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75-432: Afro rock borrows heavily from traditional African music styles and genres such as Afrobeat, Highlife, Juju and Soukous. It is also influenced by psychedelic rock, funk and blues. Western rock bands and artists such as The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Santana, La Fayette and Jimi Hendrix have contributed to the development of Afro rock through their innovative approaches to rock music. Fela Kuti also heavily influence Afro rock. Kuti

150-413: A "normal" plucking point, producing a canonical harpsichord sound; the other has a plucking point close to the bridge, producing a reedier "nasal" sound rich in upper harmonics. A single string at a certain tension and length only produces one note. To produce multiple notes, string instruments use one of two methods. One is to add enough strings to cover the required range of different notes (e.g., as with

225-540: A cave painting in the Trois Frères cave in France depicts what some believe is a musical bow , a hunting bow used as a single-stringed musical instrument. From the musical bow, families of stringed instruments developed; since each string played a single note, adding strings added new notes, creating bow harps , harps and lyres . In turn, this led to being able to play dyads and chords . Another innovation occurred when

300-431: A challenge to instrument builders, as compared with instruments that are only plucked (e.g., guitar), because on bowed instruments, the musician must be able to play one string at a time if they wish. As such, a bowed instrument must have a curved bridge that makes the "outer" strings lower in height than the "inner" strings. With such a curved bridge, the player can select one string at a time to play. On guitars and lutes ,

375-411: A clock or bell. Electric string instruments, such as the electric guitar , can also be played without touching the strings by using audio feedback . When an electric guitar is plugged into a loud, powerful guitar amplifier with a loudspeaker and a high level of distortion is intentionally used, the guitar produces sustained high-pitched sounds. By changing the proximity of the guitar to the speaker,

450-507: A half a pear shape using three strings. Early versions of the violin and fiddle, by comparison, emerged in Europe through instruments such as the gittern , a four-stringed precursor to the guitar, and basic lutes . These instruments typically used catgut (animal intestine) and other materials, including silk, for their strings. String instrument design was refined during the Renaissance and into

525-498: A heavier metal winding produces a lower pitch than a string of equal length without a metal winding. This can be seen on a 2016-era set of gut strings for double bass. The higher-pitched G string is often made of synthetic material, or sometimes animal intestine, with no metal wrapping. To enable the low E string to produce a much lower pitch with a string of the same length, it is wrapped with many wrappings of thin metal wire. This adds to its mass without making it too stiff. The frequency

600-484: A key part of orchestras – cellos, violas, and upright basses, for example, were now standard instruments for chamber ensembles and smaller orchestras. At the same time, the 19th-century guitar became more typically associated with six-string models, rather than traditional five-string versions. Major changes to string instruments in the 20th century primarily involved innovations in electronic instrument amplification and electronic music – electric violins were available by

675-506: A key that plucks the string. Other musical instruments generate sound by striking the string. With bowed instruments, the player pulls a rosined horsehair bow across the strings, causing them to vibrate. With a hurdy-gurdy , the musician cranks a wheel whose rosined edge touches the strings. Bowed instruments include the string section instruments of the orchestra in Western classical music ( violin , viola , cello and double bass ) and

750-527: A lute-like instrument came from Mesopotamia prior to 3000 BC. A cylinder seal from c.  3100 BC or earlier (now in the possession of the British Museum) shows what is thought to be a woman playing a stick lute. From the surviving images, theorists have categorized the Mesopotamian lutes, showing that they developed into a long variety and a short. The line of long lutes may have developed into

825-484: A number of other instruments (e.g., viols and gambas used in early music from the Baroque music era and fiddles used in many types of folk music ). All of the bowed string instruments can also be plucked with the fingers, a technique called " pizzicato ". A wide variety of techniques are used to sound notes on the electric guitar , including plucking with the fingernails or a plectrum, strumming and even " tapping " on

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900-401: A performance. The frequency is inversely proportional to the length: A string twice as long produces a tone of half the frequency (one octave lower). Pitch can be adjusted by varying the tension of the string. A string with less tension (looser) results in a lower pitch, while a string with greater tension (tighter) results in a higher pitch. Pushing a pedal on a pedal steel guitar raises

975-401: A performer strums, plucks, strikes or sounds the strings in varying manners. Musicians play some string instruments, like guitars , by plucking the strings with their fingers or a plectrum (pick) , and others by hitting the strings with a light wooden hammer or by rubbing the strings with a bow , like violins . In some keyboard instruments, such as the harpsichord , the musician presses

1050-473: A political message. Some of their albums include “Danger” , “Horizon Unlimited”, “Sunshine” and “Mother Africa”. The Strangers were formed in 1970 after the end of the civil war by guitarist and organist Bob Miga.They released three singles, funk rock tunes driven by fuzz guitar and organ riffs. They released a full album before they split up. Osayomore Joseph pioneered Afro rock and was a political activist. He got inspiration from psychedelic rock and Highlife. Blo

1125-640: A single, “Fuel for love” which became the highest selling Nigerian single at that time. The band toured West Africa and eventually broke up in 1977. Another notable track of theirs was “Ballad of a Sad Young Woman” Soki Ohale Uzzi blended elements of highlife and jazz to his music. They released their debut album, “Chicken Fled” in 1977 Ofege was a group that broke out at a young age and released their first album in high school. Their guitar solos were inspired by Hendrix and Santana over afrobeats rhythms and disco elements. Some of their albums include “Try and Love” , “Higher plane breeze” , “How do you feel” and “The last of

1200-507: A unique and captivating musical experience that resonates with diverse audiences worldwide. Her innovative Afro-rock approach, fusing Igbo language and local pidgin folk elements with punk rock, has established her as a pioneering figure in the global music scene. Toronto Star defines her as "Magnetic" for "her ability to fuse rock music with Afropop, the predominant contemporary sound in Lagos, Nigeria". Another contemporary west African rock band

1275-403: A violin scale is only about 13 inches (33 cm). On the shorter scale of the violin, the left hand may easily reach a range of slightly more than two octaves without shifting position , while on the bass' longer scale, a single octave or a ninth is reachable in lower positions. In bowed instruments, the bow is normally placed perpendicularly to the string, at a point halfway between the end of

1350-695: Is Dark Suburb from Ghana, built on a concept of the Alkebulanian masquerade culture and the skeleton. A distinguished and arguably the most decorated African rock band is Tinariwen , a collective of Tuareg musicians from the Sahara region of northern Mali . Considered pioneers of desert blues , the group's guitar-driven style combines traditional Tuareg and African music with Western rock music . They have released nine albums since their formation and have toured internationally.The group has been nominated for Grammy Awards three times, and their 2012 album Tassili won

1425-482: Is a method of playing on instruments such as the veena , banjo , ukulele , guitar, harp, lute , mandolin , oud , and sitar , using either a finger, thumb, or quills (now plastic plectra) to pluck the strings. Instruments normally played by bowing (see below) may also be plucked, a technique referred to by the Italian term pizzicato . Bowing (Italian: arco ) is a method used in some string instruments, including

1500-520: Is considered a classic of the genre, featuring socially conscious themes and catchy grooves that resonate with audiences to this day. Ngozi Family, led by Paul Ngozi, brought a raw energy and rebellious spirit to Zamrock with their high-energy performances and infectious melodies. Some of their songs include "Hi Babe" and "Day of Judgement” Afro rock emerged in the 60s and 70s in Ghana and was influenced by Highlife and several artists helped to develop it. Osibisa

1575-655: Is guitar-driven since the electric guitar plays a very crucial role, often serving as the lead instrument. Guitarists frequently employ techniques such as riffing, improvisation and layering to add on to the texture. Rhythmically, Afro rock is complex and features polyrhythms, irregular meter and syncopated beats derived from traditional African music and newer African genres such as highlife, soukous and juju. Afro rock lyrics mostly addressed social and political issues relevant to most African countries such as poverty, colonialism, politics and poor leadership and inequality and also celebrated African heritage and resilience hence reflecting

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1650-402: Is impractical. Instruments with a fingerboard are then played by adjusting the length of the vibrating portion of the strings. The following observations all apply to a string that is infinitely flexible (a theoretical assumption, because in practical applications, strings are not infinitely flexible) strung between two fixed supports. Real strings have finite curvature at the bridge and nut, and

1725-457: Is inversely proportional to the square root of the linear density: Given two strings of equal length and tension, the string with higher mass per unit length produces the lower pitch. The length of the string from nut to bridge on bowed or plucked instruments ultimately determines the distance between different notes on the instrument. For example, a double bass with its low range needs a scale length of around 42 inches (110 cm), whilst

1800-409: Is mainly used on electric instruments because these have a pickup that amplifies only the local string vibration. It is possible on acoustic instruments as well, but less effective. For instance, a player might press on the seventh fret on a guitar and pluck it at the head side to make a tone resonate at the opposing side. On electric instruments, this technique generates multitone sounds reminiscent of

1875-523: Is one of the five main divisions of instruments in the Hornbostel–Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification . Hornbostel–Sachs divides chordophones into two main groups: instruments without a resonator as an integral part of the instrument (which have the classification number 31, also known as 'simple'); and instruments with such a resonator (which have the classification number 32, also known as 'composite'). Most western instruments fall into

1950-670: Is one of the oldest string instruments. Ancestors of the modern bowed string instruments are the rebab of the Islamic Empires, the Persian kamanche and the Byzantine lira . Other bowed instruments are the rebec , hardingfele , nyckelharpa , kokyū , erhu , igil , sarangi , morin khuur , and K'ni . The hurdy-gurdy is bowed by a wheel. Rarely, the guitar has been played with a bow (rather than plucked) for unique effects. The third common method of sound production in stringed instruments

2025-406: Is to strike the string. The piano and hammered dulcimer use this method of sound production. Even though the piano strikes the strings, the use of felt hammers means that the sound that is produced can nevertheless be mellow and rounded, in contrast to the sharp attack produced when a very hard hammer strikes the strings. Violin family string instrument players are occasionally instructed to strike

2100-506: The Baroque period (1600–1750) of musical history. Violins and guitars became more consistent in design and were roughly similar to acoustic guitars of the 2000s. The violins of the Renaissance featured intricate woodwork and stringing, while more elaborate bass instruments such as the bandora were produced alongside quill-plucked citterns , and Spanish body guitars. In the 19th century, string instruments were made more widely available through mass production, with wood string instruments

2175-455: The piano , which has sets of 88 strings to enable the performer to play 88 different notes). The other is to provide a way to stop the strings along their length to shorten the part that vibrates, which is the method used in guitar and violin family instruments to produce different notes from the same string. The piano and harp represent the first method, where each note on the instrument has its own string or course of multiple strings tuned to

2250-428: The saxophone and trumpet . The development of guitar amplifiers, which contained a power amplifier and a loudspeaker in a wooden cabinet , let jazz guitarists play solos and be heard over a big band. The development of the electric guitar provided guitarists with an instrument that was built to connect to guitar amplifiers. Electric guitars have magnetic pickups , volume control knobs and an output jack. In

2325-464: The tamburs and pandura . The line of short lutes was further developed to the east of Mesopotamia, in Bactria , Gandhara , and Northwest India, and shown in sculpture from the 2nd century BC through the 4th or 5th centuries AD. During the medieval era , instrument development varied in different regions of the world. Middle Eastern rebecs represented breakthroughs in terms of shape and strings, with

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2400-688: The violin , viola , cello , and the double bass (of the violin family ), and the old viol family. The bow consists of a stick with a "ribbon" of parallel horse tail hairs stretched between its ends. The hair is coated with rosin so it can grip the string; moving the hair across a string causes a stick-slip phenomenon , making the string vibrate , and prompting the instrument to emit sound. Darker grades of rosin grip well in cool, dry climates, but may be too sticky in warmer, more humid weather. Violin and viola players generally use harder, lighter-colored rosin than players of lower-pitched instruments, who tend to favor darker, softer rosin. The ravanahatha

2475-486: The 1920s and were an important part of emerging jazz music trends in the United States. The acoustic guitar was widely used in blues and jazz , but as an acoustic instrument, it was not loud enough to be a solo instrument, so these genres mostly used it as an accompaniment rhythm section instrument. In big bands of the 1920s, the acoustic guitar played backing chords, but it was not loud enough to play solos like

2550-465: The 1960s and 1970s, such as fuzz pedals , flangers , and phasers , enabling performers to create unique new sounds during the psychedelic rock era. Breakthroughs in electric guitar and bass technologies and playing styles enabled major breakthroughs in pop and rock music in the 1960s and 1970s. The distinctive sound of the amplified electric guitar was the centerpiece of new genres of music such as blues rock and jazz-rock fusion . The sonic power of

2625-408: The 1960s, larger, more powerful guitar amplifiers were developed, called "stacks". These powerful amplifiers enabled guitarists to perform in rock bands that played in large venues such as stadiums and outdoor music festivals (e.g., Woodstock Music Festival ). Along with the development of guitar amplifiers, a large range of electronic effects units , many in small stompbox pedals, were introduced in

2700-541: The Kora, Balafon, Kalimba and Mbira were used depending on the cultural influences of the bands. The instruments added some authenticity and cultural dimension to the music. The style relies on the use of rock string instruments ( electric guitars and electric bass) and guitar effects like wah wah pedal . Songs are based around a rock chordal structure and progression with a horn section, and keyed instruments such as electric piano, organ , and clavinet . The rhythmic elements of

2775-577: The Pelikans" exemplifies his unique blend of highlife, funk, and rock, with tracks like "Come Along" and "Mondo Soul Funky" showcasing his virtuosic guitar playing and catchy melodies. The Psychedelic Aliens also known as The Magic Aliens was led by guitarist and vocalist Ade "Witch" Rocha, excitement to Ghanaian Afro-rock with their electrifying performances and experimental sound. Some of their tracks include "We're Laughing" and "Extraordinary Woman". Afro rock seemed very promising but unfortunately faded out over

2850-642: The West.They started with playing covers of British records. They gained support from Fela Kuti and major critical acclaim. In the late 60s, the band was captured by the Nigerian army when the war broke out and their music was used to raise morale and celebrate victory over Biafra. One of their tracks is “ I wanna break thru” Wrinkar Experience dominated the Afro rock in Nigeria. Some members were also from Cameroon and Ghana. They released

2925-406: The action and strings of the piano were taken out of its box, it could still be played. This is not true of the violin , because the string passes over a bridge located on the resonator box, so removing the resonator would mean the strings had no tension. Curt Sachs also broke chordophones into four basic subcategories, "zithers, lutes, lyres and harps." Dating to around c.  13,000 BC ,

3000-459: The air inside it. The vibration of the body of the instrument and the enclosed hollow or chamber make the vibration of the string more audible to the performer and audience. The body of most string instruments is hollow, in order to have better sound projection. Some, however—such as electric guitar and other instruments that rely on electronic amplification—may have a solid wood body. In musicology , string instruments are known as chordophones. It

3075-551: The artists as well as the audience. The main theme that appeared regularly was social injustices and political activism. Artists understood the power of music in influencing the masses and used the platforms to critique oppression, corruption, bad governance and other social injustices; calling for a reformation. Afro rock artists often celebrated their African heritage and cultural identity, promoting resilience and solidarity. They drew inspiration from traditional folklore, spiritual practices and traditional music. Sometimes Afro rock

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3150-466: The award for Best World Music Album in 2012. NPR calls the group "music's true rebels", AllMusic deems the group's music "a grassroots voice of rebellion", and Slate calls the group "rock 'n' roll rebels whose rebellion, for once, wasn't just metaphorical". String instrument Plucked In musical instrument classification , string instruments , or chordophones , are musical instruments that produce sound from vibrating strings when

3225-473: The bare fingers or a plectrum, bowed or (in the Aeolian harp, for instance) sounded by wind. The confusing plenitude of stringed instruments can be reduced to four fundamental type: zithers, lutes, lyres, and harps. In most string instruments, the vibrations are transmitted to the body of the instrument, which often incorporates some sort of hollow or enclosed area. The body of the instrument also vibrates, along with

3300-437: The bow harp was straightened out and a bridge used to lift the strings off the stick-neck , creating the lute. This picture of musical bow to harp bow is theory and has been contested. In 1965 Franz Jahnel wrote his criticism stating that the early ancestors of plucked instruments are not currently known. He felt that the harp bow was a long cry from the sophistication of the civilizations of western Asia in 4000 BC that took

3375-487: The bridge can be flat, because the strings are played by plucking them with the fingers, fingernails or a pick; by moving the fingers or pick to different positions, the player can play different strings. On bowed instruments, the need to play strings individually with the bow also limits the number of strings to about six or seven; with more strings, it would be impossible to select individual strings to bow. (Bowed strings can also play two bowed notes on two different strings at

3450-421: The bridge, because of its motion, is not exactly nodes of vibration. Hence the following statements about proportionality are approximations. Pitch can be adjusted by varying the length of the string. A longer string results in a lower pitch, while a shorter string results in a higher pitch. A concert harp has pedals that cause a hard object to make contact with a string to shorten its vibrating length during

3525-441: The difference is perhaps more subtle. In keyboard instruments, the contact point along the string (whether this be hammer, tangent, or plectrum) is a choice made by the instrument designer. Builders use a combination of experience and acoustic theory to establish the right set of contact points. In harpsichords, often there are two sets of strings of equal length. These "choirs" usually differ in their plucking points. One choir has

3600-465: The diverse cultural landscape of the continent. Afro rock performances were very engaging because the performers delivered soulful and expressive performances, often delivered in traditional African languages and English and coupled that with their exceptional improvisational skills. They extended their performances using instrumental solos, jam sessions and spontaneous arrangements making the music exciting and danceable. The central instrument in Afro rock

3675-468: The dynamic and timbre (tone colour) range of orchestras, bands, and solo performances. String instruments can be divided into three groups: It is also possible to divide the instruments into categories focused on how the instrument is played. All string instruments produce sound from one or more vibrating strings , transferred to the air by the body of the instrument (or by a pickup in electronically amplified instruments). They are usually categorised by

3750-498: The fingerboard and the bridge. However, different bow placements can be selected to change timbre . Application of the bow close to the bridge (known as sul ponticello ) produces an intense, sometimes harsh sound, which acoustically emphasizes the upper harmonics . Bowing above the fingerboard ( sul tasto ) produces a purer tone with less overtone strength, emphasizing the fundamental , also known as flautando , since it sounds less reedy and more flute-like. Bowed instruments pose

3825-554: The fingerboard and using feedback from a loud, distorted guitar amplifier to produce a sustained sound. Some string instruments are mainly plucked, such as the harp and the electric bass . Other examples include the sitar , rebab , banjo , mandolin , ukulele , and bouzouki . In the Hornbostel–Sachs scheme of musical instrument classification , used in organology , string instruments are called chordophones. According to Sachs , Chordophones are instruments with strings. The strings may be struck with sticks, plucked with

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3900-479: The first president of Zambia decided that 95% of music be played on Zambian radio had to be of Zambian origin. Their albums, including "Introduction" and "In the Past," showcased their experimental approach to music, incorporating elements of funk, soul, and blues. Amanaz, led by Isaac Mpofu, also contributed significantly to the development of Zamrock with their introspective lyrics and fuzzy guitar riffs. Their album "Africa"

3975-401: The guitar, bass, violin, etc.) can be played using a magnetic field. An E-Bow is a small hand-held battery-powered device that magnetically excites the strings of an electric string instrument to provide a sustained, singing tone reminiscent of a held bowed violin note. Third bridge is a plucking method where the player frets a string and strikes the side opposite the bridge. The technique

4050-419: The guitarist can produce sounds that cannot be produced with standard plucking and picking techniques. This technique was popularized by Jimi Hendrix and others in the 1960s. It was widely used in psychedelic rock and heavy metal music . There are three ways to change the pitch of a vibrating string . String instruments are tuned by varying a string's tension because adjusting length or mass per unit length

4125-419: The late 1960s and early 1970s as a dynamic fusion of traditional Zambian rhythms and Western rock influences. It was during this period of post-colonial optimism that Zambia's music scene flourished and its people's desire to carve out a unique identity through music. WITCH (We Intend To Cause Havoc) formed in the early 1970s, blended traditional Zambian rhythms with psychedelic rock. Their music came to life after

4200-478: The loudly amplified, highly distorted electric guitar was the key element of the early heavy metal music , with the distorted guitar being used in lead guitar roles, and with power chords as a rhythm guitar . The ongoing use of electronic amplification and effects units in string instruments, ranging from traditional instruments like the violin to the new electric guitar, added variety to contemporary classical music performances, and enabled experimentation in

4275-486: The music are drums and bass, but other characteristically African and Afro-Cuban elements are the percussion instruments including congas, bongos, claves, whistles and other Latin percussion. In the late 1960s, Super Eagles and Psychedelic Aliens were pioneers of the genre. Osibisa and Assagai were founded in England. Afro rock encompasses a plethora of themes that shed light on the experiences, beliefs and cultural contexts of

4350-458: The origins” Lijadu sisters, twins Taiwo and Kehinde Lijadu emerged in the late 60s. They were influenced by Miriam Makeba,Aretha Franklin and Fela Kuti who was their cousin. They experimented with pop synthesisers, acid-fried funk elements afrobeat rhythms, funk, soul, disco and psychedelic rock progressions. They toured in Nigeria, Western Europe and the US and recorded with Ginger Baker They made music with

4425-402: The pitch of certain strings by increasing tension on them (stretching) through a mechanical linkage; release of the pedal returns the pitch to the original. Knee levers on the instrument can lower a pitch by releasing (and restoring) tension in the same way. A homemade washtub bass made out of a length of rope, a broomstick and a washtub can produce different pitches by increasing the tension on

4500-451: The player presses keys on to trigger a mechanism that sounds the strings, instead of directly manipulating the strings. These include the piano , the clavichord , and the harpsichord. With these keyboard instruments , strings are occasionally plucked or bowed by hand. Modern composers such as Henry Cowell wrote music that requires that the player reach inside the piano and pluck the strings directly, "bow" them with bow hair wrapped around

4575-482: The primitive technology and created "technically and artistically well-made harps, lyres, citharas, and lutes." Archaeological digs have identified some of the earliest stringed instruments in Ancient Mesopotamian sites, like the lyres of Ur , which include artifacts over three thousand years old. The development of lyre instruments required the technology to create a tuning mechanism to tighten and loosen

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4650-596: The rhythmic section. Western drumkits or African drums such as congas, bongos, djembe and talking drums were used. Other percussive instruments such as shekeres and tambourines were used to add depth to the rhythm section. Afro rock bands incorporated horns such as saxophones, trumpets and trombones to add an expressive element to the music as well as powerful accents and bright solos. Keyboards and synthesizers were frequently used for melodic and harmonic accompaniment and to create atmospheric and psychedelic effects. Additionally, traditional instruments we not left out. For instance,

4725-427: The rope (producing a higher pitch) or reducing the tension (producing a lower pitch). The frequency is proportional to the square root of the tension: The pitch of a string can also be varied by changing the linear density (mass per unit length) of the string. In practical applications, such as with double bass strings or bass piano strings, extra weight is added to strings by winding them with metal. A string with

4800-531: The same time, a technique called a double stop .) Indeed, on the orchestral string section instruments, four strings are the norm, with the exception of five strings used on some double basses . In contrast, with stringed keyboard instruments, 88 courses are used on a piano , and even though these strings are arranged on a flat bridge, the mechanism can play any of the notes individually. Similar timbral distinctions are also possible with plucked string instruments by selecting an appropriate plucking point, although

4875-399: The second group, but the piano and harpsichord fall into the first. Hornbostel and Sachs' criterion for determining which sub-group an instrument falls into is that if the resonator can be removed without destroying the instrument, then it is classified as 31. The idea that the piano's casing, which acts as a resonator, could be removed without destroying the instrument, may seem odd, but if

4950-533: The string tension. Lyres with wooden bodies and strings used for plucking or playing with a bow represent key instruments that point towards later harps and violin-type instruments; moreover, Indian instruments from 500 BC have been discovered with anything from 7 to 21 strings. In Vietnam, a 2,000 year old, singularly stringed instrument made of deer antler was also discovered. Musicologists have put forth examples of that 4th-century BC technology, looking at engraved images that have survived. The earliest image showing

5025-449: The string with the stick of the bow, a technique called col legno . This yields a percussive sound along with the pitch of the note. A well-known use of col legno for orchestral strings is Gustav Holst 's "Mars" movement from The Planets suite. The aeolian harp employs a very unusual method of sound production: the strings are excited by the movement of the air. Some instruments that have strings have an attached keyboard that

5100-419: The strings, or play them by rolling the bell of a brass instrument such as a trombone on the array of strings. However, these are relatively rarely used special techniques. Other keyed string instruments, small enough for a strolling musician to play, include the plucked autoharp , the bowed nyckelharpa , and the hurdy-gurdy, which is played by cranking a rosined wheel. Steel-stringed instruments (such as

5175-404: The technique used to make the strings vibrate (or by the primary technique, in the case of instruments where more than one may apply). The three most common techniques are plucking, bowing, and striking. An important difference between bowing and plucking is that in the former the phenomenon is periodic so that the overtones are kept in a strictly harmonic relationship to the fundamental. Plucking

5250-923: The years. The rebellious nature of rock promoted by mainstream media was frowned upon by most Africans because it went against collectivism. Currently, various artists continue to incorporate rock and African musical elements. Such artists include winners of the Best Artist, Duo or Group in African Rock at the yearly All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) ; Dear Zim (Zimbabwe) – 2014, M'vula (Angola) – 2015 and 2016, Gilad (Kenya) – 2017, Maryam Saleh (Egypt) – 2018, Rash (Kenya) – 2021 , Clayrocksu (Nigeria) – 2022 . The 2022/23 winner, Clayrocksu , has gained international acclaim with features in New York Times , BBC News , and Reuters for her voracious consistency in blending traditional African sounds with contemporary rock, thereby creating

5325-473: Was also shaping Afrobeat as a genre, which served as a precursor to Afro rock. Political and social movements advocating for liberation and independence inspired the socially conscious lyrics used in Afro rock. Afro rock combined traditional African elements of music such as indigenous rhythms, melodies, instruments such as Mbira and talking drums and vocal styles with Western instruments such as electric guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and synthesizers. The sound

5400-434: Was an expression of longing for freedom since colonialism was often mentioned in songs. In some cases, the struggle for independence from colonial rule was celebrated hence empowering the masses. This new genre that emerged in the 1960s served as a way for youth to voice out their resistance during political unrest in Nigeria. The Hykkers were formed in the early 60s by young students who experimented with sound of Nigeria and

5475-456: Was formed in London by Teddy Osei. They blended Afrobeat, highlife, funk and rock influences. They released a self-titled debut album in 1971, featured hits like "Music for Gong Gong" and "Sunshine Day,"which were some of their greatest hits. Ebo Taylor, a Ghanaian guitarist, composer, and bandleader, also made significant contributions to the development of Ghanaian Afro-rock. His album "Ebo Taylor and

5550-495: Was formed in the early 1970s by Berkley "Ike" Peters and Mike Odumosu. Blo's debut album, "Chapter One," released in 1973, showcased their signature blend of funk, highlife, and rock, earning them widespread acclaim. Tracks like "Preacher Man" and "Don't Take Her Away" exemplified Blo's unique sound, combining infectious grooves with poignant social commentary. Afro rock in Zambia was known as Zamrock or Zambian rock in full. It emerged in

5625-436: Was the electric guitar. It drove the melody and at times rhythm. One distinct effect that was adopted in Afro rock was the wah-wah pedal which is an effects pedal that changed the timbre of the guitar by creating a sound that imitated the human voice saying “wah-wah”. The bass guitar formed the foundational groove and rhythm. It also played melodic lines and had some solo sections in some cases. Drums were also an essential part of

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