Culture of West Africa

The Cultural Legacy of West Africa

by Tiffany Harris

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***HEADS UP*** - your teacher can see how much of the Quizizz you have actually done. You have to complete the entire assignment to earn full credit.

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West African culture is quite diverse. Many groups of people, each with their own language and ways of life, have lived in West Africa. From poems and stories to music and visual arts, their cultural achievements have left a lasting mark on the world.  Today, we will be learning about three areas of West African culture: written and oral traditions, music, and visual arts.

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Instructions: Read the passage on each slide and respond to the questions.

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​Oral and Written Traditions

​For centuries, the beliefs, values, and knowledge of West Africans were passed down orally from one generation to the next. 

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A GRIOT is a verbal artist of the Mande people. These poet-musicians tell stories, sing songs of praise, and recite poems, often while playing a drum or stringed instrument. They perform music, dance, and drama. They also educate their audiences with historical accounts and genealogies. Genealogies are histories of people's ancestry, or family. In many ways, they are the record keepers of their people. 

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1. listen to the top video first.​​

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2.Video 2: While playing the Kora, Sibo sang a traditional West African song, Nan Fulie, about the importance of the Griot people - the West African musicians, storytellers, custodians and teachers of tradition through music and dance.

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Open Ended

Griots record the genealogy of their people. Genealogy is an account of the line of ancestry within a family. They study and pass down the histories of their family that came before them.

In 2-3 complete sentences, explain why you think it might be important to record genealogy. Why is it important for us to know the history of the people that came before us?

​Folktales

​West Africa's oral tradition includes hundreds of folktales. A folktale is a story that is usually passed down orally and becomes part of a community's tradition. West Africans used folktales to pass along their history and to teach young people morals and values. 

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​Watch the West African folktale.

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On the next slide, you'll share the lesson or moral of the folktale.

Multiple Choice

What do you think is the moral (lesson) of The Clever Monkey folktale?

• to overcome greed and share

• to tell the truth no matter what

• to help someone who is in need

Open Ended

Folktales are important to West African tradition, but they are also an important part of our culture here in North Carolina. 

Think of a folktale that you have heard of, or better yet, one that has been passed down in your family. Type the title below and briefly describe it. What saying or tradition is passed down through your family?

Example (but don't use this one): The Boy Who Cried Wolf is about a boy who kept yelling for help as a joke, but when he really needed help, no one believed him.

Poll

West African oral tradition includes proverbs, or popular sayings. They use images from everyday life to express ideas or to give advice. They tell us a great deal about the wisdom and values of West Africans.

Read each of the proverbs below, then select your favorite one. There are no right/wrong answers here.

• You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

• Rats don't dance in the cat's doorway.

• A good story is like a garden carried in the pocket.

• Every time an old man dies, it is as if a library has burnt down.

​West African Music

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Music has always been an important part of life in West Africa. It serves many functions in society. It communicates ideas, values, and feelings. It celebrates historic events and important occasions in people's lives. For instance, there are certain songs for weddings, celebrations, or ceremonies honoring ancestors.

Listen to the clip of traditional West African music.

​Call & Response

a song style in which a singer or musician leads with a call and a group responds.

Enslaved Africans brought call-and-response songs to the Americas. Slaves used the songs to ease the burden of hard work, celebrate social occasions, or express outrage at their situation.

​Drumming

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Drummers perform during parties, religious meetings, and ceremonies.

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Their drums are made out of hollowed out logs or pieces of wood.

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West African slaves brought their drumming traditions to the Americas. 

​Musical Instruments

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Traditional musical instruments in West Africa include three that have been used for centuries:

- balafon

- ngoni

- kora

​Dance

​Dances are performed for all kinds of occasions.

They dance during rituals and ceremonies that mark important events in people's lives. They also dance to seek the help of spirits and to connect with dead ancestors.

Open Ended

Number below and answer:

1. Think of your favorite song. Type the title and artist of it. 

2. How do you feel when you listen to this song? Why is it your favorite? For example... does it brighten your day? Does it pump you up before a big game? Does it relax you?

​Visual Arts

​The traditional art of West Africa served a number of functions. Some art objects, like fabrics and baskets, had practical use for everyday chores. Others, like masks and sculptures, were used in rituals and ceremonies, or to honor ancestors, spirits, or royalty.

​West Africans made terra-cotta sculptures of humans. Terra-cotta is a baked clay often used to make pottery and sculptures.

The sculptures tended to have long, narrow heads, unusual hair styles, or dramatic expressions.

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​Wooden masks were worn during ceremonies, in performances, and in sacred rites. Like sculptures, they were used to bring the spirits of gods and ancestors into the present.

​Textiles are cloth fabrics. West Africans created story fabrics that depicted events. A story fabric may depict kings performing great feats like hunting lions.

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​Skilled artists turned practical objects into things of beauty. Some examples are ceramic storage containers, utensils, furniture, and baskets.

Open Ended

Number below and answer the following:

1. If you could learn one artistic or musical skill from the West Africans, what would it be?

2. Explain why