VOCABULARY WORDS

Culture- the collective customs and accomplishments of a particular people or group.

Ethnic- of or relating to a group of people who share racial, linguistic, religious, or cultural ties.

Heritage- a country or area’s history; cultural traditions that pass from one generation to another.

Pan-African- relating to all nations or people of African descent collectively; advocating freedom and independence to all people of Africa.

Traditional- something based on tradition. Customary, long-established and time-honored.

Patrilineal- tracing descent through males

Matrilineal- inherited or traced through the women’s line of descent

Percussion- the group of musical instruments that produce sound by being struck, including drums and cymbals, or the section of the orchestra playing such instruments

Polyrythm- a technique of musical composition in which several contrasting rhythms are used simultaneously. This is very typical of African music.

High life - a style of music that blends West African features with American jazz forms and is popular in West Africa

Wonche- a spiritual healer in Ga culture in Ghana.

Master drummer- a drummer who has learned and excels at all the drumming parts of each piece of music. He not only knows his own parts but can play and teach everything else that makes up a traditional song.