Introduction
On a global scale, music today is difficult to imagine without a guitar, which has become a cornerstone of a variety of styles and genres of music. In particular, the electric guitar has been integrated into almost all contemporary musical styles, allowing artists to adjust their technical features to the particularities of musical forms and genres. African music, as a geographically, culturally, and historically diverse part of the continent’s culture, was significantly influenced by the electric guitar. The electric guitar enabled integrating rhythms, dance music, and the sounds of indigenous instruments into a unique genre that ultimately defined the diversity of modern music. This essay is designed to explore the origins of electric guitar music in Africa, the forms that were enriched by African guitarists, and the overall impact of the electric guitar on the evolution of music. It is argued that the introduction of electric guitar to the African music world was a historical turning point that allowed for integrating ethnic African beats and rhythms with the opportunities of electric guitar sound.
The Introduction of the Electric Guitar to African Music
Guitar as a six-string musical instrument is recognized globally as one of the essential instruments, especially for band music. In Africa, this instrument, its acoustic version, appeared on the continent as early as the first European contact (Emielu 214). During this time, African musicians already used string instruments similar to a guitar. However, the contemporary version of the guitar was actively used in Africa at the time of World War I. The application of this instrument has become omnipresent with the introduction of its electric version, which is dated back to the middle of the twentieth century. According to Emielu, “the guitar, by the 1950s (especially in West Africa), had become in most respects, a native instrument” (216). Thus, various regions and countries of the African continent referred to the electric guitar as an instrument with significant tonal, rhythmical, and stylistic opportunities, which were particularly important for expressing the indigenous sounds.
With the introduction of the electric guitar to the African culture, people obtained an opportunity to expand the performance abilities of dance bands. Indeed, as researchers state, the culture of dance bands has had a crucial role for African music as a unique phenomenon (Emielu 216). Dance bands had used original and indigenous instruments, which the use of the electric guitar helped diversify and amplify the sounds. Moreover, the electric guitar helped merge traditions with modernity through structural changes and tonal diversification. The integration of the electric guitar with folk instruments and “frequent use of 12/8 meter are prominent musical features that establish an obvious structural connection between traditional and modern dance-band music” (Emielu 216). Thus, the introduction of the electric guitar into the world of African music marked a qualitatively new developmental stage in the continental culture.
Musical Forms that Influenced African Guitarists
When discussing the manifestations of electric guitar music in Africa, one might refer to a variety of musical forms that have long existed in the African musical culture. Indeed, the continent’s music is particularly characterized by upbeat, rhythmical, dance music created using percussion, drums, and traditional African instruments (Emielu 214-217). Since Africa is a geographically large continent with a diverse history and culture, the musical forms that evolved are numerous. However, several particular genres have been influential for African guitarists since their tone, sound, rhythm, and tempo allowed for unfolding the technical potential of the electric guitar. It is relevant to note that in Africa, a predominant style of playing the electric guitar has been a so-called two-finger guitar playing, which is a non-chord sound extraction when a player can express syncopation (Alper; Dutiro). Thus, the uniqueness of African guitarists’ performance is inherently connected with the musical particularities of the traditional musical forms.
To exemplify several styles and musical forms that were particularly influential for African guitar music, one might refer to popular ones. As stated by Dutiro, many African musical styles are rooted in dance and religious music. For example, soukous is a musical form that originated from rumba and is connected with jazz sounds, where the guitar is an essential instrument (Duitro). As for the religious motives in music, such styles as chimurenga, majika, benga, Somali jazz, and others have been particularly influential (Duitro). These styles allowed for applying the electric guitar sound to amplify the volume and modernize the overall musical appeal of the traditional forms, thus changing the conventional techniques of playing the guitar.
Guitar’s Impact on Musical Changes
While traditional musical forms shaped the ways of playing the instrument by African guitarists, an opposite process might be observed. In particular, the emergence of guitar sound in African culture ultimately changed music as a whole. Indeed, the amplification of the sound using electricity allowed for increasing the volume of music and empowered the musicians to express their creativity via a wider range of technical opportunities. A multitude of musical styles originated from the introduction of the electric guitar to Africa, which is evident in the development of polyrhythmic complex musical forms of qualitatively new genres (Alper). The existence of such new directions in music as blues, jazz, afrobeat, rhythmic groove, and others became popular across the globe (Alper). Thus, the introduction of the electric guitar was a pivotal moment of global music in general and African music in particular since it helped in reinforcing the rhythmic patterns of African musical forms. The diversity of cultures in Africa due to the history of colonization and the ultimate impact of globalization framed a unique background for the emergence of an unprecedented cultural phenomenon that continues influencing the world.
Conclusion
In summary, the African continent as a culturally diverse and rich in traditions geographical unit became a fruitful platform for the merge of tradition and modernity under the influence of guitar. As the analysis of the topic shows, the introduction of the electric guitar to African music has had a twofold impact. On the one hand, it allowed for developing indigenous music due to the integration of technical and sound particularities of the electric guitar. It allowed for combining both traditional and modern musical features into one unique musical direction characterizing the cultural character of African music. On the other hand, the use of electric guitar by African musicians helped in advancing such globally present musical genres as jazz, blues, as well as the development of afrobeat and other folk-pop directions. Overall, the scope of the electric guitar’s influence on African music, as well as the development of music as a cultural phenomenon on a global scale, demonstrates the strengths of this universal instrument.
Works Cited
Alper, Max. “The Best Guitar Music in the World Is Coming from Agadez.” Soundfly, 2017, Web.
Emielu, Austin. “Tradition, Innovations, and Modernity in the Music of the Edo of Nigeria: Toward a Theory of Progressive Traditionalism.” Ethnomusicology, vol. 62, no. 2, 2018, pp. 206-229.
Dutiro, Chartwell. “14 African Musical Styles for You to Explore.” Real World Records, Web.