An exploration of west African music and its synthesis with contemporary western musical elements
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Abstract
This project is a beginning of a journey born due to my fascination with west African musical and culture. Combining it with my love of different African-American musical styles (Jazz, Gospel, Funk etc) I set out to create a harmonious synthesis of these two worlds, allowing them to coexist and inform one another. I have conducted a deep research which included months of extensive listening to music, reading books and watching documentaries, investing in the ethnomusicology aspect of the research just as much as the musical one. I have pushed myself to the edge of my abilities as a performer, composer, arranger and producer, as I explored a variety of composition & arrangement concepts found in a long list of references and inspiration sources. As I look to the future, I intend to dive even deeper into the various cultures of west Africa, exploring concepts in education and philosophy which are common in the region. After exploring more areas of the region, as well as assembling the required budget in order to bring in west African musicians to record, I intend to release a full-length album, accompanied by a booklet with information about this amazing culture.
Publication Date
7-1-2019
Campus
Boston Campus
Recommended Citation
Zidon, Nerya, "An exploration of west African music and its synthesis with contemporary western musical elements" (2019). Global Jazz. 75.
https://remix.berklee.edu/graduate-studies-global-jazz/75
Comments
Project Components: paper (.pdf), presentation (.pdf), audio files (ZIP file containing 8 .wav files).