The Baba Maal
After viewing and listening to the Baaba Maal video, I determined that there were two koras, five djembe drums with three rattles on each drum, a dundunba drum (largest), a sangban drum (medium), a kenkeni drum (smallest), and a male lead vocalist (Baaba Maal). The kora is in the chordophone family and is a 21 string harp lute or bridge harp. The neck of the instrument is attached to a large resonating gourd with cowhide stretched over it. Traditionally, the instrument used twisted antelope hide for the strings, but they have been replaced by nylon fishing line. The djembe and the dunun drums are members of the membranophone family. The djembe is a goblet shaped drum that is made from a hollowed out tree trunk and covered on one side with a
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Some African musical characteristics that can be heard in this piece are polyrhythm, ostinato, polyphonic textures, and improvisation. Polyrhythms are two or more rhythmic patterns that occur simultaneously. In this piece a polyrhythm can be heard when the kora and djembe drums are each playing a different rhythm at the same time. An ostinato is a short repeating pattern, which can be heard by both the kora and djembe drums. Polyphonic textures are created when multiple layers of instruments play recurring patterns. In this piece, polyphonic textures can be heard when the kora and djembe drums play repeating patterns while a single djembe drummer improvises. Improvisation is a spontaneous and unscripted instrumental or vocal performance. Improvisation can be heard when each djembe drummer takes the front of the stage and improvises a solo on top of the rhythms being played by the kora and other djembe drums. Also, the kora can be heard improvising or playing a birmintingo in the beginning of the song when the musician breaks away from the repeated rhythm or kumbengo. Between the popular djembe drum, the kora which is one of the primary instruments of the Griot or Jali, and Baaba Maal’s distinctive high pitched voice, each of these instruments plays a vital role in African
Some African musical characteristics that can be heard in this piece are polyrhythm, ostinato, polyphonic textures, and improvisation. Polyrhythms are two or more rhythmic patterns that occur simultaneously. In this piece a polyrhythm can be heard when the kora and djembe drums are each playing a different rhythm at the same time. An ostinato is a short repeating pattern, which can be heard by both the kora and djembe drums. Polyphonic textures are created when multiple layers of instruments play recurring patterns. In this piece, polyphonic textures can be heard when the kora and djembe drums play repeating patterns while a single djembe drummer improvises. Improvisation is a spontaneous and unscripted instrumental or vocal performance. Improvisation can be heard when each djembe drummer takes the front of the stage and improvises a solo on top of the rhythms being played by the kora and other djembe drums. Also, the kora can be heard improvising or playing a birmintingo in the beginning of the song when the musician breaks away from the repeated rhythm or kumbengo. Between the popular djembe drum, the kora which is one of the primary instruments of the Griot or Jali, and Baaba Maal’s distinctive high pitched voice, each of these instruments plays a vital role in African