WorldBeatWorkshopTheJourneyofClave

fromWestAfricatotheAmericas

FeaturingRobertJospé

andKevinDavis

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STUDYGUIDE

•  ProgramDescrip.on•  TheWorldBeatWorkshopwithdrummerRobertJospéandpercussionistKevinDavisengagesaudiencesofallages

inexploringthediasporaofWestAfricanrhythmsintheAmericasandtheirinfluenceincurrentmusicstyles.

•  •  “TheprogrambeginswithAfricanconceptsandculture,demonstra9ngtheclaveand12/8polyrhythmswithhanddrumsand

drumset.Grouphandclappingexercisesareintroduced.Depar9ngfromWestAfrica,thefirststopisCubawiththeintroduc9onofCaribbeandances;rumba,mambo,andsalsathatevolvedfromtheblendingofcultures.Thesimilari9esanddifferencesoftheseareexplainedandanoriginalsongisperformedtoillustraterumba.

• 

•  ThenextstopisTrinidad/Tobagofeaturingthecalypsoandsteelpan.ThenitisontotheDominicanRepublicandthemerengue.Dancestepstothemerenguearetaught(whenageofgroupandspaceisappropriate).FromtheCaribbean,thejourneycon9nuestoBraziltodemonstratethena9onaldances;sambaandbossanova.

•  Asambagroupisformedonstagewithstudentsplayingpercussioninstruments.

•  ThefinalstopistheUnitedStatesandNewOrleansandwhereAfro‐Caribbeanrhythmsinfluencedthebirthofjazz.TheuseofclaveinsecondlinemarchesthroughcontemporarydancebeatsincludingSwing,RockandRoll,FunkandHipHopisdemonstratedalongwithgrouppar9cipa9on.”

•  RobertJospéplaysdrumset.KevinDavisplaysbongos,shakere,steelpan,andcongasintheworkshop.AllinstrumentsareidenNfiedandexplainedthroughouttheprogram.

• 

•  Thisprogramcanbetailoredtosuitaudiencesofallagesfromelementaryschoolthroughadult.

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ThisStudyGuideincludes:

•  Musicalterms(pages4‐8)•  InstrumentsplayedintheWorldBeatWorkshop(page9)

•  NamesofLaNnAmericandancerhythms(page10)

•  NamesofUnitedStatesrhythms(page10)•  Meettheperformers(page11)•  Follow‐upacNviNes(page12)

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MusicalTerms•  Measure:OneunitofNmebetweentwobarsonthestaff

–  Howmanymeasuresarethereintheexamplebelow?

•  Downbeats:the1,2,3,4ofthemeasure•  Upbeats:Subdivisionsthatoccurbetweenthedownbeats

•  Backbeat:the2and4ofthemeasureHaveyourteacherhelpyoutoclapthefollowing:

1 & & & & & & & &12 23 34 4

First,clapthedownbeats(allthebeatswithnumbersbelowthem).Next,clapthebackbeatsonly(justthe2andthe4ofeachmeasure).Finally,claptheupbeats(alltherestsinbetweenthenumbers,markedwith“&”belowthem). 4

Musicalterms,con9nued

•  Accent:abeatthatgetsemphasizedwithmorevolume–  Claptheexampleagain,withanaccentonthebackbeatsasindicatedbelow:

1 12 23 34 4> > > >

• Phrase:apafernthatoccursoveroneormoremeasures• Syncopa.on:rhythmicpaferninwhichtheupbeatsareaccented

Anexampleofaphrasethatincludessyncopa.onistheclaverhythmfeaturedonthenextpage.

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Musicalterms,con9nued

•  Clave:(pronouncedclah‐vay)Asyncopatedrhythmphrase,twomeasureslong,thatformsthebasisofallCubanmusic.Here’showwenotatetheclavephrase:

1 2 & 3 4 1 2 3 4

Tryclappingtheclavephrase,thinkingaboutthefollowing:• Notethatinmeasureone,youclaponanupbeat(thebeatmarkedwith“&”thatfallsbetweenbeats2and3).Thisiswhatmakesthephrasesyncopated.• Theclavephrasecanhappenintwodifferentways:

1.  Asnotatedabove,withthesyncopaNoninthefirstmeasure2.  SomeNmesyouwillfindthetwomeasuresreversed,sothatthe

syncopaNonoccursinthesecondmeasureinsteadofthefirst.Tryclappingitbothwayswithyourmusicteacher.

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Musicalterms,con9nued•  Cascara:asecondaryrhythmphrasethatfitsinwiththeclave.

Here’showthecascaraisnotated.Tryclappingitwithyourteacher:

1 2 & 3 4 1 2 3 4

1 & & & & &12 23 34 4NoNcehowmanyNmesyouclaponanupbeat(abeatwithan“&”underneathit).Thisphraseisreallysyncopated!

Now,forachallenge.Dividetheclassintotwogroupsandhaveonegroupclaptheclave(below)andtheothergroupclapthecascara(above).Listentoeachrhythmseparately,andthentrytoclapthematthesameNme.Whenyouarecomfortablewitheachrhythm,switchrhythmsbetweengroups.Claverhythm(asexplainedonpreviouspage):

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Thefollowingtermswillbeexplainedmorefullyduringtheperformance:

•  Polyrhythm:thecombinaNonoftwoNmesignaturesoverthesamerhythm

•  Montuno:InLaNnmusic,arepeaNngmelodicpafernplayedonpianoorguitar.Themontunobecomesthebackground,overwhichinstrumentalsolosandarrangementsareplayed.

Musicalterms,con9nued

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InstrumentsusedintheWorldBeatWorkshop

DrumSet Congas

Bongos

SteelPan

Timbales(9m‐BAH‐lays)

Shekere(sheh‐ker‐ay)

Cowbell

Guiro(wee‐ro) Claves

Fillintheblank:Theseinstrumentsareallpartofthe______________family.

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Thefollowingdancerhythmswillbediscussedduringtheperformance:

La'nAmericanRhythms:

•  Afro‐Cuban6/8•  GuaguancoRumba•  Mambo

•  Calypso•  Merengue•  Samba

UnitedStatesRhythms:• Secondline• Swing• RockandRoll• Funk• Hiphop

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Meetthe

Perform

ers

HeconNnuedhismusicstudiesatVirginiaStateUniversityandparNcipatedinstudyabroadprogramsinPuertoRico,DominicanRepublicandJamaica.NowresidinginVirginia,DavisistheDirectoroftheBanCaribeEnsemblefoundedin1984.CurrentlyheismusicaldirectorandpercussioninstructorattheLaNnBalletofVirginia,co‐founderoftheWorldBeatWorkshop,anddirectoroftheAshburyMethodistChurchyouthmusicministry.

RobertJospébeganhiscareerinNewYorkCity.AoerafendingNewYorkUniversityhebecameanacNveplayerintheNewYorkjazzandrockscenefor15yearsunNlhemovedtoCharlofesville,VA.JospéleadshisownInnerRhythmbandandisamemberoftheUniversityofVirginia'smusicdepartment'sperformancefaculty,teachingjazzdrummingandahanddrummingcourse“LearntoGroove”.HeisamemberofUVA'sfacultyjazzensemble,TheFreeBridgeQuintet.

BorninBrooklyn,NewYork,KevinDavisbeganstudyingmusictheoryandpercussionasayouthwithseveralDrumandBugleCorps.WhilegrowingupinthemulNculturalcommuniNesofNewYorkCity,hewasexposedtoandhadtheopportunitytoperformwithmanyworldbeatgroups.

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www.robertjospe.com

Follow‐upAc.vi.es

•  Listenforthe3/2claverhythminallkindsofmusicandclapalong.

•  Haveapercussioninstrument(ormakeapercussioninstrument)inthehousetoplaybyyourself,withothers,andalongtorecordedmusic.

•  InviteadanceteachertoyourclassandlearntodancetheMerengue.

•  Playaclappingorpercussiongameof“callandresponse.”

•  ListentojazzandLaNnmusicbythefollowingarNsts:–  TitoPuente‐‐SpanishHarlemOrchestra

–  StanGetz‐‐TheMeters

–  AntonioCarlosJobim

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