South and West Africa
Children learn ‘Shosholoza’, a traditional South African song, play the accompanying chords using tuned percussion and learn to play the djembe. They will also learn a traditional West African drum and add some dance moves ready to perform the song in its entirety
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Lesson 1: Shosholoza A Cappella
Section by section children learn to sing the song 'Shosholoza', sung in Ndebele; the language spoken by the Bantu people
View LessonLesson 2: Playing Shosholoza
Working in pairs and using tuned percussion instruments such as glockenspiels, xylophones or steel pans, pupils learn the chords for the ‘Shosholoza’ song
View LessonLesson 3: The Shosholoza Show
Children learn some African dance steps and practice a final performance of the Shosholoza song, incorporating their new moves and the chords from Lesson 2
View LessonLesson 4: Drumming away to Africa
Using a metronome to keep a constant pulse, children practice reciting rhythms with varying dynamics and tempo, before following the pulse set by the 'master drummer' on the Traditional West African Djembe drum
View LessonLesson 5: Make a Break in Africa
Developing the complexity of the rhythms from Lesson 4, children work in groups to create an eight beat break and then perform as a class, with each group joining back in with their rhythms until everyone has played
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