AFRICAN DNA

Balanced between binary and ternary rhythmic figures

The origins

Africa's cultural revenge started with music.

When Africans touched the shores overseas, they communicated through rhythm, song and body language.

After an initial imposed condition, over time the ancient culture and its strong traditions found their rightful place in Western society, enriching it and unleashing a strong energetic power that changed the customs of the host country.

Africans dance, but not as a pastime like those who frequent discos. It is a real need that requires rhythm, alternating accents and polyrhythm, closely linked to the dance steps and the intrinsic meaning of each of the many rhythmic patterns.

The Griot family, popular Senegalese percussionists, called people from village to village with their drums, keeping them updated on all the latest news; they were a kind of town criers.

The USA, Brazil, and the Caribbean are the undeniable examples of the transformation that occurred after the arrival of African culture in these lands: Jazz, Samba, and all the Afro-Cuban rhythms.

The influences

It's impossible to imagine today's world without the influence of this music. George Gershwin, despite his classical training, was so captivated by the blues that he wrote the famous "Rhapsody in Blue" as well as many other famous compositions for the musical: "Porgy and Bess" and "Summertime," to name a few that later became standards covered by jazz musicians.

Binary and ternary rhythms

To go into more detail about rhythmic figures and the “binary and ternary”, ternary rhythms are the characterizing matrix of Afro music, the interaction with binary figures creates a “polyrhythmic wave” that is anomalous and fascinating at the same time.

It is up to the performer to choose whether to focus more on one of the two figures rather than the other; it is not just a matter of mathematics but of interpretation.

The great Peter Esrkine said during a master class that the effect of the samba rhythm is a bit like listening to two bands in two different rooms at the same time, where one plays a shuffle (ternary) and the other a rock song (binary).

Typical samba rhythm of the “Batucada” percussion ensemble of the carnival schools

Click the arrow to start the video

Periodically, musical waves arrive that change the balance of customs. African American communities, which for many generations have met regularly in churches to sing in large groups, both a cappella and accompanied by a band, release an irrepressible energy. Many prominent figures in world music were born there, such as the great Aretha Franklin, to name one of the most representative voices of soul music.

Musicians who accompany singers, and specifically drummers, have developed traditional drumming rudiments, which include sticking (combinations of single and double strokes) and linear phrases (combinations of strokes between hands and feet). So far, nothing new, but they have developed them exponentially, creating a real language or, if you like, a new style. They are called “Gospel Chops”. I am referring to those new models of hyper-technical drumming that sometimes border on the circus-like. Obviously, in a world where speed reigns supreme, all this has a great appeal, especially among young drummers.

Already Gary Chaffee, a teacher at the Berklee School in Boston https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XFqTm61bEzA More than forty years ago, he wrote a series of innovative books. https://www.garychaffee.com/booksdvds where he explored the application of this technique in depth, these books are now part of the curriculum of all drumming schools and have certainly been a reference point for Gospel Chops drummers as well.,
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFMMcEuYoaQ.

Being a technically very “flashy” drumming style, it is often used to show off one's technical ability in online videos, which, however, sometimes borders on repetitive exercise for its own sake, neglecting the musical content.

Friday in the Cadillac: Bob Berg

Friday in the Cadillac is a song by the great saxophonist Bob Berg (who died prematurely in a car accident at the height of his brilliant career) who also boasted a collaboration with the absolute jazz legend Miles Davis.

Friday in the Cadillac: Bob Berg – 1993 Recording

Here they play: Danilo Rea on piano, Max Bottini on bass, Marco Rinalduzzi on guitar, Bob Berg on saxophone and me on drums.

Gegè and Boparazzi

During the tour with Gegè Telesforo in the 90s we went to the studio to make his album “Gegè and Boparazzi” produced by the label “Go Jazz” born from a collaboration between America and Japan with the artistic direction of the New York pianist and singer Ben Sidran who also played on some songs.

The studio recording

The session was recorded in a Roman studio, Pollicino, by the sound engineer Marco Lecci with Ben supervising the direction and subsequently mixed and mastered at Electric Lady Studios in New York founded by Jimy Hendrix in Greenwich Village.

For the first time I had the opportunity to work with a big American band whose records I also had, including a live performance in Montreux with Steve Gadd on drums.

Compared to the Italian style of studio recordings of those years I was surprised by the American method which was focused mainly on the spontaneity of the content, leaving out some details of the form.

We were all strictly live and all the takes, including this one, were even recorded while we were rehearsing the songs.

Artificial intelligence certainly won't be able to build a Stradivarius or a Gretsch from the 1950s, instruments that, with all their unmistakable merits and "perhaps" some defects, have characterized both classical music and jazz.

Many drummers, in the case of percussion, despite being endorsers of big brands, continue to use drums from the 50s/60s/70s.

A bit like with wine, there is a mandatory path for the taste buds and smell to evaluate important bottles, this also applies to the ear, the old practically handcrafted drums such as the old Ludwig, Gretcsh, Slingerland to name the most well-known, have a unique sound and personality even when comparing the same drum, same size and same year, all rigorously signed by the assembler with the date of construction next to it.

This is the fundamental difference between the new, which still has a good sound and a good finish, and the unique nuances of the vintage.

To strike or direct

Have you ever wondered what purpose a conductor serves when the musicians have a score in front of them? The answer is a question: how could 60 or 80 musicians simultaneously strike the first note? It depends entirely on the conductor's gesture.

The moments of absolute silence that precede the start of the sound help him to concentrate on the pace, or rather the metronomic speed, of the piece he is about to perform, and help the musicians to tune in perfectly to his movement.

This nuanced gesture, an exclusive code between orchestra and conductor, continues throughout the entire piece, featuring dynamic excursions dictated by the breadth of the baton's movement, its pressing nature in the accelerando, in the suspensions, in the rallentandos, and so on until the finale.

The role of the drummer

When you attend a jazz, rock, or pop concert, you may be drawn to the drummer, the figure behind the cymbals and drums who sets the pace and often performs a solo before the end of the concert.

What exactly is his role within a group or a large orchestra? Those who advocate "how I wish I'd played the drums as a kid" may never have asked themselves this question.

What strikes the uninitiated is the skill in rapidly striking the drums and cymbals, thus commanding attention. In reality, this is a secondary, albeit fascinating, aspect; the crucial role is to mark the time with fluidity and authority, providing precise cues in tempo and dynamic changes, while at the same time adopting sounds appropriate to the musical style.

Even the drums adhere to a musical score with exclusively rhythmic, not melodic, references, lacking drums that produce notes with precise pitch. It all seems easy when you watch a good drummer play.

Drummer and Conductor

A symphony orchestra has a percussion department generally equipped with symphonic timpani, which, unlike drums, are tuned to produce very specific notes, xylophone, bass drum cymbals, and various effects. But what happens when there are two "conductors," as is the case with rhythm-symphonic orchestras with a drummer, such as those often seen at concerts, festivals, or on television?

After the piece begins, the rhythmic progression is entrusted to the drummer, whose task is to support this large ensemble like a sort of pillar, playing regularly and thus putting the entire orchestra at ease, always under the watchful eye of the conductor, who with small gestures suggests interpretative nuances, sometimes dictated by a contingent emotional factor.

Video of the Vatican Christmas Concert, 2017, with Patti Smith.

Salvatore Corazza on drums with the large orchestra.