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South Africa: The first leg of the main journey includes Johannesburg with Cape Town as an optional extension. These two cities are the hub of the music industry in Southern Africa and are home to an extraordinary and vibrant live music scene sure to satisfy the appetite of music lovers. Many of the country’s biggest stars like Hugh Masekela and Abdullah Ibrahim, who were forced to live in exile during the apartheid years, have returned and now perform regularly in downtown Johannesburg or Cape Town. The music of South Africa is deeply rooted in African traditions, heavily influenced by European settlers and shaped by its political history. Cape Town is the place with a club scene and live street music. Johannesburg boasts clubs in addition to live township music styles. Some of the most popular musical styles in South Africa include township Jazz ‘N’ Jive. The distinctive sound of township jazz emerged from the interaction of imported American big-band and bebop music with South African kwela rhythms and marabi. This music was the entertainment music of black South Africans, with the atmosphere in shebeens in Cape Town being compared to Harlem at its best. It is also the sounds that inspired the music of great South African artists like Hugh Masekela and the late Miriam Makeba. Iscathimiya on the other hand is an a cappella singing style that has its roots in traditional tribal war dances and praise songs. The term comes from a Zulu word which means “to tip-toe” or “step softly”. The style is also referred to as Mbube the title of the first popular domestic hit in this style by Solomon Linda. The style has been made popular by Ladysmith Black Mambazo and was also featured in the Paul Simon’s Graceland album. Gospel is another great South African musical tradition. The National anthem of South Africa, Nkosi Sikeleli Africa (God bless Africa) is in fact a Gospel hymn. The style is now one of the South Africa best selling genres and the successful groups internationally is the two times Grammy Award winner the Soweto Gospel Choir. For many years Mbaqanga was the dominant sound in South Africa particularly in the townships. It comes from the Zulu word for dumpling or home made. It developed out of the township out a township jive style kwela played on a pennywhistle. The sound was best captured by Mahlathini and Mahotella queens and the Soul Brothers. Another well known style is Bubblegum, a very slick brand of African pop with synthesizers, a heavy bass and disco beats. It was made popular by Yvonne Chaka Chaka and the late Brenda Fassie is Bubblegum. This style still has a wider appeal in the township particularly among the older generations.
There is also a fair bit of Reggae. However, with the passing of its greatest Ambassador Lucky Dube in 2007, the Reggae movement is currently struggling due to lack of a real figurehead. The second leg of the journey will take us to East Africa where we will enjoy the music, explore the wildlife and visit a great cause, .i.e. a wonderful Community based program which aims to fight poverty with education. Our East African journey will start in Nairobi, a city renowned for its entertaining nightlife. Nairobi gained prominence as a major music capital in the early 70’s when it became the main hub of East and Central African music and boasts one of Africa’s liveliest dance music scenes.
For the young at heart, Nairobi has a very vibrant hip hop scene. Some of the big names worth checking out include Harry Kimani (Kenyan R&B and hip-hop), Eric Wainaina (blends benga rhythm and East African guitar styles with Western harmony), Mercy Myra (R&B, ragga, Congolese dance) and Nazizi (a pioneering female MC with amazing lyrical delivery). Top female benga singers Queen Jane and Princess Jully are also worth checking out. Special shows may take place at Safari Park Hotel and Carnivore. The Panafric Hotel offers regular cultural theme nights showcasing a variety of Kenyan music including Luo, Maasai and Kalenjin. For those looking for a more traditional sound Nairobi’s Taarab music from the East Coast or the sound of Kenge kenge should definitely satisfy your appetite. Talking about appetite, Kenyan cuisine is interesting mosaic of influences from India, the Middle East, Europe and Africa should provide an exciting culinary experience. Famous for its beauty, Arusha is located in the northern highlands of Tanzania, beneath the twin peaks of Mt. Meru and Mount Kilimanjaro. As well being the the safari capital of the country, it also has a very lively music scene, especially Tanzanian hip-hop, a blend of Maasai and Swahili influences with western music, known as Bongo Flava.
What Traditional Instruments Are Used And How Are They Made ?
Idiophones They are the most common instrument found in Africa; they include the simplest as well as the most easily improvised sound producing objects. An Idiophone can be defined as an instrument upon which a sound may be produced without addition of stretched membrane or vibrating reed. Shaken - Idiophones Wicker rattles, reed - box rattles as well seed shell rattles are found mainly in eastern Africa. May be strung together by rope or held together by means of a stick serving as a handle. There are also baobab - seed rattles, made by threading a number of calabash disc’s on a stick. (Nketia, 1990)
The sansa( hand piano), the melodic type, consists of a graduated series of wooden or metal strips arranged on a flat sounding board and mounted on a resonator such as a box, a gourd, or even a tin. Xylophones The type played in eastern Africa has keys mounted over a wooden frame, below which a number of gourd resonators are suspended, graduated in size in relation to the pitches of the wooden slabs. Membranophones Percussive instruments find highest expression in the use of membranophones (drums with parchment heads). They range from simple types played by women in ritual context, like a skin apron pulled over pots or ox-hide stretched on poles. ____ Drums appear in many shapes. Conical, cylindrical, or semicylindrical, with a bulge in the middle or a bowl - shaped top, cup - shaped, bottle shape like a goblet or vase, or in the shape of an hour glass. The frame may be round or square. Drums are usually carved out of solid log wood. The use of tins, light oil drums, and other such material has been noted in Kenya.Toy drums for little children use to be made out of hard fruit shells or other hollow items. Now, sometimes they are made out of discarded tin. Although there is a variety of drums that exist in Africa, they seem to be localized. East Africa has the hour - glass shaped drum usually single headed. The Ugandan drum is also peculiar to east Africa. (Waterman, 1996) Aerophone Reed pipes are not as widespread or significant as the flute. The double reed pipe is found in eastern Africa, along the coast of Kenya. It is usually made out of the stalk of a millet or similar plant. The embrouchure consist of a short flap about a inch in length and a quarter of an inch in diameter, made by cutting two parallel slits about two inches from one end of the stalk. The flap is not severed but cut at one end so that it can be lifted with the hand, and is allowed to lie loosely over the embrouchure; it can be held down by a loose string. A reedy sound is made by exhaling and inhaling through the slits around the flaps. One hand may cup the other end of the instrument to change the pitch. (Nketia, 1974) Chordophones The lute, an instrument whose strings run parallel to its neck is found in African societies. A one string fiddle the sese or zeze tuble fiddle resonator may be made out of gourd or a hollow piece of wood or bamboo, and covered skin. The string may be made out of sisal fiber and may be played with a bow of similar material. Arched (or bow) harps, the neck of the instrument is arched, and the strings run from the neck to the sound box at an angle. Harps of five, six, seven and eight strings are found in Kenya The lyre instrument whose string runs from a yoke to a resonator seems to be concentrated in east Africa. There appear to be similar graduation in size in the Kenya lyres. The obukamo, a large varient, has been described as the double bass of east Africa. It is three and a half feet long, the resonating drum is eighteen inches in the diameter, and a frame for the strings is thirty one inches wide at the top. There are other lyres that vary in size such as the eight - string litungu of the kuna of Kenya and the five - string kibugander of the kipsigis of Kenya. (Bebey, 1975)
Some songs serve a purpose and carry a very direct message. There is usually a background information about a great warrior or chief. Praise songs are dedicated to the living, although the memory of a dead person might be brought back to one's remembrance. In songs many emotions arise, especially when women use their high shrieks. In Kenya these is hardly any song without dance. Dance is another form of communication with body language that consists of rhythmic movements of the legs, head, shoulders and in some groups the hips. The melody is restricted by the use of pentatonic scale and the fact that the language is tonal. When the intonation changes from high to low, the singing change with it. Every syllable within a word should receive its correct pitch, which will imprint meaning on the word and the phase. This causes a tone from one ethnic group to not easily lend itself to words from another language. Inaccurate tone sequence make words meaningless.
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African Music Styles:
It is fair to say that most young South African would rather dance to the sound of Kwaito than anything else. The sound emerged in the post- Apartheid era and is regarded as the sound of new South Africa. It is described as a distinctly home-grown style of popular dance music that is rooted in Johannesburg urban culture and features rhythmically recited vocals over an instrumental backing with strong bass lines. It has elements of Hip Hop, House, Reggae and African rhythms.
Traditional African music is polyrhytmic; it is made up of different sounds. The rhythm of the drum is predominating while string, wind and shake instruments accompany. People become a third instruments by clapping, stomping, singing and chanting. Each instrument plays a different rhythm. This creates a complex mixture making it hard for people of other cultures to follow. These instrument’s use is not confined to purely musical functions. Some are used as signals for attracting attention, assembling people, or creating an atmosphere. They may also be used for transmitting verbal messages or for reinforcing verbal communication.
Does The Music Carry A Message? 
