SOAS University of London | Phil Dawson | Roots West African Music @soasuni | Uploaded June 2023 | Updated October 2024, 4 hours ago.
Hilife is a hugely influential style of music originating mainly in Anglophone West Africa, that has thrived for nearly 100 years to date. Its highly adaptive nature means it has absorbed everything from jazz big band to Latin to Caribbean to Funk and Roots Reggae over the years, and has seeped into the music of other diasporic regions both within and outside the continent. It's a major component of Fela's Afrobeat and Tony Allen's unique drum patterns, for example.
Phil and band, with special guest Alfred Bannerman, will play a short set featuring classic Ghanaian hilife songs as well as original tunes that blend hilife with newer grooves and modern improvisation. We will discuss the history of the music, the blends of influences we use for our tunes, and encourage any musicians present who want to join us to try out playing in these genres - for which we'll provide charts and musical guidance as required.
Hilife is a hugely influential style of music originating mainly in Anglophone West Africa, that has thrived for nearly 100 years to date. Its highly adaptive nature means it has absorbed everything from jazz big band to Latin to Caribbean to Funk and Roots Reggae over the years, and has seeped into the music of other diasporic regions both within and outside the continent. It's a major component of Fela's Afrobeat and Tony Allen's unique drum patterns, for example.
Phil and band, with special guest Alfred Bannerman, will play a short set featuring classic Ghanaian hilife songs as well as original tunes that blend hilife with newer grooves and modern improvisation. We will discuss the history of the music, the blends of influences we use for our tunes, and encourage any musicians present who want to join us to try out playing in these genres - for which we'll provide charts and musical guidance as required.
