African Music and Dance

What’s inside

• What is the primary role of a griot in many West African traditions?
• What musical feature is most characteristic of many traditional African ensemble performances?
• The mbira is a lamellophone in which metal keys are plucked with the thumbs or fingers.
• Which instrument is most closely associated with the Mandé musical tradition of West Africa?
• In call-and-response singing, a leader or small group typically performs a phrase that is answered by another singer…
• Which description best explains the role of dance in many African ceremonial performances?
• The djembe is traditionally most strongly associated with which region?
• African music is a single unified tradition with the same instruments, rhythms, and dance practices throughout the…