Songs
We have looked at the physics of sound and stringed instruments in Basic Physics of Stringed Instruments and have analyzed the tuning, harmony, and rhythm of the kora in The Music of the Kora. Now, its time to actually listen to some kora music. Without further ado...
"Jarabi" by Toumani Diabate
Toumani Diabate is one of the world’s leading African musicians and kora players. Born into a line of famous griots with seventy-one generations of kora players, Diabate is now an active, touring musician, spreading kora music throughout the world as well as blending the traditional kora with new, modern instruments. This particular song, “Jarabi,” is a solo kora piece from his second album Kaira. Check out Diabate's website for more information and kora music. With that said, take five minutes to listen to "Jarabi;" its a nice piece.
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The most apparent aspect from our analysis is the constant underlying rhythm throughout the entire piece. (I hesitate to call this an ostinato pattern, since ostinatos are usually faster. Perhaps just "bass line" is the best way to refer to it.) Rhythmically, there are almost no variations in the pattern, which comes after the short intro. The rhythm, and so the song, is in 4/4--also known as common time, the most popular time signature, consisting of four quarter notes to a bar. This is not quite the standard pattern that we looked at previously (which is in 12/8); rendered in our previously used notation, the pattern would be <5,2,1> (as a reminder, 1 represents an eighth note). Melodically, there are slight variations as the song progresses, but the steady rhythm forms a strong backbone.
Another very apparent aspect are the fast, melodic runs in the higher register. These run throughout most of the song, but really shine through in the section from around 0:25 to 1:00. After this section, we get a more spaced out melody; this also happens at other points in the song, particularly around 2:00 to 2:15 and the end. One thing that is also apparent, especially as I try to pinpoint these times, are the rapid changes in melody. One striking example is 2:43 when the faster runs stop and the semi-dissonant harmony comes rhythmically clashing in.
One reason I chose this song is because it is a solo kora piece, and although it may not have all the elements of a typical griot song (see 'Songs' in Music of the Kora), it is definitely a more classical use of the kora, performed by a true griot. Let's know look at a more modern kora song and see how the kora fits in.
Another very apparent aspect are the fast, melodic runs in the higher register. These run throughout most of the song, but really shine through in the section from around 0:25 to 1:00. After this section, we get a more spaced out melody; this also happens at other points in the song, particularly around 2:00 to 2:15 and the end. One thing that is also apparent, especially as I try to pinpoint these times, are the rapid changes in melody. One striking example is 2:43 when the faster runs stop and the semi-dissonant harmony comes rhythmically clashing in.
One reason I chose this song is because it is a solo kora piece, and although it may not have all the elements of a typical griot song (see 'Songs' in Music of the Kora), it is definitely a more classical use of the kora, performed by a true griot. Let's know look at a more modern kora song and see how the kora fits in.
"Mineon Ba"
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This video is a performance of the song “Mineon Ba” by the African Classical Music Ensemble. It features Tunde Jegede, a distinguished kora player and musician from Nigeria, on the kora, accompanied by a riti (played by Juldeh Camara) and an acoustic guitar (played by Maya Jobarteh). Take six minutes to listen, you won't regret it!
In this piece, the kora still penetrates through the mix with its fast runs in the higher register. One thing to notice, though, is that the acoustic guitar takes over the bass and most of the rhythmic structure of the song. This leaves the kora free to shine and solo along with the accompaniment of the riti. Perhaps this is subjective, but to me it certainly sounds like the kora's sound dominates the riti's: the kora is definitely more constant--it quite literally plays for the duration of the song--while the riti comes in at various points and takes a shorter phrase. |
That being said, the phrases that the riti does take are more constant melodically--or thematically, if you will. Several of them are repeated in a sort of chorus-like fashion. On the other hand, the kora seems to have much more variety and freedom. This is another reason why I think the kora is highlighted more in the song.
Comparison
So there we have it. Two kora songs, one solo and one with accompaniment. To me, the kora plays a very similar role in both songs; indeed, it plays the role one might expect after our analysis of its music, construction, and design. In "Jarabi," the kora is responsible for the rhythm and structure of the song. In "Mineon Ba," the acoustic guitar takes on the rhythmic structure and the riti takes on the melodic structure (both to an extent, of course), leaving the kora free to play more fast runs and solos.
It is very interesting to see how the kora (and the riti) mix in with acoustic guitar, and vice versa. I think that the two instruments go pretty well together, considering they have similar sounds and similar roles musically--both can easily be and are solo instruments, so the combination of them can sometimes be tricky. I find that the two complement each other nicely in this piece, though. Be sure to check out Jayk's page for a further discussion on the diaspora of the jeli and the emergence of "world music."
Lets consider some other things that were mentioned in Music of the Kora. As far as tuning goes, I'm clueless as to what key "Jarabi" is in, as I do not have perfect pitch. The tuning of the kora in this song though doesn't really matter, since it is a solo kora piece. More interesting is the tuning of the kora in "Mineon Ba," since it is accompanied by an acoustic guitar. I hesitate to say this, since I am not a guitar player, but it looks like Maya Jobarteh is hovering around the second fret on the first string. So, assuming standard tuning, F#? It's possible, as we saw that this was the frequency most koras were tuned to, but this is really conjecture. (If you are a guitarist or you have perfect pitch, can you tell?) Furthermore, we mentioned the idea of rhythm and melody carrying meaning to the West African (or anyone, really, who speaks a tone language) when there are no words present. I cannot comment on any meaning in either song, other than I think they are both very nice pieces of music. What do you think each song means? I will briefly note the background imagery seen in the "Mineon Ba" video, which ranges from people carrying pots on their heads at 1:05 to people in a rowboat at 2:22. Perhaps this has something to do with it.
It is very interesting to see how the kora (and the riti) mix in with acoustic guitar, and vice versa. I think that the two instruments go pretty well together, considering they have similar sounds and similar roles musically--both can easily be and are solo instruments, so the combination of them can sometimes be tricky. I find that the two complement each other nicely in this piece, though. Be sure to check out Jayk's page for a further discussion on the diaspora of the jeli and the emergence of "world music."
Lets consider some other things that were mentioned in Music of the Kora. As far as tuning goes, I'm clueless as to what key "Jarabi" is in, as I do not have perfect pitch. The tuning of the kora in this song though doesn't really matter, since it is a solo kora piece. More interesting is the tuning of the kora in "Mineon Ba," since it is accompanied by an acoustic guitar. I hesitate to say this, since I am not a guitar player, but it looks like Maya Jobarteh is hovering around the second fret on the first string. So, assuming standard tuning, F#? It's possible, as we saw that this was the frequency most koras were tuned to, but this is really conjecture. (If you are a guitarist or you have perfect pitch, can you tell?) Furthermore, we mentioned the idea of rhythm and melody carrying meaning to the West African (or anyone, really, who speaks a tone language) when there are no words present. I cannot comment on any meaning in either song, other than I think they are both very nice pieces of music. What do you think each song means? I will briefly note the background imagery seen in the "Mineon Ba" video, which ranges from people carrying pots on their heads at 1:05 to people in a rowboat at 2:22. Perhaps this has something to do with it.
Final Thoughts: The Future of the Kora
We looked at the kora from several angles, starting with some of the physics of stringed instruments in general and then focusing on musical aspects of the kora in particular, and finally finishing with two songs of the kora from two different time periods. Over time, some things about the kora have stayed the same, and others have changed. It was mentioned before that the original strings of the kora were made of rawhide and they are now made of nylon. There are other aspects of the kora that have also changed over time. For example, a kora can now be purchased with guitar-style tuning keys instead of the iron rings we saw before. Check out this African stringed-instrument site to see some examples of modern and classical koras (scroll all the way down). You can even purchase one if you'd like, but they can run up to $1400 and take up to eight weeks to get to you!
We also saw some musical changes of the kora in the two songs above. It is very interesting to see how the kora has started out as a solo, highly specialized instrument and is now being blended in with other instruments like the acoustic guitar. The musical aspects of this are indeed very interesting--How is the kora tuned to play with other instruments? What key is it tuned in? What role does the kora take when involved with multiple other instruments? Also very interesting are the cultural aspects of this, which are discussed in detail on Jayk's site.
I hope that you learned something useful about physics, music, and the kora, and I really hope that I was able to make the topics interesting and approachable. Be absolutely certain to check out the other pages on this site. There are many more aspects to the kora, and many different ways of approaching them. Thanks for reading!
We also saw some musical changes of the kora in the two songs above. It is very interesting to see how the kora has started out as a solo, highly specialized instrument and is now being blended in with other instruments like the acoustic guitar. The musical aspects of this are indeed very interesting--How is the kora tuned to play with other instruments? What key is it tuned in? What role does the kora take when involved with multiple other instruments? Also very interesting are the cultural aspects of this, which are discussed in detail on Jayk's site.
I hope that you learned something useful about physics, music, and the kora, and I really hope that I was able to make the topics interesting and approachable. Be absolutely certain to check out the other pages on this site. There are many more aspects to the kora, and many different ways of approaching them. Thanks for reading!
Sources
Below are all the sources referred to on this site (RYAN'S PAGE), arranged in alphabetical order by section.
Academic Papers/Articles/Books and Interview
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YouTube Videos
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Agawu, Kofi. 2006. "Structural Analysis or Cultural Analysis? Competing Perspectives on the "Standard Pattern" of West African Rhythm." Journal of the American Musicological Society 59 (1): 1-46,233.
Agawu, Kofi. 1987. "The Rhythmic Structure of West African Music." The Journal of Musicology: A Quarterly Review of Music History, Criticism, Analysis, and Performance Practice 5 (3): 400-418. Ampene, Kwasi. University of Michigan Associate Professor of Afro-american and African Studies in LS&A, Director of the Center for World Performance Studies, Associate Professor of Music. Aning, A. 1982. “Tuning the Kora: A Case Study of the Norms of a Gambian Musician.” Journal of African Studies 9: 164-175 Hale, Thomas. 1998. Griots and Griottes: Masters of Words and Music. Indiana: Indiana University Press. Knight, Roderic C. 1971. "Towards a Notation and Tablature for the Kora and its Application to Other Instruments." African Music: Journal of the African Music Society 5 (1): 32-36. External Websites
“Cora Connection: The Manding Music Traditions of West Africa.” Accessed March 18, 2015. http://www.coraconnection.com/ "Djembe Direct: String Instruments." Accessed April 12, 2015. http://www.djembedirect.com/store /string_instruments "Instruments from the Manding Regions of West Africa,” accessed March 17, 2015. http://www.theafricanguild.com/mandingmusic /instruments.html#kora "Toumani Diabate," accessed April 10, 2015. http://www.toumani-diabate.com/ |
“African Classical Musical Ensemble.” 2009. YouTube video, 6:00. Posted by “XiomMusic,” November 27, 2009.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RfnaQ9Cuw5k "FAMILY GUY | Music & Lyrics By Stewie Griffin | FOX BROADCASTING." 2009. YouTube video, 1:25. Posted by "FOX," February 13, 2009. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RmO6fc-FdE Toumani Diabaté - Jarabi." 2011. YouTube video, 5:08. Posted by "tamura5," February 27, 2011. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H30CmBizvXg "Wave Reflection and Standing Waves 2.mp4." 2010. YouTube video, 0:43. Posted by "uclaphysicsvideo," November 10, 2010. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-n1d1rycvj4 ImagesAll graphs on Basic Physics of Stringed Instruments made using vPython. (.gif images made from online software.) The Python program I used was a modified version of a program I wrote for a previous physics course.
"Jarabi" waveform made in audacity (software for recording and editing sounds). Kora construction diagram on Basic Physics of Stringed Instruments taken directly from Hale's book Griots and Griottes (cited above left). A screenshot was taken of a scanned copy of the page. |