The Music Of The Worlds Peoples 3rd Ed - Essay Example

The people of the Baaka used music to maintain their culture. To them, music formed a means through which they communicated to the gods and their ancestors. That way, music enhanced their spirituality (Titon et al., 2009). Among the uses of music in the Baaka culture are initiation rituals, healing rituals, and entertainment. Among the instruments the Baaka people use in their music include the harp-zither, cylindrical drums, lamellaphones, the arched harp, and rattles. Others include the musical bow, flute, and water drums.

Being a hunting community, the Baraka's music usually revolved around hunting. For example, the molimo ceremony involved a lot of mimicking the sounds of wild animals. 3. Ewe Music Culture and the Agbekor The Agbekor is a West African type of music that involves singing and drumming. It originated as a war dance among the Ewe-speaking people. The music involves a percussion ensemble accompanied by a chorus of singers. The lead drumming is a complex ensemble of drums, bells, and rattles. That gives it a rich polyrhythmic texture.

According to legend, Agbekor developed from hunters who observed monkeys in the forest. The monkeys would beat drums with sticks and dance. The hunters developed customs and could play the different instrument during certain times. Through performing the monkey dance during some of their hunting rituals, other people were able to learn the dance and later founded it as a proper dance. Originally, the Ewe performed the Agbekor as a war dance.