Sub-Saharan African Music
Krar
For my blog I chose to discuss the krar, because I was interested in learning about more South African instruments. The krar is a South African instrument that looks kind of like a guitar. The strings on the krar are different from a guitar because at the end of the instrument they all come together instead of staying apart from one another. Also, the krar is played with five fingers and it is held underneath your armpit. In this video Gebresgi discusses his wish to become a professional krarist and singer. On the lower end of the instrument you can change the pitch for different songs, like changing the solfege. Basically, the silver slider at the bottom of the instrument works as a capo. The pitch can be raised up to la. Gebresgi said that the krar was always in his home growing up and he grew up in Eritrea, Africa. The krar sounds very similar to the guitar and it works in the same way.
Kwaito Dance
The kwaito is a dance and musical style, and it is a bass driven party dance that people use to express themselves. Also, kwaito is the modern style of South African music. Kwaito is a more free style form of dance; it is also used as a way for black South Africans to stand up for themselves. The apartheid government wanted to keep up a steady supply of cheap labor, so they created townships. A township known as the Soweto township created the kwaito in order to express themselves and have their own identities. In the 80's there was a lot of music that was similar to kwaito, such as afro-pop. Kwaito is sung in South African slang and the purpose of this is that they were trying to reverse the dominance of English in everything. They believed that if white South Africans wished to be a part of the new music, then they would have to do something about their refusal to learn the indigenous language.
Kudu Horn
The kudu horn is also known as the paratha. This instrument is used as a summoning instrument to gather people together in a village. For example, if the king is coming the horn will be blown to alert the villagers of his arrival. It is seen as a sacred instrument, because it is only played at the very beginning of a song in an orchestra of wind instruments. The horn is curved and it is played by blowing in the mouth hole of the instrument. The horn is from the horn of a Kudu, which is a species of antelope. The kudu is a wind instrument and the tone of the instrument changes based on how you blow into it.
I talked about the Krar too! It's such an interesting instrument isn't it? I will say though, I was unaware of the ability to change the pitch like you would a capo on a guitar. That's a really neat feature actually! The Kuda horn was also really cool. It reflects back to music history when we discussed the uses of instruments like trumpets and horns. Just like you said above, the horn is used as a calling instrument. Great blog!
ReplyDeleteI really thought the Krar was such a cool instrument. I didn't even realize that something like that existed. It honestly reminds me a lot of an electric guitar but it's help differently. It honestly looks like a blast to play. I also enjoyed learning about the history of the kwaito dance. Thank you for sharing! -Michaela
ReplyDeleteI was also really interested in the different kinds of instruments we didn’t talk about in class. I think it’s really cool that there is a built-in capo in the Krar. The Kudu horn was really to learn about too. There aren’t a lot of instruments in our culture that are as sacred as the Kuru horn is. It’s amazing to think that the horn of an antelope can be made into an instrument! Thanks for the new info!
ReplyDeleteI love how the Krar is a stringed instrument that can be played with all 5 fingers at the same time. It allows for many possibilities. I can imagine, though, it would be difficult to learn how to play. Also, I found the Kudu horn interesting because of it's practical use.
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