic and rhythmic capacities, its evocative or dramatic power, or its symbolic references. African traditions also greatly emphasize dance, for movement is regarded as an important mode of communication. The AAAMC's general collections include commercially published sound recordings, moving images, photographs, books, and periodicals for research. Copyright ©  document.write(new Date().getFullYear()); The formations may be linear, circular, serpentine, or columns of two or more rows.