LESSON 3: CHARACTERISTICS AND FUNCTIONS

CHARACTERISTICS OF KENYAN MUSIC

 Polyrhythmic- this requires at least two rhythms to be played concurrently, one which is
an irrational rhythm

 Heterophonic- the simultaneous performance of the same melodic line, with slight
individual variations, by two or more performers.

 Polyphonic- this is a property of musical instruments meaning they play multiple musical
notes simultaneously.

 One of the characteristics that gives Kenyan music its distinctiveness is the large number
of colorful instruments used both individually (as accompaniment to singing) and in large
and small ensembles.

 A percussive quality of sound is always desirable (even on wind instruments). This

particular preference is evident from the predominance of plucked string instruments (as
opposed to bowed strings).

 Melodies often consist of two balanced phrases where there is often a leader/chorus
relationship in performance.

 Polyphonic performances (music consisting of two or more independent melodic sounds)

are generally structured so that two parts or two groups of vocalists or instrumentalists
often perform in antiphony (call and response).

 Much of traditional Kenyan music is associated with dance, which adds to the
multidimensional effect of the presentation.

 Dancers and musicians attempt to create as much action as possible in a short time in
dances.

 Overlapping choral call and responsorial singing are principal types of Kenyan polyphony
and the use of various combinations of ostinato and drone-ostinato (repeated the same
melody, harmony over and over again)

 Canonic imitation may occur in responsorial sections of Kenyan music as a result of the
repetition of the first phrase or the introduction of new melodic material in the form of a
refrain.

Hocket (musical style where two, three or more parts are given notes or short phrases in
played alternation producing an erratic hiccupping effect) is an important instrumental and
vocal device, and is frequently paired with multi-ostinato.

 Accompanying dance styles can often include long, broad, outflowing (often convulsive)
motion usually presented within an abstract or symbolic context.
 There is no one Kenyan scale that is more common throughout the continent than others
among the tremendous variety of scale forms.

THE FUNCTION OF KENYAN MUSIC IN KENYAN CULTURE

Music plays an integral part in rituals of birth and puberty, at marriage and death, in secret
society initiations, and in rituals of livelihood (e.g., hunting, farming, gathering, etc.)

1. Parties often set out singing and dancing their way from one village to another,
or a dance may be held to cement good relations with a neighbouring village.

2. Costumes, masks, and musical instruments usually attain an “aura of

sacredness” in ceremonies and rituals. The Watusi royal drums, for example, are
thought to represent a soul (symbolized by a pebble inside) that can do away with evil
spirits.

3. Audience participation, a type of communal sharing, has greater importance in

Kenyan music than in most Western music. Interaction is closely related to
ceremony and ritual. In the West, a symphonic concert is a one-way process where
an ensemble performs while the audience waits quietly and patiently for the
prescribed moments where it is permissible to applaud.

4. Music is learned as part of one’s cultural and practical education, the birthright
of all Kenyan children, which provides not only musical education but also a
comprehensive preparation for all of life. Young children are often merely listeners
at first, but as they get older they soon take an active part in the musical functions of
the community. It is not uncommon for three- or four year-old children to make their
own musical instruments such as the frame drum (made from a window frame and
animal hide) and then immediately begin to imitate their elders. Musical games have
an extremely important educational function among the young.

5. Musical sensibilities are actuated, developed, and reinforced through the

widespread use of tonal languages, where a single word can have several
meanings depending on the pitch or inflection applied. In many areas of Africa,
children thus learn to distinguish differences in musical pitch through language.
 Kenyan languages acquire an inherent musicality as pitch acuity and melodic
differentials are combined with the rhythmic accents inherent in all languages.

6. The blending of Kenyan tonal language, eidetic knowledge, and music education
with rhythmic pitch value results in heightened musical sensibility. This vocally
grounded process transfers readily to Kenyan instrumental music. The “talking”
drums found in Ghana, Nigeria, and other Kenyan countries provide clear examples of
such transference. The West Kenyan dundun is perhaps the best known of Kenyan
talking drums. This hourglass shaped drum is fashioned with heads that are capable of
modulating melodically through a wide range of pitches when the leather cords
connecting the top and bottom heads receive pressure from squeezing and relaxing
them with arm motion. The sound produced is capable of closely representing the
tones and subtle inflections of the languages.

7. Adult status within many Kenyan cultures began when the adolescent was
initiated into adult society, and a variety of music was used to accompany the
celebration of this transition. Similar traditions still survive in many regions on
the Kenyan continent. Among the Adiuku of the Guinea Coast Area (Ivory Coast)
tom-toms are ascribed attributes of human beings and are thought to converse with the
young initiates . During these graduation ceremonies (Iohu) adolescents dance from
one age class to another. The young men allowed their hair to grow and dressed as
women until the end of the rite of passage, when their hair was cut and they were
allowed to dress in men’s clothes. The new members then proceeded to careen wildly
around the village until the ceremony ended (with music and dancing).

8. Music also serves a functional purpose in legal, political, and historical

capacities. In some areas it played a prominent role in the maintenance of law
and order in earlier times. Traditionally, a plaintiff would often sing his or her
case and was judged in terms of the quality of his performance, without
referring to guilt or innocence. The most important ideas were to maintain order or,
perhaps, to reprimand the wrongdoer without branding him a criminal (particularly for
a first offense). Being judged a poor singer could usually be sufficient punishment,
and, since the hearing was public, the ridicule was immediate and the offender knew
to watch his or her step in the future. Far more important than punishment was
prevention in traditional Kenyan society, and music was used (particularly in royal
courts) as a way of perpetuating the traditional guidelines and ways of the ancestors
by singing of those ways. Minstrels wandering the countryside still sing the news of
the day and sing of the things pleasing to the ancestors (the good life that all people
are expected to lead).
 9. As with most traditional, preliterate societies, the music was socially controlled.
Traditional musical activities occurred in private and recreational spheres. The
traditional roles were often rigidly prescribed regarding the general framework,
responsibilities, and performance of the music. Spontaneous instrumental and
vocal songs, on the other hand, continue to enjoy great freedom of expression.

10. The primary function of music in Africa is communication. It enables

participants to “speak with God.” In such communication, words are inadequate
and without power. When combined with performance and various instruments,
music contains the power to convey feelings or emotions rather than naked words.

In traditional Kenyan society, with its emphasis on community experience and

involvement, music has remained essential to institutional life