Music of West Africa
By: Audrey
In West Africa music plays a very important role in the way of life. It serves many purposes. The three main musical instruments of West Africa are the Balafon, Kora, and the Ngoni. The Balafon resembles the Xylophone and is made of wooden bars laid across a frame. The Kora is a Harp like instrument with twenty-one strings made of fishing wire. The Ngoni is made of a small piece of wood in the shape of a canoe. The strings on the Ngoni are made of fishing line as well. A common style of music in West Africa is called Call and Response you can find it used in many American types of music. How Call and Response works is one person sings the verse called the call and another group or person sings the verse called the response. Drumming is also very important in West Africa. Drummers perform at rituals and ceremonies. Usually the Drums are decorated with rattles and bells. Dancing also has a large impact on the way of life in West Africa. Dancers in West Africa dance at ceremonies and rituals. Usually the steps the dancers perform, have something to do with what the subject of the dance.