Back to Africa: The New World Afro-Diaspora Roots of Modern African Music

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Modern African music is highly influenced and based upon cultural innovations from Afro-descendants in the Americas. This thread is dedicated to exploring those connections and highlighting the music in Africa that makes us smile, tap our feet and move while appreciating that the Afro-Atlantic is strong!
@IllmaticDelta

Highlife (Ghana)

• Highlife music originated from Ghana in the early 20th century. Although it initially incorporated elements of Akan music - jazz, Cuban rumba and guajeo (Cuban guitar arpeggios) are evident in early highlife. The art-form spread throughout West Africa, notably in Nigeria. The following is a direct musical family tree from a Cuban song whose rhythmic elements became placed in a highlife song:

Afro-Cuban performance of 'El Manicero'


Nigerian highlife performance of 'Sawale'


Nigerian 'afrobeats' version of 'Sawale'


Ethiopian version of 'Sawale'

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

@KidStranglehold

 

[Bawon Samedi]

@IllmaticDelta

 

[IllmaticDelta]

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Highlife out of West Africa

'Highlife is a real mirror of the 20th century in terms of music. There are a lot of different modern music forms that came out of this era, and highlife is one of them. It's a real mish-mash of everything,' said Miles, who has managed to capture a snapshot of the scene on Soundway's recent release, Ghana Special: Modern Highlife, Afro-Sounds and Ghanaian Blues 1968-81.

'The roots of highlife are a collage of music, from traditional African music to colonial marching band music, to hymn singing and church music. And as the century went on it absorbed different influences from around the world. So it's got a bit of jazz, a bit of swing, it's got a bit of blues, it's got a bit of Latin music. Then as things go on in the 1960s and 1970s you start hearing a bit of soul and a bit of funk slipping into certain highlife records.

From highlife to hiplife - a guide to Ghanaian music | Music, Pop and rock, African music, Features | reviews, guides, things to do, film - Time Out Accra

 

[shadowking]

Chief Dr. Oliver Sunday Akanite, popularly referred to as Oliver De Coque (April 14, 1947 – June 21, 2008), was a Nigerian highlife musician and guitarist, he recorded more than 73 albums to his credit making him the most popular Highlife king of Africa, his music band group are known as ogene sound super of Africa, which blended modern high life and traditional Igbo music.
His music paints a picture of the affluence enjoyed by the igbo's of nigeria whereby he calls out various names of wealthy igbo men and their native titles acknowledging their accomplishments. He started playing music at the age of 17 with Ekpili. Oliver De Coque hailed from Ezinifite, Nnewi South Local Government Area, Anambra State Nigeria. His greatest hits are People's club of nigeria, Otimkpu and Mbiri ka mbiri....


...Met him once when I was younger at home...

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Have I overlooked something?

 

[BigMan]

Can y'all post more YouTube links not too familiar with African popular music outside of the big names

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Can y'all post more YouTube links not too familiar with African popular music outside of the big names

Definitely. All of my posts will be accompanied by music. I encourage other posters to do the same!

A great Oliver de Coque song is 'Identity'

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

The above could be characterized as a Nigerian take on Cuban 'guajeo'.

 

[IllmaticDelta]

Have I overlooked something?

as far as what?

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

as far as what?

(Connections between Highlife and New World Afro-music?)

A legendary highlife song which also carries on with those distinctive guitar arpeggios

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Another example of possible Cuban guitar influences in Nigerian music.
Fun fact, a Ghanaian coup operation which named after this song.

 

[The Odum of Ala Igbo]

Possibly the most famous song in West Africa. Clave rhythm and guajeo therein!