Yiri by KokoYiri by Koko

Today you will…

• Recap Yiri by Koko info learnt last lesson.

• Learn about the instruments used.

• Learn about the melodies & tonality used.

Where is this music from?

• The West African country of Burkina Faso

Official Language

• French, but 90% of the population speak tribal languages of the Sudanic family.

Cultural Context

• Yiri is a native folk music piece from Burkina Faso.

• Much of the music here is traditional folk music.

• Yiri is celebration music for bringing a person out to honour them (usually an older person).

Structure

Introduction (1st balaphon)

Theme (1st balaphon)

12 variation verses(1st balaphon/group singers/solo tenor)

Coda (drums play louder/rhythmic accents/more

improvisation)

Structure continued

• The overall structure is strophic (AAAA).

• The piece consists of a set of variations over an ostinato.

Texture

Light

Polyphonic

Heterophonic

Instruments Used• Talking drum – a traditional WestAfrican drum. It

was originally used to send

messages across open plains.

• Balaphon – a wooden xylophone of West Africa.

• Cowbell – this is only used right at the end of

the piece.

• Singers – they sing in unison & use the high tenor range

as doe the solo tenor singer.

•

Melodies & Tonality

• The music begins in Db major

• It then quickly moves to Gb melodies moving against a pentatonic ostinato on Db.

• The tonic is Gb as the melodic phrases consistently end on that note.

• The music is diatonic.

Dynamics

• Mostly mezzo forte

• Crescendos & diminuendos at the beginning.

• Coda is forte

Tempo

Moderate except at the beginning where the tempo is quite free.

Lyrics

The lyrics are in a native tribal

language & there is no translation

currently available.