Question One
Shahriari extensively discusses the genres such as -isicathamiya, marabi and kwela, mbaqanga, and kwaito. These genres reflect the political and social conditions that prevailed during the apartheid period. Particularly, the genres allowed the people who negatively affected by the Apartheid to gain access to the own music while connecting with one another. These genres were like Harlem Renaissance, blues, and jazz music. Through the music, the black people were able to present their music and talents.
Question Two
Highlife music genre can be traced back to the twentieth century during the colonization of the British Empire. The genre uses the rhythmic and melodic structures of traditional Akan music, but played using western instruments. The music is characterized by multiple guitars and jazz horns that lead the band. In Ghana, different colonial structures allowed African characterized development of highlife. These colonial structures were instruments being used as well as timbre. By listening to Hiplife, I have heard a repeated mixing of music and rhythm of music that is used in contemporary music such as playing of the instrument. Essentially, highlife of Mensah is just a folk music and it is not open to particular instruments.
Question Three
Spraying is a type of dance whereby a satisfied singer dances up to the praise singer or the bandleader while pasting money on his or her forehead. This is an act provided bulks of profits of the musicians. Fundamentally, guaranteed minimum, cash advances, and record royalties, except in situation of handful of superstars and minors sources of cash –performers of fuji and juju uses numerus expressive strategies. These strategies include praise names, proverbs, melodic quotations, slag and satisfying dance grooves. Therefore, Garland Encyclopedia defines spraying as The practice of ‘spraying’- in which a satisfied praisee dances up to the bandleader or praise singer and pastes money to his forehead- provides the bulk of musicians’ profits. Cash advances, guaranteed minimums, and record royalties, except in the case of a handful of superstars, or minor sources of income… performances of jùjú and fújì typically consists of a series of expressive strategies- proverbs and praise names, slang, melodic quotations, and satisfying dance grooves- unreeled with an eye toward pulling in the maximum amount of cash from patrons.” (Page 24). Spraying was important for King Sunny Ade due to his status and lifestyle as a king. The kings have a tendency of using people to praise and worship them and this could be the reason why sparing was important to King Sunny Ade.
Question Four
Fela Kuti is a Nigerian instrumentalist, composer, and musician and the pioneer of afrobeat music. He was also considered as a staunch human rights activist. Kuti was considered as the most charismatic and challenging music performers. Fela Kuti used his genre and political position to bring awareness to what he termed as rampant corruption in Nigeria. Specifically, he developed afrobeat and utilized it to unite everyone in the country. He also became an activist during his time as a musician. Through afrobeat genre, he brought political awareness and stopped corruption in Nigeria. He used his musical platform and fame to expose government officials and their bad deeds while warning those who tried to perpetrate evil in the country.
Question Five
Praise singing was a common type of genre which was used to praise men, gods, animals, towns, and plants. Therefore, praise singers were a group of musicians from West African who earned a living from singing praises to the members of the community. Shahriari has highlighted some of the popular musicians and genres in his book. Example of the music genres include isicathamiya, marabi and kwela, mbaqanga, and kwaito. Some of the musician cited by Shahriari included Youssou N’Dour, and Umm Kulthum. In the Mande/ Mandinka society, lineage played a major role in the development of genres. The origin of kora is enclosed in the folkroe and legend. Kora is one of the major instruments that were used in Jali familes of the Mande society. Jali were also known as the griots which was a French phrased. Additionally, kora was a significant part of oral tradition passed down from one generation to another. Children in jali lineage grew up with the history and music. Children could learn music at a very young age. The Jali families are hereditary class of musicians from the Mande community. They represent genealogists, praise-singers, and historians.
Question Six
The source of the popular world-music in Sub-Sahara is the custom of its cyclical and open ended mechanism that involved numerous repeated rhythm or melody as the basic foundation of the performance. The music obtains its inspiration from the ancient practices that they follow.