POLYRHYTHMIC HEART BEAT

World Music Dr Rober Davidson

Written by Sarah Sembach

POLYRHYTHMIC HEART BEAT

The African rhythem is synonymous with movement. It contains complex rhythmic cycles and transcendentally stimulating beats. Sam Okoth made a comment in his Lecture '... if you know it in your heart, if you feel it in your heart, that this is possible, that this works, I don't think it's wrong' (KMB004, African Music Lecture: QUT. 2008). Okoth's comment was a reply to a question regarding Africans using Western influences. This particular comment has influenced me personally in every day life and inspired the creation of this performence for the second assessment piece.

This exegesis critically explains the purpose of creating an original work that interprets African music concepts with performance using popular African inspired Western music and African influenced movement. Contained within the music and African influenced movement. Contained within the exegesis is an explanation of the transcendental nature of African music and the polyrhythmic theories of the music that have influenced the performance. The exegesis also endeavours to explain the collaboration that took place whilst creating the piece and the World Music Unit's influence upon the performance 'Polyrhythmic Heart Beat'.

It has become apparent within my studies of the World Music unit that Western Society has a great concern to categorise and analyse African music, proven within Simha Arom's African Polyphony and polyrhythm/ Polyphonies et polyrhythmies instrumentals d' Afrique Centrale (Arom,1984:5-36), as a method to transcribe and isolate individual performance. Arom's concepts with remarks upon the exposition by Herve Rivierein, On Rhythmical Marking in Music. These 'plurality of rhthms' has highted a clear difference in musical theries. As sighted in Mickey's article Rhythm and Trance in Afro-Atlantic traditions

'polyrhythms exists only upon analysis...

African cultures do not understan time  

interms of abstract succession that

interprets the first beat and the last beat

mutually exclusive points in time.

Africans understand time as more like a

repeating hierophany - a repetition of the

 liminal experience of the sacred'

(Mickey,2006:113:114).

Deborah Bertonoff highlights the fact different parts of the body react differently to different rhythms and that spontaneous tribal dance is performed, as apposed to Western stylized dance which is performed theoretically conscious and physically unconscious. Bertonoff continues to Bring to the readers attention that dance is considered to be polyrhythmic due to the different physical simultaneous reactions, these polyrhythmic actions are not always visible. Therefore dance contains many invisible movements which can be categorized as polymetric (Bertonoff, 1967 : 53).

It becomes relevant that music within Africa is used as a sacred and transcendental expression. Within the musical ceremonies practiced by Yoruba Orish religion it is believed that drums are literally alive with power, whilst the Orisha (deity) Ana, Orish of sound is specifically associated with the drums (Cornelius, 1995: 42). Within the film Dances of Ecstasy (Ma, Mahrer. 2004).

Examples of sacred ceremonies are exhibited, allowing the viewer the observation of the transcendental qualities that the African people encompass into there every day lives, the African culture using their body and music as a tool to experience their higher self.

Sam Okoth extended his extensive knowledge about African music in his lecture given to the World music students. He made it very clear that some rhythms or genres are not to be performed just anywhere. Due to the sacred nature of African music specific rhythms are to be performed in specific situations. Okoth included many comments which expressed his understanding of the importance performing whilst allowing the rhythm to create unconsciously and more emotionally. Sam states 'people of Australia are playing too much from the mind, not the whole body' (KMB004, African Music lecture: QUT.2008). 

The polyrhythmic nature of African music and the polyrhythmic nature of dance has inspired me to experiment with the polyrhythmic theory of Deborah Bertonoff as a suitable genre to create a performance. Influence by identifiable polyrhythmic African music qualities. As a result of Sam Okoth's expression of the sacred nature of traditional music I have decided to collaborate my ideas and research with local Hip Hop artist, DJ Sean B. Sean B decided to use some classic records created in the United States that incorporate African percussive influences. Whilst the movement within 'Polyrhythmic Heart Beat' is inspired by the theory that spontaneous movement influenced by the music creates an unconscious sacred performance free from theoretical limitations experienced within Western music.

In conclusion when individual Western performers realize the power of the limitless rhythm within the heart and allow the expansion of an unconscious state of mind a sacred transcendental experience is evident as experienced by the African people. The development of such a state allows a higher appreciation of music whilst the 'Polyrhythmic Heart Beat' is created. The essence of music within an African context, can signify what humanity seeks from music worldwide, a way in which to observe you're higher self.

References 

Arom, S.1973. Une methode pour la transcription de polyphonies et polyrthmies de tradtion orale. revue de musicology, 59e (2e) : 165-179.

Bertonoff, D. 1967. Acomparative study of the movement Accentuated of the Body in different nations. Journal of the International Folk Music Council, 19: 53- 54.

Blench, R. M. 1992. Review. British Journal of Ethnomusicology, 1: 145- 146.

Cornelius, S. 1995. Personalizing Public Symbols through Music Ritual: Santeria's Preentation to Ana. Latin American Music Review, 16 (1) : 42 - -57.

Donnelly, W. 2005. Santeria: 'The way of the saints' - the origins, transformations, and survival of a traditional, syncretic religion in modern societies. California: California: California State University.

Okoth,s.2008. KMB004 World Music unit. Lecture Africam Music,1.

Riviere, H.1993. On Rhythmical Marking in Music. Ethnomusicology, 37 (2) : 243 - 250.