Quarter 2 – Module 1:

Afro-Latin American
and Popular Music
LEARNING COMPETENCY
1. describe the historical and cultural background of Afro-Latin American and
Popular Music (MU10AP-IIa-g-2);
2. analyze musical characteristics of Afro-Latin American and Popular Music through
listening activities (MU10AP-IIa-h-5);
3. explore ways of creating sounds on a variety of sources suitable to chosen vocal
and instrumental selections (MU10AP-IIa-7);
4. perform selections of Afro-Latin American and Popular Music in appropriate pitch,
rhythm, style and expression (MU10AP-IIa-h-6); and
5. evaluate music and music performances using guided rubrics (MU10AP-IIa-h-10).
LESSON OBJECTIVE
1. describe the historical and cultural background of Afro-
Latin American Music;
2. analyze musical characteristics of Afro-Latin American
Music through listening
activities;
3. explore ways of creating sounds on a variety of sources
suitable to chosen vocal
and instrumental selections;
4. perform selections of Afro-Latin American Music in
appropriate pitch, rhythm,
style and expression; and
5. evaluate music and music performances using guided
rubrics.
The module is divided into 2
lessons, namely:
• Lesson 1 – Music of Africa
• Lesson 2 – Music of Latin
America
“Music is the greatest unifier, an
incredible force. Something that
people who
differ on everything and anything
else can have in common.” –
Sarah Dessen, Just
Listen. United States: Viking, 2006.
LETS IDENTIFY THE THEME
SONG of the FOLLOWING
MOVIE
DEFINE CONTINENTS OF AFRICA?
The first known species of
man was excavated from
this region. Its music is
also one
of the earliest in time.
Music has been a vital part of
the lives of Africans. It was
primarily performed during
rituals in the monumental parts
of their lives like birth,
marriage, death, and war. Music
was usually performed with
dancing as a part of
gatherings whether it is social or
political.
African music is one of the most
influential styles of music in the world.
It has
greatly influenced the music of
Contemporary America, Latin America
and European
music. Its highly energetic and
rhythmically challenging beats are quite
universal.
Jazz, Gospel and Spiritual, and Rhythm
and Blues (RnB) are genres of music
that
have deep roots to African music
The music of Africa is the product of the
diverse history, topography, and
unique musical heritage of more than 50
countries. It is the result of the fusion of
traditional and European influences which
was a result of the colonization of Europe
to most of the continent until the 19th
Century.
VOCAL FORMS
OF AFRICAN
MUSIC
Maracatu – It is the combination of
strong rhythms of African percussion
instruments and Portuguese melodies.
This form of music is being paraded
along
the streets by up to 100 participants.
Blues – It is one of the most widely
performed musical forms of the late 19th
century. The melodies of blues are
expressive and soulful. The slaves and
their
descendants used to sing these as they
work in the fields
Soul – It is a popular music genre of the 1950s
and 1960s which originated in
the African-American community throughout
the United States. It combines
elements of African-American gospel music,
rhythm and blues, and often jazz.
Spiritual – It originated in the Unites
States and created by African-American
slaves. It is also known as “Negro
Spiritual”. It became a means of
imparting Christian values and a way of
venting their hardships as slaves.
Call and Response – It is likened
to a question and answer sequence
in human
communication. The slaves used
to sing these songs while
simultaneously doing
all their tasks in a day
MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS
OF AFRICA
Agogo - It is a single bell or
multiple bells and is
considered as the
oldest samba instrument based
on West African Yoruba single
or double
bells. It has the highest pitch
of any of the bateria
instruments.
Shekere – It is a type of
gourd and shell
megaphone from West
Africa,
consisting of a dried
gourd with beads woven
into a net covering the
gourd.
Slit/Log drum – It is a hollow
percussion instrument. Although
known as a drum, it is not a true
drum but is an idiophone. It is
usually
carved or constructed from
bamboo or wood into a box with
one or more
slits in the top.
Atingting Kon (Slit Gong) – It is a
hollowed cylinder of wood with a
narrow longitudinal opening or slit
whose edges are struck to produce
a deep, sonorous tone. They are
considered to be portraits of ancestors
so that when played, it is the voices of
awakened ancestors which
resonate from their interior chamber.
Balafon – It is a kind of wooden
xylophone or percussion idiophone
which plays melodic tunes. It has
been played in the region since the
1300s. In the 16th century, it
became a real art at the royal court
of
Sikasso/ Mali and was flourishing
under the reign of a generous king
Membranophones –
Sound is produced by the
vibration of a tightly
stretched
membrane.
Body percussion - It refers to African music
using their bodies as
instruments. Their body can be used to
produce sound by clapping their
hands, slapping their thighs, pounding their
upper arms or chests, or
shuffling their feet. Wearing of rattles or bells
on their wrists, ankles,
arms, and waists enhances their emotional
response.
Talking drum – It is used to send
messages to announce births,
deaths, marriages, sporting events,
dances, initiations or war. It is
believed that the drums can carry direct
messages to the spirits after
the death of a loved one.
Djembe - The West African djembe
(pronounced zhem-bay) is one of
the best-known African drums. It is
shaped like a large goblet and
played with bare hands. The body is
carved from a hollowed trunk and
is covered with goat skin.
Lamellaphone – Sound is
produced by the vibration of
tongues of metal, wood
or other material.
Mbira (Kalimba/ Thumb Piano) – It is a
set of plucked tines or keys
mounted on a sound board. It is being
played by holding the instrument
in the hands and plucking the tines with
the thumbs. They used this
instrument to drive away evil spirits
since it is believed that it was a
vector of communication with ancestors
and spirits.
Array Mbira – It is a hand-crafted
instrument with a unique harp or
bell-like sound. It is a popular traditional
instrument of the Shona
people in Zimbabwe. It is a radical
redesign of the African Mbira and it
consists of up to 150 metal tines attached
to a wooden board,
comprising up to five octaves.
Chordophones – Sound is
produced by the vibration of a
string or strings that
are stretched between fixed
points.
1. Musical Bow - The Musical bow is the
ancestor of all string
instruments. It is the oldest and one of the most
widely used string
instruments of Africa. It consists of a single
string attached to each end
of a curved stick, similar to a bow and arrow.
2. Zeze - The Zeze is an African fiddle played
with a bow, a small
wooden stick, or plucked with the fingers. It has
one or two strings
made of steel or bicycle brake wire. It is from
Sub-Saharan Africa.
Aerophones – Sound is produced through the
vibration of air.
1. Fulani – It is a type of flute which is widely
used throughout Africa
and either vertical or side-blown. They are
usually fashioned from a
single tube closed at one end and blown like a
bottle.
2. Kudu Horn – It is made from the horn of the
kudu antelope. Its
sound releases a mellow and warm sound that
adds a unique African
accent to their music.
1. African music can be characterized
by_________________
2. By listening to the different types of music of
Africa, I realized that______________
3. Music became a valuable part in the lives of
the African most especially the slaves
because_______
4. The most distinctive feature of all African
musical instruments is ______