Musical Instruments Trumpets
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The African Wheel: Traditional African Arts and Crafts by Ranju Kumar
African Art has something very special about it. African art has not changed dramatically from the Stone Age till today and this shows in the traditional designs of every type of art, be it African masks, African fabrics, African musical instruments, African ladies Handbags, African carvings and in fact all manner of African art and crafts.
It is not that symbolic African arts and crafts are only desirable in Africa; this art form has a following worldwide. Art appreciators understand that the creation of African masks and African musical instruments have a specific legacy. Methods for the creation of these items of an artistic nature have been passed down by word of mouth from father to son and mother to daughter for eons. The principle for the creation of these pieces has been for spiritual as well as practical purposes.
Traditional African fabrics are generally created using the batik method; this essentially means that the fabrics have been printed with designs using a hand dying method. Making the fabrics unique as well as individual, much more in the line of African arts and crafts than the machine woven or dyed cloth that is prevalent in western societies.
The creation of African Masks dates way back into history and some have been know to have been created further back in time than the Paleolithic era. Generally created from wood, African masks are also manufactured using leather, metal and fabric. They are highly prized and sought after today as art pieces but the original intention for them was for ceremonial purposes. The African mask traditionally represents a god or spirit and the wearer was believed to be possessed by the spirit represented by the mask.
While African ladies handbags might be believed by some to be a more contemporary art form, they have in fact a very rich history. Although more traditionally worn by males. Generally worn hidden under clothing to contain the proceeds of an unattainable task in order to win the heart of their beloved. A Mossi (Burkina Fasso) proverb even says “What is left in the bag is superior to what has been taken away”
Interestingly African musical instruments are also much sought after by art collectors and musicians alike. Even the banjo, thought to be a western instrument is of African historical origin and hand drumming is very specific throughout the entire continent of Africa as a means to support ritual dance. Many African cultures have used African musical instruments to ward off evil spirits. African music is seen as being dynamic and very functional, unlike western music that is designed to merely dance or listen to.
African Carvings are very pertinent to African culture and takes the form of many varieties of them, the most common themes in African carving of people are a couple, a woman and child, males with a weapon or animal and a stranger or outsider. African Carving also takes the shape of common household utensils. Bowls may be carved from stone or wood. The traditional Zulu meat or nyama bowl is carved from wood.
Essentially African arts and crafts have a rich cultural history and are widely sought after by collectors and art appreciators throughout the world.
Ranju Kumar is an assistant to Herman Wheeler who has been collecting and dealing with African art and Crafts for a number of years. Visit http://www.theafricanartwheel.com where you will find an extensive resource on African art and Crafts.
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/The-African-Wheel–Traditional-African-Arts-and-Crafts/350825
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A Brief History Of Yamaha Electric Guitars by
With over a hundred years of experience manufacturing musical instruments, Yamaha is universally acknowledged as the producer some of the world’s finest instruments. Yamaha started guitar production in the mid 1940′s and from that day to this have produced a wide variety of guitars to fulfil the needs of all players, from beginner to enthusiast and on to professional.
In February of 1964 The Beatles appeared on the “Ed Sullivan Show” in the USA and at a stroke the music world was changed, the electric guitar was here to stay. In the wake of this Yamaha began producing solid body electric guitars at their Hamamatsu facility in 1965 and early models of both electric and electric bass guitars debuted in 1966.
By the mid 1970′s legendary guitar artists such as Carlos Santana began to use Yamaha Guitars eschewing some of the great American brand names in favour of the unique features and superb build quality provided by these instruments. With the development of the SG2000 model in consultation with Carlos Santana, with it’s through neck construction and patented “T-Cross System” and “Sustain Plate”, Yamaha truly broke the mould, and in doing so the stranglehold of the two big American manufacturers. These innovations gave the instrument monumental sustain in conjunction with a powerful and warm tonality. With the ringing endorsement of legendary musicians such as Bob Marley, Steve Cropper, Phil Manzanera, and Carlos Rios, Yamaha’s SG range of guitars had sealed their place amongst the elite manufacturers of electric guitars. From there on Yamaha Guitars have gone from strength to strength, not just producing the instruments we see being used by some of the worlds great guitar innovators, but also truly blazing a trail in the production of high quality, affordable instruments for beginners and intermediate players alike.
At the end of the 1980′s Yamaha Guitar Development opened in North Hollywood, California. One of the first designs to come from there was the Pacifica series, this was a quantum leap for Yamaha Guitars, as it was an instrument designed and prototyped in the American custom shop with direct input from pro players. From this series there is a direct lineage to the entry level Yamaha guitars produced today. Today Yamaha provide a range of electric and bass guitars to cover all genres and to suit every pocket, so whether you aspire to the adrenaline fuelled world of hard rock, the smooth sophistication of jazz or anywhere in between there is something for you.
In the same way that the SG2000 took the electric guitar world by storm, in 1977 the release of the Yamaha “Broad Bass” or BB1200 bass guitar turned the world of bass guitarists upside down. Once again Yamaha were amongst the forerunners in the introduction of through neck construction, with it’s enhanced sustain characteristics and inherent advantages in terms of stability. This coupled with peerless build quality made the BB basses an instant hit, with Paul McCartney himself playing a BB1200S in the early 1980′s. To this day Yamaha’s place in the world of bass has been ensured with great session players like Abraham Laboriel and Nathan East playing Yamaha Basses, alongside cutting edge artists such as Billy Sheehan, John Patitucci and John Myung. Once again the developments made with these wonderful musicians are put to good use in the instruments Yamaha make for beginners and intermediate players making for a great playing experience for all.
A brief look at some of the legendary names that have wielded Yamaha guitars and bass guitars gives you an idea of the exalted company you’ll be keeping when you buy yours. Jimmy Page, Paul Simon, Bob Seger, James Taylor, John Denver, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Brian May, Carlos Santana, Bob Marley, Lee Ritenour, Martin Taylor, Nathan East, Billy Sheehan, Michael Anthony… the list goes on.
This article was written for Chappell of Bond Street. Yamaha guitars are very close to their hearts at Chappell’s Wardour Street, London store.
Article Source: http://www.earticlesonline.com/Article/A-Brief-History-Of-Yamaha-Electric-Guitars/282687
