Wherefrom and Why the term
'Savannah Soul'
'Savannah' here
stands for the Savannah Region in Africa (demographically the Central, Eastern and Southern Africa), while 'Soul' refers
literally to the character or soul of the life of this area of the world. The term 'Savannahsoul'
-'savsoul' for short- aims to describe and uniquely characterise the indeginously
evolved genre -- neo-contemporary, multi-culturally influenced but uniquely indeginous- of the new music that is
in development since the mid 1990's in this region.
The uniqueness of this genre of music, and hence
the principle reason to warrant its description as a new genre relative to this region, arises in the
following its main defining characteristics:
-Seamless
multi-lingualism: Song Lyrics being in more than one local or international lanugage of the area;
typically English or French interspersing with local language; just as is actually done in normal speech within
this region
-Custom instrumentation:
'From-scratch' free-style music accompaniment and arrangement that do not immediately copy any other popular global
styles but rather adapt in the first instance to the original music.
- Afro-roots
integrity: Unapologetically 'neo -Afro-rythmic' foundations and classic afrobeat dynamics which are
only overlain as required by more international flavour/embellishment and this largely to cater for the latter audience demographic.
Use and Significances
The main anchors above where consciously applied
have presently resulted in the unique music that we have presented on this website and elsehwere as 'Savannahsoul'.
It would be difficult to describe this music as any other pre-existing genre (even 'African-pop' is probably too
generic), simply because it really is not any of that. The closest link to any other genres is largely if not only by inevitable
cross-fusion and where similar music roots dictate the original basis of the music.
We hasten to clarify that this term is at the
moment, as far as we know, strictly only used by us in this context, i.e. solely for purposes
of describing the same-named music genre above being actively developed at TRAXBOX AMSPUG (The term is
originally conjured up in the above context by J. Mawejje). Other alternative uses of the term are evident and not disputed
or disparaged in any way. We also do not attempt to assume or claim any authority to specify
or demand use of this term,or insist in any way on a rigourous adherence to this approach , but hope however
this or similar terms would be adopted more universally, for the simple reason that the current 'international' alternative descriptions of, say 'Afro-pop'
or 'world music' are not only too generalistic, they are completely off the target in describing contemporary regional Savannah
Africa Music as we (the originating artists) know it. A single unique term like this also serves to anchor our products
in the wider international market by virtue of its being unique and aptly descriptive ( helps stop the claims, once and for
all, of this music being 'copied from R&B, Dance Hall' etc, etc !)
Opposite on this page is an original
article* which still aptly summarises the essence, origin and pioneering work regarding savannahsoul as a distinct music
genre.(J.Mawejje, ~1996)
Copyright TRAXBOX AMSPUG. 2005
