AFRICAN MUSIC.
In describing the music of the natives of Africa, we will place in
contrast the modes of the two extremes of the scale of intelligence.
The Kaffir is certainly as far in advance of the Bushman, as we are in
advance of the native Indian. The Kaffir is peculiar in music; very
deficient in melody, he is almost perfect in rhythm and time-keeping. He
is fond of singing in company, and in fact is a rather convivial person
altogether. At social meals, while the food is cooking, the guests often
amuse themselves by singing together until the repast is in readiness.
The subjects of the songs are various; love songs, and war songs being
held in equal favor, but the Kaffir is always specially pleased with any
song that relates to the possession of cattle; and being a cattle-owning
people, they have many songs celebrating their favorite subject.
Many of the Kaffir’s musical effects would seem most ludicrous to us.
Sudden contrasts, have, to him, a special attraction, and it is not
unusual to hear him give the highest squeaks of falsetto, and the
deepest bass grunts, alternately.
Loudness in singing is his great end and aim, and to effect sudden
_sforzando_ effects, he has a peculiar method, i. e.—the choruses of the
songs are usually meaningless, being often a mere reiteration of the
words e-e-e-_yu_ (which may be called the African “fol de roi de ray”),
and when, after shouting with full lungs on the _e-e-e_, the singer
desires more power on the _yu_, he effects it by giving himself a sound
thump in the ribs with his elbows; this produces a marked emphasis on
the syllable, and the result, when two or three hundred singers do this
simultaneously is startling. The Kaffir, contrary to our practise, _sits
down_, when he sings.
One of their favorite songs, is used at husking festivals. “The dry
heads of maize are thrown in a heap upon the hard and polished floor of
the hut, and a number of Kaffirs sit in a circle round the heap, each
being furnished with the ever useful _knobkerry_ (a stick or club, very
like a _shillelagh_, but with a knob at one end). One of them strikes up
a song, and the others join in full chorus beating time with their
clubs, upon the heads of the maize. This is a very exciting amusement
for the performers, who shout the noisy chorus at the highest pitch of
their lungs, and beat time by striking their knobkerries upon the grain.
With every blow of the heavy club the maize grains are struck from their
husks, and fly about the hut in all directions, threatening injury, if
not absolute destruction to the eyes of all who are present in the hut.
Yet the threshers seem to enjoy an immunity which seems to be restricted
to themselves and blacksmiths; and while a stranger is anxiously shading
his eyes from the shower of hard maize grains, the threshers themselves
do not give a thought to the safety of their eyes, but sing at the top
of their voices, pound away at the corn cobs, and make the grains fly in
all directions, as if the chorus of the song were the chief object in
life, and the preservation of their eyesight were unworthy of a
thought.”[210]
The war-songs of the Kaffirs are fiery and exciting, though in a less
degree than those of New Zealand.
Their poetry is full of metaphor, and alliterative enough to be admitted
into the opera of the future. The participants sit in a circle,
sometimes three or four deep, with their knees well drawn up, and sing,
beating rhythmic accompaniment upon the ground, twirling their
_assagais_ (javelins), and occasionally enlivening the proceedings with
an ear-piercing whistle, or deafening shout.
We give an English version (Mr. Shooter’s) of two of these, merely
premising that much of the native beauty is said to be lost in the
transposition to a foreign tongue.
PRAISE OF DINGAN.
A VERY CELEBRATED CHIEF.
“Thou needy offspring of Umpikazi
Eyer of the cattle of men,
Bird of Maube, fleet as a bullet,
Sleek, erect, of beautiful parts.
Thy cattle like the comb of bees.
O head too large, too huddled to move,
Devourer of Moselekatze, son of Machobana,
Devourer of Swazi, son of Sobuza,
Breaker of the gates of Machobana,
Devourer of Gundave of Machobana
A monster in size,[211] of mighty power,
Devourer of Ungwati of ancient race,
Devourer of the kingly Uomapé;
Like Heaven above, raining and shining.”
The other is an Alexandrian lament of the lack of nations to conquer. It
is in honor of Tchaka, (a renowned warrior and chief).
“Thou hast finished, finished the nations!
Where will you go out to battle now?
Hey! Where will you go out to battle now?
Thou hast conquered kings!
Where are you going to battle now?
Thou hast finished, finished the nations!
Where are you going to battle now?
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!!
Where are you going to battle now?”
From the extracts it will be seen that flattery is not confined to
European courts; the Kaffir carries it still further, for in addition to
his own proper name (which it is deemed ill omened to speak) everybody
of any rank, receives a number of _isi-bonges_ or praise-names, alluding
to some action or peculiarity. It is customary on all formal occasions,
to recite several of these _isi-bonges_, just as a European nobleman on
official ceremonies desires to have all his titles proclaimed. In songs,
of course, the invention of these is unlimited. Thus the great Panda, a
renowned ruler of enormous fatness, is spoken of as,—
“A swallow which fled in the sky,”
“A swallow with a whiskered breast,”
“Ramrod of brass,”
“Thigh of the bullock of Inkakavini.”
“Thou art an _Elephant_.”
“Monarch who art black,” etc., etc.
Such songs of praise are sung with great relish by full choruses.
Violent gestures are used to heighten the effect. The songs are in
unison, no harmonic divisions being attempted.
The instruments of the Kaffir are few and crude; the whistle before
mentioned, although giving but one tone, is a great favorite. It is so
shrill that it can be heard above the wildest din of the _ensemble_.
A rude flute or flageolet is also sometimes used; but the most-used
instrument, is a primitive harp with _one string_ only, and whose tones
though light and sweet can scarcely be heard at six yards distance. It
is an ordinary bow with a string of twisted hair, and a hollow gourd
attached at the centre of the wood to give resonance. A ring is passed
along the string, to raise or lower the tone, which is produced by
striking the cord with a short stick, or _plectrum_. The bow is about
five feet long, and exactly resembles the usual weapon, which however is
not used in war by the Kaffirs.
Although the resources of this instrument are so extremely limited, the
musicians of this people are content to sit for hours, listening to its
monotonous sound.
Let us now turn to the degraded black brother of the foregoing race, the
Bushman. His amusements are two;—singing and dancing.
The dance of the Bushman is to European eyes a most uninteresting one;
as there is scarcely any motion or gesture at all in it, save that which
is made by _one leg_. Standing on one foot, the performer shakes the
other, (to which a string of rattles, made from the ears of the
spring-bok are attached) occasionally giving his body a twist, and
singing vigorously all the while, changing the foot, however, from time
to time.
The spectators keep the rhythm by a constant and regular clapping of
hands and a monotonous singing.
A water-drum, which is merely a wooden bowl, into which a little water
has been poured, and over which a skin is tightly drawn, is struck
regularly in time with the movements of the dancer; the latter when
partially exhausted, falls upon the floor, but still singing and kicking
in time with the music; after a short rest of this description, he jumps
up and continues as at first. When utterly exhausted, he retires among
the spectators and unfastening his leg-rattles, hands them to the next
dancer. The music to this odd performance is _not_ in unison; the dancer
sings one air, the spectators another, and the drum gives a species of
“ground bass” to the whole.
While engaged in this interesting occupation of shaking one leg, the
Bushman is completely oblivious of all other considerations, as if he
were entranced. Discordant as the music seems to us when annotated by
the travellers who have heard it, yet these same authorities are almost
unanimous in declaring that the effect is extremely pleasant.
The most peculiar instrument of the Bushmen, is the _goura_, which is
shaped like a bow, but has at one end of the string, a piece of quill
inserted; this quill is blown upon in the same manner that we use a
jew’s-harp. Women play upon this instrument, but hold it
perpendicularly, and do not breathe upon it, but strike it with a stick,
and then catch it up, quickly to their ear, to listen to the tones. When
thus played, it is called, a _joum-joum_.
All the airs played upon this primitive instrument seem to come by
chance rather than skill, and the performer never seems able to play the
same tune twice. But the same or better music could be drawn from a much
more compact and portable instrument; therefore the _goura_ has now been
almost superseded by a European competitor, and the favorite instrument
of the African Bosjesman now is the _Jew’s-harp_.
They also possess a rude banjo-like instrument from which comparatively
fair music could be produced, but the Bushmen are content to strum it
without method, and take the music as fortune sends it. A drum completes
the list of Bushman instruments; it is sometimes played with sticks and
sometimes with the fist. It can be heard at a considerable distance.
In contrasting these two extremes of African races, it is singular to
remark, that the superiority in music, if there be any, must be conceded
to the lower race.
We find much that is curious and worthy of note in the music of those
mysterious tribes of central Africa, who have so recently become known
to us through the researches of Schweinfurth, Stanley, and Baker.
Among the best known of these tribes, may be mentioned the Nyam-Nyams, a
set of most inveterate cannibals, whose very name comes from the sound
of gnawing at food, and was given them on account of their man-eating
propensities. Their chief musical instruments are mandolins or small
harps of four strings each, drums (mostly of wood,) bells of iron,
whistles and pipes. Many of these instruments are very symmetrically
formed, and tastily carved, for in wood, iron, and clay designing the
Nyam-Nyams are very expert. Schweinfurth thus describes their
music,[212]—“They have an instinctive love of art. Music rejoices their
very soul. The harmonies they elicit from their favorite instrument, the
mandolin, seem almost to thrill through the chords of their inmost
nature. The prolonged duration of some of their musical productions is
very surprising.” Piaggia has remarked that he believed a “Nyam-Nyam
would go on playing all day and all night, without thinking to leave off
either to eat or to drink,” and although quite aware of the voracious
propensities of the people, it seems very probable that he was right.
One favorite instrument there is, which is something between a harp and
a mandolin. It resembles the former in the vertical arrangement of its
strings, whilst in common with the mandolin, it has a sounding-board, a
neck, and screws for tightening the strings.
The sounding board is constructed on strict acoustic principles. It has
two apertures; it is carved out of wood, and on the upper side it is
covered with a piece of skin; the strings are tightly stretched by means
of pegs, and are sometimes made of fine threads of bast, and sometimes
of the wiry hairs from the tail of the giraffe.
The music is very monotonous and it is difficult to distinguish any
melody in it. It invariably is an accompaniment to a moaning kind of
recitative which is rendered with a decided nasal intonation.
“I have not unfrequently seen friends marching about arm in arm, wrapt
in the mutual enjoyment of the performance, and beating time to every
note by nodding their heads.”
“There is a singular class of professional musicians who make their
appearance decked out in the most fantastic way, with feathers, and
covered with a promiscuous array of bits of wood and roots, and all the
pretentious emblems of magical art, the feet of earth-pigs, the shell of
tortoises, the beaks of eagles, the claws of birds, and teeth in every
variety. Whenever one of this fraternity presents himself, he at once
begins to recite all the details of his travels and experiences, in an
emphatic recitative, and never forgets to conclude by an appeal to the
liberality of his audience, and to remind them that he looks for a
reward either of rings of copper, or of beads.”[213]
With some slight differences these men may be found throughout Africa;
almost everywhere they are sought for and their talents enjoyed, but
they themselves held in contempt. Among the Nyam-Nyams, their
appellation in itself (“Nzangah”) implies contempt, being similar to
that which is applied to despised and outcast women.
Contrary to the custom of almost all other savages, the Nyam-Nyams
delight most in gentle music; some of the minstrels sing so softly that
it is impossible to hear them a few yards off. The light Mandolin
accompaniment is in good accord with this _pianissimo_ style of music.
Their dances, given by male and female performers, are wonderfully
swift, intricate and pleasant.
A great “Congo” or dance was given by some of these people to Col. C.
Chaillé Long, an American officer on the staff of the Khedive of Egypt,
who made a very interesting expedition to the Makraka Nyam-Nyams, and
Lake Victoria Nyanza in 1874. He thus describes the scene:—[214]
“Invitations had been sent to all the Nyam-Nyam lasses, who came even
from as far as Parafio, and did honor to the occasion by brightening up
their copper and iron fastenings, and in putting on fresh fig leaves.
The loose bands that encased their ankles, kept perfect time in loud
clanking sound to music really euphonious, and of a symphony that my
unmusical ear I regret cannot translate here, evoked from a Sinon-like
wooden horse, that was beaten on its sides with drum-sticks, or by
parallel banana trees that were traversed by different sized pieces of
dry wood, upon which several performers beat successively.
This musical instrument, as well as drums and horns, the latter made of
Elephants’ tusks, were very similar to those I had seen at Ugunda....
The Sheik, a robust, powerfully developed man, led his brave warriors in
the dance, holding in his hand, a curiously-shaped sword, his insignia
of office, whilst the round little forms of hundreds of Nyam-Nyam
maidens followed, each with giddy swiftness as the “cancan” fantasia
became fast and furious. The festivity continued until the ‘wee sma
hours’ of the morning.”
The trumpets of the Nyam-Nyam are more generally used as war signals
than as musical instruments; they are blown through a hole in the side,
and not at the end; therefore the mode of performing upon them, rather
resembles our style of flute playing.[215]
Another musical nation of Central Africa is the Karague; travellers who
have visited them have given more or less detailed accounts of their
instruments and festivities. Capt. Speke had the unusual honor of a
serenade from the royal court band. The king after receiving a present
of some beads, cloth wire, and a tin box, was so delighted that he sent
his own band to give Speke a tune.
The performers used reed instruments (made in telescopic fashion) and
marked the time by hand-drums. At first they marched and countermarched,
playing meanwhile much in the manner of Turkish regimental bands; but
this was soon changed to a species of “horn-pipe,” which all the
musicians danced, playing furiously meanwhile.[216]
Another bit of musical ceremony which Speke witnessed, will at once
remind the reader of the great “Zapfenstreich” or grand tattoo practised
sometimes in the German army. At the new moon the king surrounds himself
with numerous drummers (Speke saw thirty-five); these strike up
together, gradually increasing to a deafening noise; this is followed by
a milder kind of music, similar to that described above. The object of
the ceremony is to call in all the king’s warriors to renew their oath
of fealty.[217] The time keeping is said to be very exact, and the
drummers burst forth again and again during the night. The war drum of
the Karague is beaten by women.
A kind of guitar exists among this people, and six of the seven strings
which it possesses accord perfectly with our own diatonic scale, the
seventh string only, being discordant. Their wind instruments are
flageolet and bugle, or at least similar to them.
Among the nations adjacent to those already mentioned are the Bongo.
We again quote from the valuable work of the most musical traveller who
has visited this section,—Schweinfurth.[218]
“The Bongo, in their way are enthusiastic lovers of music; and although
their instruments are of a very primitive description, and they are
unacquainted even with the pretty little guitar of the Nyam-Nyams, which
is constructed on perfectly correct acoustic principles, yet they may be
seen at any hour of the day, strumming away and chanting to their own
performances. The youngsters down to the small boys are all musicians.
Without much trouble and with the most meagre materials they contrive to
make little flutes; they are accustomed also to construct a monochord,
which in its design reminds one of that which (known as the Gubo of the
Zulus) is common throughout the tribes of Southern Africa. This consists
of a bow of bamboo, with the string tightly strained across it, and this
is struck by a slender slip of bamboo.
The mouth of the player performs the office of sounding board; he holds
the instrument to his mouth with one hand, and manages the string with
the other. Performers may often be seen sitting for hours together with
an instrument of this sort; they stick one end of the bow into the
ground, and fasten the string over a cavity covered with bark, which
opens into an aperture for the escape of the sound. They pass one hand
from one part of the bow to the other, and with the other they play upon
the string with the bamboo twig, and produce a considerable variety of
buzzing and humming airs which are really rather pretty. This is quite a
common pastime with the lads who are put in charge of the goats. I have
seen them apply themselves very earnestly and with obvious interest to
their musical practice, and the ingenious use to which they apply the
simplest means for obtaining harmonious tones testifies to their
penetration into the secrets of the theory of sound.
As appeals however to the sense of sound, the great festivals of the
Bongo abound with measures much more thrilling than any of these minor
performances. On these occasions the orchestral results might perhaps be
fairly characterised as cats’ music run wild.
Unwearied thumping of drums, the bellowings of gigantic trumpets, for
the manufacture of which, great stems of trees come into requisition.
Interchanged by fits and starts with the shriller blasts of some smaller
horns, make up the burden of the unearthly hub-bub which re-echoes miles
away along the desert; meanwhile women and children by the hundred fill
gourd flasks with little stones, and rattle them as if they were
churning butter; or again at other times they will get some sticks or
faggots and strike them together with the greatest energy.
The huge wooden tubes which may be styled the trumpets of the Bongo, are
by the natives themselves, called “manyinyee;” they vary from four to
five feet in length, being closed at the extremity and ornamented with
carved work representing a man’s head, which not unfrequently is adorned
with a pair of horns. The other end of the stem is open, and in an upper
department, towards the figure of the head, is the orifice into which
the performer blows with all his might.
There is another form of manyinyee, which is made like a huge wine
bottle; in order to play upon it, the musician takes it between his
knees like a violincello, and when the build of the instrument is too
cumbrous he has to bend over it as it lies upon the ground.
“Little difference can be noticed between the kettle drums of the Bongo,
and those of most other North African Negroes. A section is cut from the
thick stem of a tree, the preference being given to a tamarind when it
can be procured, this is hollowed out into a cylinder, one end being
larger than the other. The ends are then covered with two pieces of goat
skin, stripped of the hair which are tightly strained, and laced
together with thongs.
At the nightly orgies a fire is invariably kept burning to dry the skin,
and to tighten it, when it has happened to become relaxed by the heavy
dews.”
A short description of the signal horns of the Bongo is also given by
our musical traveller; some of them resemble fifes, and many are made of
antelope horns.
Regarding the singing of the Bongo, Schweinfurth is quite descriptive
and as the deductions he arrives at are very similar to those we have
ascribed to primitive or natural men, we introduce the passage without
alteration.[219]
“Difficult were the task to give any adequate description of the singing
of the Bongo. It must suffice to say that it consists of a babbling
recitative, which at one time suggests the yelling of a dog, and at
another the lowing of a cow, whilst it is broken over, and again by the
gabbling of a string of words which are huddled up one into another. The
commencement of a measure will always be with a lively air, and every
one without distinction of age or sex will begin yelling, screeching,
and bellowing with all their strength; gradually the surging of voices
will tone down, the rapid time will moderate, and the song be hushed
into a wailing melancholy strain.
“Thus it sinks into a very dirge such as might be chanted at the grave,
and be interpreted as representative of a leaden and a frowning sky,
when all at once, without note of warning, there bursts forth the whole
fury of the negro throats; shrill and thrilling is the outcry, and the
contrast is as vivid as sunshine in the midst of rain.”
“Often as I was present at these festivities I never could prevent my
ideas from associating Bongo music with the instinct of imitation which
belongs to men universally. The orgies always gave me the impression of
having no other object than to surpass in violence the fury of the
elements: adequately to represent the rage of a hurricane in the
tropics, any single instrument must of course be weak, poor, and
powerless, consequently they hammer at numbers of their gigantic drums
with powerful blows of their heavy clubs. If they would rival the
bursting of a storm, the roaring of the wind, or the plashing of the
rain, they summon a chorus of their stoutest lungs; whilst to depict the
bellowing of terrified wild beasts, they resort to their longest horns;
and to imitate the songs of birds, they bring together all their flutes
and fifes.
Most characteristic of all, perchance is the deep and rolling bass of
the huge ‘manyinyee’ as descriptive of the rumbling thunder. The
penetrating shower may drive rattling and crackling among the twigs and
amid the parched foliage of the woods; and this is imitated by the
united energies of women and children, as they rattle the stones in
their gourd-flasks, and clash together their bits of wood.”
The dances of these people are similar in wildness to their music. The
performers wear iron rings, with balls attached, around their ankles,
and clash these together with such energy that their feet are often
bathed in blood.
The Mittoo tribe rank very high among the African tribes, in their
musical attainments; their melodies are quite agreeable to the
cultivated ear and the pains which they take in mastering the
intricacies of a musical composition, recall to the mind the
difficulties which beset the path of the civilized musical student.
We have seen a transcription of one of their songs, which would require
but little alteration to transform it into a very fair “slumber song.”
Many of them are quite skillful upon the flute, and have been described
by Nubian travellers as equal to the best Frankish (European) performers
who reside in Cairo.
The Monbuttoo also have a strong passion for music, so much so that the
king sometimes dances before his wives and subjects, to the
accompaniment of the royal band.
In his court concerts he has horn-men, who can modulate their tones from
infinite tenderness to the sound of a lion’s roar; and can perform upon
a horn so cumbrous that it can scarcely be held, passages of runs,
trills and shakes, which would be even difficult upon a flute.
Court fools, jesters and mimics also appertain to the King of the
Monbuttoo—Munza; they have also a sort of national hymn, more noisy than
musical. The words are monotonous and much repeated,—
“Ee, ee, tchupy, tchupy, ee, Munza, ee!” will do as a sample line. The
king stands up and _beats time_, with all the gravity of a musical
conductor. His _baton_ is made of a wicker worked sphere filled with
pebbles, and attached to a short stick, in fact exactly what we should
call a baby’s rattle. When he approves the performance or gets excited,
he joins in the chorus with a stentorian “B-r-r-r-r——” which shakes the
house.
It is singular that music boxes should be popular with Africans who
indulge in such noisy effects, yet such is the fact; there is no present
so desired by Negro potentates as a music box with bells and drums.
Explorers can find no surer road to the heart of an African chief than
by a present of one of these mechanisms. Sir Samuel Baker had great
trouble with King Kabba Rega (of the tribe of the Unyori,) about a music
box.[220] Speke and Schweinfurth both found them among the most
treasured possessions of the savage chieftains. Kabba Rega’s reason for
prizing the box above all other musical instruments, is unique; on
hearing it play, for the first time, he remarked,—“It is more convenient
than an instrument which requires study, as you might set this going at
night, to play you to sleep, when you were too drunk to play it yourself
even if you knew how to do it.”[221] The national hymn of this monarch,
bears considerable resemblance to the first part of the well known
air—“Three Blind Mice.”[222]
We have not space to describe fully the rites and music of that curious
people, the Abyssinians; two examples of their musical ceremonies must
suffice.
A funeral procession (reported by an American eye witness) consisted of
about one hundred and fifty people, old and young, preceded by a few
priests; every few minutes the _cortege_ would halt to shriek and howl.
The priests (clad in cotton robes with broad scarlet bands) were acting
in a frantic manner; tearing off their turbans, pulling their hair, then
folding their hands on their breasts and looking inexpressibly
miserable.
They carried Arabic parchment books, illuminated with quaint figures and
devices, and now and then chanted prayers to some favorite saint,[223]
very dolefully, though with strong lungs and nasal intonation. Numerous
genuflections were made, always accompanied with long drawn howls of
extreme agony. At the lowering of the body into the grave, they chanted
a prayer, of which the following is a translation,—
“Werkena, son of Yasous, who was the son of Tekee, is dead. Rejoice, oh
ye people! He has gone to his rest with Abraham, with Isaac, and with
Jacob. Let us pray for those who still live, and pray for the soul just
gone to doom. From vengeance and stern judgment, pray that his soul be
delivered. How can the souls be delivered from tribulation? By long
prayers. Pray, then, that he be sheltered by Father Abraham, that he may
walk in safety by the side of Moses and the prophets, Amen, and
Amen!”[224]
After the grave was closed, the major part of the mourners followed in
the train of a musician, who was discoursing lively tunes on an oboe,
and one of the priests, who had been mourning so vigorously, offered to
show strangers over his cathedral for the consideration of one dollar.
A fitting contrast to this, is the musical ovation tendered to the
British Army, after the conquest of King Theodore, April, 1868. The
natives came in great numbers to sing praises. They chose for the
subject of their psalm, the twenty-second chapter, of the second book of
Samuel, (David’s song), beginning:—“The Lord is my rock, and my
fortress,” and they sang it with David’s own fervor; and, to make it
quite realistic, in imitation of his dancing before the ark, the
Abyssinian clergy brought out an imitation of an ark, five yards in
length, one yard in breadth, and a foot in height. It was covered with a
scarlet cloth, embroidered with gold, and above it was a representation
of a mercy-seat of crimson silk, surmounted by a canopy of similar
stuff; candlesticks, lavers, priests’ robes, hyssops, communion cups,
pixes, chalices, crosses of brass, silver and gold, mitres, etc.,
figured in the religious paraphernalia employed. The Neophytes kept up a
deafening, jingling clang; or, with instruments of wood and brass, one
stringed banjoes, clanking brass cymbals kept a rhythmic time, which
swelled louder and louder as they drew near the headquarters of the
army.
“The priests (out of respect for their office) took the front position,
and one of them, with a semi-ludicrous air, struck up the first note of
the impromptu stanzas which were to celebrate the British conquest of
Abyssinia.”
“As he warmed to his theme, and his voice rose to enthusiasm, the motley
assembly, at the waving of a crucifix, chimed in with chorus, which,
sung with stentorian lungs, had a tremendous effect. After the chorus,
six priests clad in cotton stoles headed by the sub-hierarch, took the
eulogy up at a very low key, which soon, however, rose so high and
shrill in a protracted continuity of sound, that one momentarily
expected to hear their lungs crack, ending with a stormy chorus as
before. Then, forming themselves into a circle, a hundred of them
commenced a dignified sailing round their neighbors, to the right and
left, their togas getting inflated with the movement, weaving each into
another, until it might have been imagined that they had manufactured
some complicated knot, on the gordian principle; but, soon taking the
reverse method, they reached their former positions in time. The singing
went on louder and louder, and the choragus giving the warning clap, the
whole multitude clapped their hands; the women and children struck up
the silver-toned ‘li, li, li,’ performing a dance similar to the Chinese
hop and skip.”
“They then formed triplets and massed themselves together, when a shrill
note from the boys, sent them into a confused whirl, round and round,
the sub-hierarch and his six assistants going faster and faster, as they
acquired momentum, clapping their hands, singing louder than ever, the
head priest ducking his body lower and lower, and more energetic, until
the dance and the excitement which they all labored under, assumed the
appearance of a jubilee medley, composed of waltzes, Dervish-dances,
sarabands, fandangos, pirouettes and chasses, the three latter performed
by the most youthful of the assembly.”
“It must not be forgotten, that all this time the ark and
mercy-seat—minus the cherubim—(which was totally omitted from this
Abyssinian imitation), stood on the ground near the priests, while a
choice number of infantine neophites, manfully rang the merriest chimes,
and the instruments of Juniper-wood, the one-stringed banjos, and
cymbals, made as much discordant music as was possible under the
circumstances. The Ethiops before concluding the entertainment,
raised[225] once again the Canto Trionfale.”
The effect Mr. Stanley says, had a wonderful charm, and the blending of
the mass of women’s and children’s voices with the larger and deeper
tones of the bass, was like the whistling of a gale in a ship’s shrouds,
blending with the deeper roar of a tempest.
We cannot give a better idea of the hold which music has upon the
average native Negro, than by narrating an incident which befell Sir
Samuel Baker, in the Shooli country.
He held a review of his troops March 8, 1872, and after a sham fight,
firing of rockets, etc., the troops marched up and down a hill, with the
band playing. The natives assembled in considerable numbers and viewed
the manœuvres with much delight; but the brass band music was the
crowning point of their enjoyment. We sub-join his description of its
effect upon these children of nature.
“The music of our band being produced simply by a considerable number of
bugles, drums, and cymbals, aided by a large military bass-drum, might
not have been thought first-rate in Europe, but in Africa it was
irresistible.”
“The natives are passionately fond of music; and I believe the safest
way to travel in these wild countries, would be to play the cornet, if
possible, without ceasing, which would ensure a safe passage. A London
organ-grinder would march through Central Africa, followed by an
admiring and enthusiastic crowd, who, if his tunes were lively, would
form a dancing escort of the most untiring material.”
“As my troops returned to their quarters, with the band playing rather
lively airs, we observed the women racing down from their villages, and
gathering from all directions towards the common centre. As they
approached nearer, the charms of music were overpowering, and halting
for an instant they assumed what they considered the most graceful
attitudes, and then danced up to band.”
“In a short time my buglers could scarcely blow their instruments for
laughing at the extraordinary effect of their performance. A fantastic
crowd surrounded them as they halted in our position among the rocks,
and every minute added to their number.”
“The women throughout the Shooli are entirely naked; thus the effect of
a female crowd, bounding madly about as musical enthusiasts, was very
extraordinary; even the babies were brought out to dance; and these
infants strapped to their mothers’ backs, and covered with pumpkin
shells, like the young tortoises, were jolted about, without the
slightest consideration for the weakness of their necks, by their
infatuated mothers.”
“As usual among all tribes of Central Africa, the old women were even
more determined dancers than the young girls. Several old Venuses were
making themselves extremely ridiculous, as they sometimes do in
civilized countries, when attempting the allurements of younger days.”
“The men did not share in the dance, but squatted upon the rocks in
great numbers to admire the music and to witness the efforts of their
wives and daughters.”[226]
Sir Samuel Baker also once used music for quite a different purpose. He
was quartered near the town of Masindi, where dwelt Kabba Rega, King of
the Unyori, when one evening, he noticed a most unusual stillness in the
town, where ordinarily drunken songs and horn-blowing were the rule.
Suddenly there sounded the deep tones of a _nogara_, or drum. This
ceased in a moment; and then came a burst of terrific noise, which
caused every man in camp to rush to his post. It was a din, caused by
many thousands yelling and shrieking like maniacs. At least a thousand
drums were beating; horns, whistles, and every instrument which could
add to the confusion, was blowing and sounding, yet no human being was
visible.
The dragoman, on being questioned by the commander, laughed, and said it
was “to make him _afraid_, and exhibit the large number of people
collected in the town.”
Gen. Baker on ascertaining this determined to act as though it were a
compliment which he felt bound to return. He ordered the regimental band
to strike up, and play their loudest. This nonchalance had its effect,
for, after a short time, the bugles, drums, and clashing cymbals of his
own band, were the only sounds heard; the tumult in Masindi had
subsided, and soon Gen. Baker ordered his own musicians to cease
playing, and all was again perfectly still.[227]
We close this account of the music of some of the savage tribes of the
earth, with a description of a farewell dance, given to Stanley, by the
Wanyamwezi of Singiri, which is well worthy of a place, as showing the
powers of improvisation of the Africans.
“It was a wild dance, with lively music, four drums giving the sonorous
accompaniment, being beaten with tremendous energy and strength.
Everyone (even Stanley himself) danced with great fervor, and combined
excited gesticulations, with their saltatory efforts. But after the
close of this war-like music, came a total change; all dropped on their
knees, and in sorrowful accents sang a slow and solemn refrain, of which
the following is a literal translation,—
_Solo_:—‘Oh, oh, oh! the white man is going home.
_Chorus_:—Oh, oh, oh! going home! going home! oh, oh, oh!
_Solo_:—To the happy island on the sea,
Where the beads are plenty, oh, oh, oh!
_Chorus_:—Where the beads, etc.
_Solo_:—While Singiri has kept us, oh, very long
From our homes, very long, oh, oh, oh!
_Chorus_:—From our homes, etc.
_Solo_:—And we have had no food for very long,
We are half-starved, oh, for so long Bana Singiri.
_Chorus_:—For so very long, oh, oh, oh! Bana Singiri, Singiri,
Singiri! Oh! Singiri!
_Solo_:—Mirambo has gone to war
To fight against the Arabs;
The Arabs and Wangwana
Have gone to fight Mirambo.
_Chorus_:—Oh, oh, oh, to fight Mirambo,
Oh! Mirambo, Mirambo, etc.
_Solo_:—But the white man will make us glad,
He is going home! For he is going home,
And he will make us glad! Sh, sh, sh.
_Chorus_:—The white man will make us glad! Sh, sh, sh.
Sh——sh-h-h——, sh-h-h-h-h-h
Um-m—mu——um-m-m—sh!’”[228]
Mr. Stanley says that the rhythm and melody were beautiful, and the
general effect fine.
It is curious to contrast this quiet and pathetic farewell with the
bombastic “Where are you going to battle now?” previously given; and it
is also noticeable, that the power of improvisation which is so well
developed in the African Negro, is fully sustained by his descendents in
America.
It will be an interesting task to the student to compare the
slave-music, especially the camp-meeting songs of the American Negroes,
with the various descriptions of songs given above. The same fervor of
expression, and gradually growing excitement, and the same exaggeration
of feeling will be perceived at once.
It is not too much to say, that the Negro race may be, when refined and
toned down, the most universally and thoroughly musical race on the face
of the globe.