|
HEART
OF AFRICA VOL. 2
introduction
Music plays an important role in all cultures
across our planet. Yet its heart and soul truly must reside in the
great continent of Africa. The music festival which I attended,
and obtained permission to sample, was a major national event.
Most of the 8000 participants (primarily children) had traveled
many miles by bus over what most would consider impossible road
conditions to perform their music. They stood around in small groups
each day before their moment on stage, chanting and dancing in preparation.
From huge feather head pieces and masks to shields and brilliant
robes, the outfitting represented serious commitment. Some of the
most respected musicians in Kenya were present to judge the authenticity
and quality of every aspect of the performance.
While each group was very serious about their performance, I noticed
a combination of freedom, joy and maturity in their music which
was unlike anything I had experienced in the West. Cross-rhythms,
polyrhythms and odd meters were employed effortlessly by even the
youngest performers. In one case a primary school percussion ensemble
accompanied a dance troupe of the same age group. They danced and
sang with an enthusiasm and mastery comparable to performers many
years their senior. After struggling a bit, I finally discovered
the meter for the piece to be in 3+3+3+4. Not the typical elementary
school presentation...
With each new group, I was left feeling that this music was definitely
not intended for the faint of heart. The dancing combined with the
singing often left the performers breathless and exhausted. One
of the pieces required the creation of a three-story human pyramid
several times throughout the piece. Performers repeatedly launched
themselves from each others' shoulders in crash landings only to
jump up and instantly continue dancing and singing. Nor was the
subject matter to be regarded lightly. Predominant were songs of
thanks for successful rains, odes of praise to conquering warriors
and laments about the woes of female circumcision.
Today, more than ever before, cultures are cross-pollinating musical
styles. It is sometimes difficult to know what originated where.
Many remote communities have unique dance or musical forms which
have evolved over hundreds of years. Yet, it is no longer uncommon
for young entrepeneurs in once-secluded villages to obtain access
to a TV which can be plugged into a car lighter. And so new styles
evolve, a rhythm is altered and alters once again. In times of peace,
bordering communities exchange ideas and traditions mutate. In times
of war, conquerors move in to impose change and find themselves
being changed by their subjects. Change comes, and with it the beating
of new and different drummers. But no matter what changes on the
outside, to find true Music, one must always look within. And when
you do, you may find yourself looking to Africa, because that's
where its heart is.
Dan Portis-Cathers
Using "Live Performance" Phrases
Clearly, traditional compositional methods are not very useful in
the process of integrating "live performance" phrases
into one's music. In addition, pitch, timing and orchestration considerations
are even more critical than they are when using phrases done to
a click in a studio environment. In some cases "live performance"
phrases will drift flat or sharp, slow down or speed up during the
coarse of the performance. Trying to lock sequenced tracks to such
material can be very tricky. In editing these phrases for your use
I have attempted, wherever possible, to make them loopable. So even
if a phrase drifts slightly in pitch or tempo, most of them should
come around to the beginning smoothly. This will not solve all problems
within the phrase, but does give the loop more integrity.
Here are some techniques for using these wonderful phrases:
1) If you can, try to apply the loops to your sequenced tracks before
the tracks are committed to tape or hard disk. This will give you
more flexibility in adjusting for pitch and tempo.
2) Turn on your sequenced tracks, then turn on your audio CD and
let it run.
3) Skip through the CD tracks until you find a phrase that roughly
matches your sequence in either pitch, tempo or meter.
4) Set your CD player "repeat A-B" function to repeat
several seconds of the phrase.
5) Go back to your sequence and modify it to more closely match
the CD pitch and tempo.
6) Restart your sequence on the fly while trying to match the CD
audio tempo to determine if you are interested in using that section
with your sequence. While you're at it, play the CD at wildly differing
locations within your sequence.
7) If you like it, sample the section you want and fine-tune it
to work with your sequence (or fine-tune the sequence to work with
the audio).
8) Excellent tools like Recycle(tm), Logic Audio(tm), Time Bandit(tm)
and Digital Performer(tm) are now available for manipulating phrase
samples to fit your music.
Additional Ideas & Techniques
Building a piece starting with a loop is also possible, especially
given the length and fullness of some of the Heart of Africa II
phrases. This is how the demo song was created. Take special note
of any shaker, ankle bell or drum sounds that stand out in the loop.
Find samples from Heart of Africa vol.1, or your own library which
match those sounds and use them to crossfade from the looped section
to other parts in your music. This will encourage smooth transitions.
Try combining your "Africa 2" phrase with loops and samples
from other Spectrasonics titles. I've tried this many times and
obtained outstanding results.
Luck often plays a big part in getting you off and running with
an interesting musical direction, but the better you get to know
the library the more likely you are to achieve satisfying results.
Always take notes when something seems to work so that you can come
back to it. I've often found phrases that work wonderfully over
a track after I have all but completed the piece. This library is
sometimes just what is needed to make the magic happen.
Using "live performance" loops is a new & challenging
way to compose, but can often inspire fresh and beautiful ideas.
If you're not sure where to begin, just dive in and turn something
on!
 |
|
 |
|
