• Introduction
• Artefacts
• Oral Storytelling
• Storytelling Elements
• African Dance!
• Musical Instruments
• Popular West African Musicians of the First Half of the 20th Century

IROKO Heritage Africana Project was designed to facilitate access to, and sustain interest in African heritage and cultures and introduced participants to the rich oral traditions, visual arts, music and dance of the African continent.

The project enabled IROKO to conduct research on African folklores and languages - riddles, adages, proverbs, etc., and their manifestations in the visual art of Africa, particularly on the artefacts on display at the Sainsbury's African Gallery at The British Museum.

Five Newham schools - Ellen Wilkinson Primary School, Essex Primary School, Star Primary School, St. James' CE Junior School and Winsor Primary School took part in the project.

A storybook "Sho-Sho & The Villagers" and a Teaching Resource Pack was produced at the end of the project. The storybook was inspired by some of the artefacts at the museum.

Artefacts

Fertility Doll (Ghana, (Asante (Ashanti), early 20th century)

"Children are the reward of life"

ASAFO FLAG (The Monkey)

"Look before you leap"

"Nothing ventured, nothing gained"

"By trying often, the monkey learns to jump from tree to tree without falling"

Gelede Masks (Yoruba, Nigeria, 20th Century)

"The banana plant is always survived by offspring"

"You may think that I have no quills but, remember I am a porcupine"

Throne of Weapons (Made by Kester, Maputo, Mozambique, 2001)

"A king who despises his citizens is sitting on a pile of daneguns"

KOZO, The Double-headed Dog (Kongo, late 19th - early 20th century AD)

"When Kozo barks, the mushroom stealer's heart beats for fear of retribution"

Sieving Pot

"You do not store your honey in a sieving pot"

Oral Storytelling Performance

A storytelling session by Alex Oma-Pius FRSA

Oral storytelling is an element of traditional African theatre. Seen as a performance art, it involves using most of the elements and techniques of African Theatre.

There are different categories of traditional African fables, myths and legends. There are the "That-is-Why" stories that tell us for instance, why the leopard has spots; why the zebra has stripes or why the monkey has a tail, etc.! There are also the "Problem Solving or Riddles'" stories that are meant to test our mental agility and general knowledge of our heritage and natural world. The common trickster characters are the Monkey, the Rabbit, the Leopard, the Tortoise, the Hare, the Fox and the famous Ghanaian trickster, Ananse, the Spider, spelt differently like (Anansi, Anancey, Anansey, etc.).

The fundamental principle of a good traditional African tale is that it should informally educate and entertain - "Edutainment" using drama, songs, music, dance, etc. Through these stories, knowledge and wisdom are passed down and a community's world view, norms and values are shaped. For example, acceptable do's and don'ts; the come-uppances for greed, treachery, unnecessary curiosity and also, the rewards for hard work and good behaviour, etc.

The values and themes which most of the stories espouse are not particularly unique to the continent but what is unique is the natural, supernatural and magical world from which the stories emanate. In African fables, spirits, animals, objects, plants and trees can have human features and characteristics - they can talk, walk, dance and sing!

What is also unique to African stories is their ability to weave suspense and spring heartbreaking surprises, magic and at times, unbelievable endings. These help to fire the listeners' imagination so much so that they have lots and lots of ideas about how a story might end, and as the story unfolds, listeners are constantly compelled to change their imagined plots and endings!

Endings of some African tales might be considered distasteful to the Western mind. But that is Africa, a continent where, good deeds and hard work traditionally were handsomely rewarded and disloyalty and dishonesty, fiercely punished. Through historical experiences and the ingrained belief in the supernatural, it is still some African peoples' opinion that the human being is helpless when faced with the antics and surprises of Mother Nature! That is why, in the mythical story of Olurunbi, like the sacrificial lamb, a mother offered her one and only begotten child for sacrifice in order to honour her promise to the gods and protect her community from doom!

The use of poetic languages and imageries, beautifully coined from the natural world of Africa, together with the tonal and musical nature of most African languages has also helped to make African stories and writing authentic.

In traditional African village settings, stories are the Ninetendos and Play Stations that occupy the times for the development of the creative and imaginative mind of the African child. They are what turn the child from a couch potato to a living soul filled with bewildering imagination, spirituality and moral rectitude.

Some Elements of Storytelling

African Dance!

In African culture, dance is synonymous to what the water is to the fish! Dance is embedded within the culture that it is used in all aspects of the African life - from pre-birth, birth, living life and at transition to our ancestral world.

To the ordinary eyes, African dance comprises only erotic, rhythmic, bold and wild movements carried out by performers wearing colourful costumes or scantily dressed in raffia!

The fact is that there are different types of African dances performed during different occasions. For example, the expectant mother's dance, naming ceremony or christening dance, the coming of age ritual dance, ritual dances for initiation into various socio-political classes, professional dances like the hunters, carvers, blacksmiths or fishermen; dances portraying the daily lifestyle and activities of a community - fishing, hunting, war, harvesting etc., and religious dances involving possession and trance during which the dancers become the intermediary between the living and the spirit of our ancestral being. As African arts have a synthetic inter-relationship, music (live drumming and songs) is always an integral part of African dance. Their relationship is like that of the needle and the thread. One cannot function without the other!

Other non-verbal means of interpersonal communications and signifiers - gestures, symbols, costumes, face paintings, facial expressions, masks, etc., commonly accompany and enhance traditional African dances and they bring dramatic context to the dances. These non-verbal means of expression and communication help to bring a deeper understanding and meaning to a particular dance routine. As there are many nationalities, tribes and communities in Africa, in the same vein, the style and communication techniques of a particular dance may differ from one nationality to the other as each nationality will use the form of non-verbal means of expression and communication that are particular to its people and are specific to the historical context of the given dance. For example, the style, technique and expression of the Iphi Yeza War dance in South Africa are uniquely different from the Olu Dance of the Ebu people in Delta State, Nigeria, even though both are war dances.

In the West and also in modern African cities, African dances have been divorced of their historical, religious and socio-cultural origin and are purely used most times, for aesthetic purposes - entertainment. There is now a mish-mash of different dances e.g. borrowing movements from different dance traditions to create African dance or what is now known as Contemporary African Dance like the Bird Flu Dance from Ivory Coast. The dance uses traditional and contemporary street dance movements to mimic the dying moment of the bird.

Musical Instruments

Agogo

This is a double bell made of iron which produces two pitches. It is an instrument originally used by the Yoruba tribe from Nigeria. In West African music it tends to play a foundation rhythm that keeps the time. "Agogo" means "time" in Yoruba language. It is also used to pre-empt special announcements at social gatherings.

Variations of the agogo are used for traditional religious ceremonies. An ensemble of agogo type bells are played for the worship of Ogun, who is the Yoruba god of Iron.

The African roots of much Brazilian and Cuban music are clearly traced from the distinct rhythms played on this instrument.

Djembe/Jembe

This drum is originally the instrument of the Mandinka tribe, who are now found across several West African countries, including Mali, Gambia, Senegal and Guinea-Bissau. Its origins have been traced back to the huge Mali Empire of the 12th century.

It is carved from one solid piece of wood and covered with goatskin. Ropes are used to tension the skin. Although this skin can be tightened to produce a very high-pitched sound, the drum simultaneously produces a heavy bass sound.

The drum is played with both hands, either sitting or standing, when body straps are attached. There are many sounds the drum can produce, but the three main sounds are the "slap" the "tone" and the "bass". It is generally a very loud drum.

The djembe is often played with "ksink ksink" attached - a set of flat tin shakers, which represent the shields worn by drummers who used to play during a battle. During these times the drum would be used to send messages and also motivate the warriors as they entered the battlefield.

Today, the drum is used for a huge array of different social occasions such as weddings, funerals, religious festivals and to accompany dances.

Over recent years, the popularity of this drum has increased so much, that it is now the most commonly found African drum in the world.

Djun-Djun / Doun-Doun / Dunun

This set of three drums date back to the 12th Century Mali Empire, when they were developed to play with the djembe drum. Djun-djuns provide both the rhythmic and melodic base for the whole djembe ensemble. They are carved from solid tree trunk, and are double-headed with thick cow skin, which is tensioned with strong rope. They are very deep and powerful sounding drums.

The trio consists of Doundoumba (largest), Sangban (medium) and Kenkeni (smallest).

The djun-djun is traditionally played with two sticks. One stick plays on the drums while the other stick simultaneously plays a bell that is attached to the drum. These drums can be played either on their sides, or standing upright.

Kpanlogo

The Kpanlogo drum (pronounced "Pan-low-go" in the West) is the traditional instrument from Ghana. It is carved from a single log and has a curved, tapered body. The drum's head is made from goat, antelope, or cow skin. This skin is tensioned with the use of thin rope attached to several pegs, which are hammered in or released, to adjust the tuning before playing.

The drum bears a resemblance to many other ancient drums, such as the Yoruba Igbin drum. Its sound is similar to a modern day conga drum and at times, it has been referred to in the West as African Conga. It is played with either hand or sticks.

Kpanlogo drums are usually decorated with detailed carvings of traditional "Adinkra" symbolism. These are actually visual representations of social thought concerning the history, philosophy and religious beliefs of the Akan people of Ghana and Ivory Coast. The symbol above shows one of the most popular symbols, known as "GYE NYAME" symbolising the immortality of God.

Kpanlogo music is often adapted in Ghana and it can be played on lots of other instruments besides the drum.

Sekere

The Sekere (pronounced Shekere) is a West African instrument made from a hollowed out gourd or calabash. It is actually a fruit that grows on a vine in various different sizes, which is then covered on the outside with a net of seeds, beads or shells. The hardened outer shell is traditionally used as a container for water, palm-wine, etc.

In Africa, gourds are often used as resonators for many other musical instruments. The sekere is played in a variety of different styles and techniques, and there are different traditions associated with this instrument. It is generally loud, bright and sharp sounding.

The very large beaded calabash is called an "agbe" by the Yorubas in Nigeria and is traditionally played with both hands by professional musicians. The beads are often made from cowrie shells, which were once an ancient form of currency in Africa. The sekere play a very important role in certain traditional West African music and is often connected with religion's rites, chants, mantras and prayers. In Ghana and Togo, the Ewe tribe call it "axatse". In Sierra Leone there is a similar type of sekere called "shegureh".

Like so many other instruments, the sekere survived the Transatlantic Slave Trade and so we find that in Cuba and Brazil, the Yoruba religious traditions using sekere, are found to be almost exactly the same as in Nigeria. Brazilian music often uses a beaded coconut shell called "afuxe" which is not far away from the Ghanian name, "axatse".

Gangan/Adamo/Apala (Talking Drum)

The talking drum is carved from a single piece of wood, shaped like an hourglass, with two equal sized heads either side, made from thin goat skin. The drum is beaten with a light-weight curved stick whilst, simultaneously, the leather cords that join the two heads are squeezed and released. This produces a huge variation of pitch changes, which are used to mimic actual spoken words. The drum has a full, warm sound, but is also capable of producing "slaps" and sharp edgy sounds. It is played either solo or part of an ensemble.

There are numerous myths concerning their origin, but it is generally thought that hourglass shaped drums originally date back to 2nd century B.C. in Asia, moving through to the Middle East, eventually arriving in Africa around the 15th century.

Many different types of talking drums are found throughout West Africa. However, it is the Nigerian talking drum of the Yoruba tribe that is probably the most prolific of talking drums. The Yoruba language of South Western Nigeria is a very melodic, tonal language that glides between three main tones or pitches. The pitches in Yoruba speech are essential to the meaning, which means that a fluent speaker can recognize and understand spoken Yoruba from the changing pitches of the drum alone, once they know the context of the sentence.

Yoruba talking drums are from a larger family of drums known as the "Dundun". Dundun also means "sweet sound". Bells known as "saworo" are attached to the larger "iya-ilu" talking drum (mother drum) during special occasions. However it is the medium size "gangan" talking drum that is the most versatile and popular.

Talking drums were traditionally used for a variety of purposes - to praise the king, summon people to court, announce visitors, deliver messages, motivate warriors in battle, tell jokes, even to make insults. They are also still used for ritual purposes to speak prayers and to play "oriki." Oriki is a form of religious poetry relating to the Yoruba gods or "orisa". During the times of slavery/colonization, talking drums were banned for fear that they could be used to send secret messages and incite rebellion. Their use is now more socially widespread and talking drums feature across a spectrum of social events and musical styles, from religious to popular music.

Popular West African Musicians of the First Half of the 20th Century

The earliest recordings of popular and folk music genres by musicians from the parts of West Africa that were colonised by Britain were mainly from Ghanaian and Nigerian artistes. These musicians were the trailblazers for the styles of music known today and Highlife, Juju, Fuji and Palm wine guitar music.

London based record companies began to see the commercial potential in making recordings for the growing UK African communities as well as for the city dwellers and elite communities of the African countries. This meant that by the late 1920s acts such as Frank Essien/Edmund Tagoe, Nicholas Van Heer and George Williams Aingo were celebrated for making pioneering Highlife/Palm wine records, while Justus Domingo made a recording now known as "Roots of Juju" (Heritage Records 054403).

This recording featured guitars and drums, with vocals in Yoruba that are described as "heavily accented". Indeed there is speculation regarding Domingo's true origins. Some say he was an Igbo man, while others suggest he was a first generation Brazilian returnee, since he made the recording in an era when many Brazilian Yoruba descendants returned to Lagos from Bahia.

Irewolede Denge is another founding father of Juju. Some recordings of his are accessible on You Tube. He had a most attractive voice and singing style. Songs that are readily accessible include "Orin Asape Eko"(1937).

Tunde King is credited with giving Juju music its name. He was also a direct influence on Tunde Nightingale, possibly the most influential Juju bandleader before the time of I.K. Dairo. King's contemporaries include artists such as Ogoge Daniel and Speedy Araba.

Ayinde Bakare recorded on HMV from 1937 and is credited for being the first Juju musician to use amplified guitar on a recording, in 1949. Popular both in Nigeria and amongst UK based Africans, he survived and performed well into the 1970s when he passed away under mysterious circumstances. "Ojowu 'Birin", one of his songs is available to hear on You Tube.

Meanwhile, the Islamic influenced genres of Yoruba music such as Sakara, Apala and Fuji can also be traced back to 1940s recordings by artists such as Abibu Oluwa and his group. Their records featured the sounds of Goje (a one stringed African fiddle), Dundun (talking drums) and other sounds associated with the music of better known artists such as Yusufu Olatunji, Haruna Ishola and Sikiru Ayinde Barrister.

Other forbears of Sakara and Apala include Hadji Amusa/Hadji Mustafa, and Ishaku Dan Zhabarumoh. These artists can be heard on a compilation record called "Echoes of Africa" (Wergo SM 1642 2).

Also to be heard on this recording is a pioneering Nigerian Highlife Brass Band - Lagos Mozart Orchestra.

The Ghanaian acts can be heard on a compilation recording entitled "Early Guitar Music from West Africa 1927-1929" (www.VenerableMusic.com ). Samples from this CD can be heard on www.CDUniverse.com.

A compilation recording featuring Juju's early stars is "Awon Ojise Olorun - Popular music in Yoruba Land 1931-52" (Savannahphone).

© Juwon Ogungbe