Africa: South of the Sahara

This 1957 compilation attempts to provide a musical overview of the entire Sub–Saharan region, and also represents the scholarly contribution of American ethnomusicologist Alan P. Merriam (1923 — 1980) to the Folkways catalog. Merriam, who is best remembered for the book The Anthropology of Music, produced the album and provided an essay and track notes. This title went a long way towards dispelling prejudices and misconceptions listeners of the time may have had about African music. Merriam wrote, “The African music system works by its own rules and satisfies those who play it and sing it; it is neither necessarily older nor younger nor better nor worse.”

Track Listing

101	Zulu Song	Male soloist and mixed chorus with handclapping	02:10
102	Swazi Song	Male soloist and mixed chorus with drums, whistling, handclapping	02:14
103	Chopi Timbila Orchestra	Chopi timbila (xylophone) ensemble, Witswatersrand Gold Mine	01:03
104	Amakwavi Song	Male singer with mixed chorus	00:43
105	Bushman Song (1)*	San male singers, Kalahari	01:22
106	Bushman Song (2)*	San male singers, Kalahari	02:15
107	Bechuana Song (1)	Motswana man and chorus	01:02
108	Bechuana Song (2)	Motswana man and chorus	01:07
109	Bechuana Song (3)	Motswana man and second male voice	00:34
110	Luchosi Song	Luchazi man with chorus and drums	01:07
111	Gangele Song	Nganguela man with chorus and drums	01:25
112	Tutsi Song	Girls and women of the house of the King's mother in Shyogwe	03:29
113	Tutsi Drums	Royal Drums of the Tutsi	02:29
114	Twa Chorus	Twa male singer and chorus	03:22
115	Hororo Flute	Hororo man playing flute	01:29
116	Shi Kasayi	Masirika Pimapima	02:57
117	Kivu Bambuti Song	Mbuti men and women, Kivu region	02:45
118	Bambuti (Pygmy) Songs (1)*	Chorus of Mbuti men	01:08
119	Bambuti (Pygmy) Songs	Chorus of Mbuti men	01:24
120	Bambuti (Pygmy) Songs (2)*	Chorus of Mbuti men	01:05
121	Pende Xylophone	Bapende xylophone players, chorus	02:45
122	Pindi Sansa	Bapende sansa player, chorus	01:08
123	Sudanese Harp	Migrant workers from Sudan in Gura Valley, Eritrea	02:28
124	Sudanese Song	Migrant workers from Sudan in Gura Valley, Eritrea	02:49
125	Mahafaly Song	Mahafaly man with percussion, stringed instrument, Madagascar	02:28
126	Ibani Sansa and Chorus	Ibani men and women with sansa, stick percussion	02:42
127	Yoruba Song	Male chorus with percussion, stringed instrument	03:00
128	Bulu Chorus	Bulu male singer with mixed chorus	01:56
129	Ewe Song	Ewe male singer with chorus, drums, percussion	02:37
130	Bambara Minstrels	Two Bambara flute players with iron bell, drum	02:18
131	Acoli Voice and Lute	Acoli man with nyatiti, Uganda	03:02
132	Mboko Zither Harp	Mboko zither-harp players	01:33
133	Bakwiri Song	Bakweri man with musical bow	01:05
134	Makwa Female Chorus	Makua women	01:43
135	Boungomo Chorus	Boungome woman with female chorus and drum	03:30
136	Babinga (Pygmy) Voices*	Babinga voices with percussion	01:48
137	Wolof Drums	Wolof drummers playing sabar, tama, and hin drums	01:32
138	Wolof Halam	Wolof man playing xalam	03:15

Catalog

Track Listing

Release Info

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