It originates with Ewe people who lived on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa, around South East Ghana.
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What was the alleged inspiration for this piece?
Ewe hunters; stories of monkeys in the forest changing into humans to dance and play drums.
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What is the ritualistic purpose of this piece?
For warriors to perform to their village before or after battle.
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What does the word "Agbekor" mean?
"Clear life". It refers to the warriors' state of mind after conflict.
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Why is the Agbekor Dance most commonly performed nowadays?
It is mostly performed at community social events (such as weddings or funerals), or for tourists' entertainment.
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What do the dancers respond to?
Changes in the music, as there is no rigid structure to the Agbekor dance.
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How was this this piece learnt?
Aural tradition. Knowledge is passed down from generations with no written music.
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What is enculturation?
A slow absorption of the style and necessary skills. Along with much patient instruction, this means that an ensemble could spend many months in solitude before they feel ready to perform in public.
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How do Ewe people regard skilled drummers?
They hold them in the highest esteem and consider them to have inherited the spirit of their ancestors.
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What does the gankogui do?
It acts as a timekeeper for the rest of the players.
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What does the sogo do?
The sogo is the "father drum", played with sticks, hands or both. Two different pitches are produced by altering the playing technique. A rebound in sound = "de", non-resounding sound = "ku".
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What does the atsimevu do?
Acts as the "grandfather" or "master" drum and is the largest used in the music.
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What is the connection between drumming and speech?
Musicians consider different drumming styles almost like different languages.
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Which drummer is responsible for communicating performance directions to the rest of the ensemble?
The master drummer, who is the most skilled and respected member.
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Which texture does the piece open with?
A monophonic gankogui.
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When is a two part texture used?
Halfway through bar 1.
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Which drum plays an ostinato throughout?
The gankogui.
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When does the sogo start to play?
In bar 3, producing a highly complex 3 part polyphonic texture.
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What happens in regards to the texture in bars 29-30?
The atsimevu plays in rhythmic unison with the gankogui for two ostinato cycles.
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Which texture applies to the last three notes?
The last three notes are homorhythmic.
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Which structure does this piece use?
The piece is through composed.
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What is the principal structural feature used?
Repetition.
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What is important about the gankogui ostinato?
It is present throughout and is also known as the standard bell pattern in music in sub-Saharan Africa.
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Which part contains a great deal of repetition?
The sogo.
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How does the master drummer's part develop?
The part grows in complexity and virtuosity, befitting the master drummer's status.
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What is important to note about the pitches used?
All pitches are approximate and cannot be considered melodic in nature.
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Which parts is a sense of relative pitch present in?
The sogo and atsimevu.
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Which notes are clearly used by the gankogui?
The gankogui part contains a clear octave interval from A to A.
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Which metre does this piece use?
Compound quadruple (12/8).
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Which feature of the gankogui part gives the part a syncopated effect throughout?
The use of an additive rhythm (2+3+2+2+3).
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What can be found in bar 14?
Cross rhythms. These are common in the piece.
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Where did this piece originate from?
Back
It originates with Ewe people who lived on the Atlantic Coast of West Africa, around South East Ghana.
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