# African Pianism: Can Piano behave like the African drums?



## kinzopiano (9 mo ago)

Akin Euba believes that African pianism is making the western piano musical instrument behave like the drums...

Quote from Akin Euba - "A conceptualization of the percussive use of the piano in a particular manner so as to 1) invoke a symbolic representation of African musical textures and 2) to express the rhythmical and textural components of traditional African music without actually using traditional instruments...African Pianism is a way of composing piano music using African models."

What's your take on this concept?





I highly encourage you to also read more in the blog below.








African pianism and musicology


The African pianism developed by the Nigerian composer Akin Euba (above) is not well-suited to the research style of traditional musicology, and the limitations of conventional musicological perspe…




bibliolore.org


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## RICK RIEKERT (Oct 9, 2017)

Ligeti noted his strong interest in the notion of a super-fast “elementary pulse” found in sub-Saharan African percussion ensemble music. The role of sub-Saharan African culture is crucial in the often complex rhythmic polyphony that motivates Ligeti's _Etudes_. Joshua Uzoigwe's _Talking Drums_ is another example. 

Polyrhythm invoking African rhythms is a stylistic resource common to these works. Furthermore, the composers make the piano simulate African traditional instruments while invoking the aesthetics of African traditional music in rhythm and texture.


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## progmatist (Apr 3, 2021)

A piano is technically a percussion instrument, so there's that.


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