MARABI

marab

UNISAMUSIEKTEORIELEERPLANNE

Marabi

n comparing themarabi harmonic structure and its seminalposition in vernacular jazz improvisatory practice in South Africa to that of the AfricanAmerican blues in its relationship to jazz, Ballantine explained its basis ‘on a cyclicpattern’ as ‘stretch[ing] over four measures, with one measure for each of the followingchords: I – IV - I 6/4 - V’ (Ballantine 1993:26)

The music style Marabi was characterized by a repeating, ostinato accompaniment, usually in the harmonic pattern I–IV–I64–V, upon which potentially endlessly melodies were improvised. These melodies often consisted of sections of popular pieces of any provenance (folk music, religious music, US jazz, dance music such as Vastrap, etc.) which, like the underlying pattern, could also be repeated at will. Marabi was mostly played on electric organs or pianos, with a percussive accompaniment of cans filled with stones

A rhythmically propulsive dance music,marabi was forged principally by unschooled keyboard players who were a notorious part of theculture and economy of illegal slumyard liquor dens. Harmonically, it rested upon a cyclical patternstretched over four measures, with one measure per chord: I–IV–I6-4–V. The cyclical nature of this styleclearly derived from indigenous sources, repetitive harmonic patterns being typical of traditionalAfrican musics

Marabi

he cyclical harmonic structure of marabi, a slow, heavy beat probably derived from the traditional (and basically Zulu) secular dance-style known as indlamu, and forms and instrumentation adapted from American swing. With these was combined a languorous

INARARD ALY TS early south ofrican jazz and vaudeville

the American swing style combined with the repetitive blues-like marabi style gavebirth to mbaqanga – also referred to as ‘African jazz’ in the 1940s and a style thatReddy incorporated into his clazz style from the 1980s onwards

According to Ballantine Isicathamiya is the most important vocal style to have emergedin South Africa this century.186 Parallel to the importance of this pure vocal style, aninstrumental style called marabi developed around the time of the First World War andremained prominent throughout the second and third decades of the 20th century.187In Marabi Nights, one of the first books that explored the development and impact ofSouth African jazz, Ballantine describes it as “[a] rhythmically propulsive dance music”that draws “its melodic inspiration eclectically from a wide variety of sources, whileharmonically it rested – as did blues – upon an endlessly repeating chord”.188Furthermore, Ballantine argues that the correlation between marabi (South Africa) andblues (America) extended further in that both had influences on the societies practisingthe above genres

Marabi became a popular dance music in these urban ‘ghettos’ between the 1920s and 1940s(Ballantine, 2012:6,7). It is characterized by a repeating a cyclical chord sequence of I-IV-I6/4-V played over four measures. Marabi was mostly played on pianos, organs, handmadedrums or percussion and whatever other instruments were available (Ansell, 2005:29). Themelodies, which were sometimes improvised, were derived from ‘a mixture of Sotho music,Xhosa music, Zulu music and African Christian hymns as well as popular music’ (Ballantine,2012:34).Figure 1.1 Typical Marabi rhythmic accompaniment (Ballantine, 2012:35)The basic rhythmic accompaniment (see figure 1.1 above) would often be played by someoneshaking a tin filled with small stones and constitutes an important stylistic trait of marabi(Ballantine, 2012:35).

As Chapter One pointed out, ‘South African jazz’ derives from the amalgamation oftransnational (mainly American) jazz and indigenous South African musics. Although this stylehas many ‘dialects’, there is some conceptual consensus regarding elements that historicallycame to signify a South African jazz sound. These include marabi (with its distinctive I-IV-Vchord progression), mbaqanga (this was especially felt in the importance of the rhythmicaldrive and interest and repeating harmonic progressions, rather than the other formal attributes

Shepherd’s use of marabi and marabi-style harmonic progressions are

Sonic signatures in South African jazz: A stylistic analysis of the trio music of Kyle Shepherd, Bokani Dyer and Nduduzo Makhathini

However, in the case of marabi, the three chords were usuallyplayed in short two or four bar phrases, and were most commonly voiced as triads in thesequence I-IV-I-V. Due to the preference for diatonic tonality in marabi, few chord extensiontones were used other than the occasional addition of a major 6th to chord IV and the use ofthe dominant 7th on chord V. The resulting progression is the iconic I-IV6-Ic-V7 whichbecame the harmonic foundation of the South African sound.

MarabiMarabi is described by Ballantine as just as important in the development of South Africanpopular music as the blues was to American popular music (Ballantine 2012, 7). Merz (2016)echoes this statement claiming prominent South African “musicians ranging from tenor-manBazil Mannenberg Coetzee to pianist Darius Brubeck” have referred to marabi as “SouthAfrica’s blues”, highlighting its central importance in South African jazz as “the form to basecompositions on” (Merz 2016, 34). Described by Matshikiza as a set of “highly rhythmicrepetitive single-themed dance tunes” (Matshikiza in Ballantine 2012, 32) which developedbetween the 1910s to 1930s, marabi was generally performed on keyboard, banjo or guitar inshebeens5 and at drinking and dancing parties. Like the blues, it followed a three-chordcyclical harmonic structure. However, in the case of marabi, the three chords were usuallyplayed in short two or four bar phrases, and were most commonly voiced as triads in thesequence I-IV-I-V. Due to the preference for diatonic tonality in marabi, few chord extensiontones were used other than the occasional addition of a major 6th to chord IV and the use ofthe dominant 7th on chord V. The resulting progression is the iconic I-IV6-Ic-V7 whichbecame the harmonic foundation of the South African sound.

Although, mbaqanga became exceptionally popular both locally and internationally, it willnot be a key focus of the analysis presented in this dissertation as, like tsaba tsaba, its musicaltraits reveal it as being more of a hybrid, sub-genre of the original styles of South Africanjazz: marabi, African Jazz and kwela.

The three-chord harmonic system ofmarabi is derived from the harmonic root movementof the European diatonic major scale

The underlying harmonic structure inmarabitypically uses the major (I), the subdominant major (IV), and the dominant (V) in aperpetually repeating structure suited to dance. In its advanced form inmbaqanga(African jazz), the simple three-chordmarabi harmonic structure was consolidated in alengthened cyclic form in which the (V) root was preceded with the tonic major in itssecond inversion (I 6/4 ). In comparing themarabi harmonic structure and its seminalposition in vernacular jazz improvisatory practice in South Africa to that of the AfricanAmerican blues in its relationship to jazz, Ballantine explained its basis ‘on a cyclicpattern’ as ‘stretch[ing] over four measures, with one measure for each of the followingchords: I – IV - I 6/4 - V’ (Ballantine 1993:26)

The underlying harmonic structure inmarabitypically uses the major (I), the subdominant major (IV), and the dominant (V) in aperpetually repeating structure suited to dance. In its advanced form inmbaqanga(African jazz), the simple three-chordmarabi harmonic structure was consolidated in alengthened cyclic form in which the (V) root was preceded with the tonic major in itssecond inversion (I 6/4 ). In comparing themarabi harmonic structure and its seminalposition in vernacular jazz improvisatory practice in South Africa to that of the AfricanAmerican blues in its relationship to jazz, Ballantine explained its basis ‘on a cyclicpattern’ as ‘stretch[ing] over four measures, with one measure for each of the followingchords: I – IV - I 6/4 - V’ (Ballantine 1993:26)

An important aspect of the close musical relationships between South Africanmbaqanga,Caribbeancalypso and West Africanhighlife as a coalescence of postcolonial Africanand diasporic cultural experiences is the rhythmic element of all three dance-music styles.I have transcribed a duple-meter rhythm strain of the three genres (Musical Transcription9) in order to illustrate this musical relationship. In West Africa, particularly in 1950sGhana and Nigeria, the popularity ofhighlife resulted in hybrid musical experimentswhich gave birth to highly influential styles such as Yorubahighlife, with its use ofindigenous performance and instruments, and also influenced the development of WestAfrican popular musical genres likepal mw ine,ashiko,maringa ,jújù,makossa , andafro-beat, among others (Sadie 2001:490, vol. 11)

Zimology

Way back Fiftie

CWave after Wav

lastic Ba

Pata Pat

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onwabisi

ackpot

Drumbeat No.2

Hellfire

The Music of Africa

However, in the case of marabi,the threechords were usually played in short two or four bar phrases, and were most commonly voiced as triads in the sequence I-IV-I-V. Due to the preference for diatonic tonality in marabi, few chord extension tones were used other than the occasional addition of a major6thto chord IV and the use of the dominant 7thon chord V. The resulting progression is the iconic I-IV6-Ic-V7which became the harmonic foundation of the South African sound.

the American swing style combined with the repetitive blues-like marabistyle gave birth tombaqanga–also referred to as ‘African jazz’in the 1940sand a style that Reddy incorporated into his clazz style from the 1980sonwards.

According to Ballantine Isicathamiyais the most important vocal style to have emerged in South Africa this century.186Parallel to the importance of this pure vocal style, an instrumental style called marabi developed around the time of the First World Warandremained prominent throughout the second and third decades of the 20thcentury.187In Marabi Nights,one of the first books that explored the development and impact of South African jazz, Ballantine describes itas “[a] rhythmicallypropulsive dance music”

Thethree-chordharmonicsystemofmarabiisderivedfromtheharmonicrootmovementoftheEuropeandiatonicmajorscale.Theunderlyingharmonicstructureinmarabitypicallyusesthemajor(I),thesubdominantmajor(IV),andthedominant(V)inaperpetuallyrepeatingstructuresuitedtodance.Initsadvancedforminmbaqanga(Africanjazz),thesimplethree-chordmarabiharmonicstructurewasconsolidatedinalengthenedcyclicforminwhichthe(V)rootwasprecededwiththetonicmajorinitssecondinversion(I6/4).IncomparingthemarabiharmonicstructureanditsseminalpositioninvernacularjazzimprovisatorypracticeinSouthAfricatothatoftheAfricanAmericanbluesinitsrelationshiptojazz,Ballantineexplaineditsbasis‘onacyclicpattern’as‘stretch[ing]overfourmeasures,withonemeasureforeachofthefollowingchords:I–IV-I6/4-V’(Ballantine1993:26).Thisextendedfeatureofmarabiwasarguablywhatdistinguisheditsreappearance–afterithadabsorbedAmericanswinginfluence-fromitsearlierpopularformintheproletariantsaba-tsabaurbandance-musicstyle.

Shepherd’s use of marabi and marabi-style harmonic progressions are Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za36 evident in tracks like ‘Coline’s Rose’ (A Portrait of Home, 2010) and ‘Zimology’ (fineART, 2009)

As Chapter One pointed out, ‘South African jazz’ derives from the amalgamation of transnational (mainly American) jazz and indigenous South African musics. Although this stylehas many ‘dialects’, there is some conceptual consensus regarding elements that historically came to signify a South African jazz sound. These include marabi (with its distinctive I-IV-V chord progression), mbaqanga (this was especially felt in the importance of the rhythmical drive and interest and repeating harmonic progressions, rather than the other formal attributes Stellenbosch University https://scholar.sun.ac.za85 of mbaqanga itself), ghoema or indlamu, amongst others. One of the ways in which Shepherd, Dyer and Makhathini connect with the South African lineage of jazz, and a sense of place therefore registers in th eir work, is through the incorporation of these elements in certain songs or tracks

Marabibecame a popular dance music in these urban ‘ghettos’ between the 1920s and 1940s (Ballantine, 2012:6,7). It is characterized by a repeating a cyclical chord sequence of I-IV-I 6/4- V played over four measures. Marabi was mostly played on pianos, organs, handmade drums or percussion and whatever other instruments were available (Ansell, 2005:29) . The melodies, which were sometimes improvised, were derived from ‘a mixture of Sotho music, Xhosa music, Zulu music and African Christian hymns as well as popular music’ (Ballantine, 2012:34). Figure 1.1 Typical Marabi rhythmic accompaniment(Ballantine, 2012:35)The basic rhythmic accompaniment (see figure 1.1 above) would often be played by someone shaking a tin filled with small stones and constitutes an important stylistic trait of marabi(Ballantine, 2012:35)

cyclical harmonic structure of marabi, a slow, heavy beat

Throughout, rhythmic accompaniment would be provided by a player shaking a tin filled with small stones. One standard pattern, as demon- strated by Sililo, is among the most basic and widespread drum patterns of traditional Nguni music. @ @dad o & el

A rhythmically propulsive dance music,marabiwas forged principally by unschooled keyboard players who were a notorious part of the culture and economy of illegal slumyard liquor dens. Harmonically, it rested upon a cyclical pattern stretched over four measures, with one measure per chord: I–IV–I6-4–V. The cyclical nature of this style clearly derived from indigenous sources, repetitive harmonic patterns being typical of traditional African musics.The melodies superimposed on these endlessly repeating patterns sometimes became legendary; sometimes lyrics were invented, in some instances containing political commentary or protest. A significant proportion of these melodies are traceable to local traditional origins. But often the tunes were drawn from other sources, such as the familiar stock of African Christian hymns, the commercially popular tunes of the day or Afrikaans dance music.In performance, cyclical repetitions of a melody or melodic fragment would eventually yield, perhaps, to a similar treatment of another melody or fragment, and perhaps then still others. In this manner, performers would play for long periods without stopping. A simple rhythmic accompaniment would be provided throughout by a player shaking a tin filled with small stones.

The music style Marabi was characterized by a repeating, ostinato accompaniment, usually in the harmonic pattern I–IV–I64–V, upon which potentially endlessly melodies were improvised.

Marabi

Marabi

Sound of Soweto