l timbres in hocket, and solo voices which sometimes emerge as leading melodic indicators" (Merriam, 1982, p. 138). The music of the Nguni peoples (Zulu, Swazi, Xhosa, etc.) is characteristically Black African. However, its variations include: "lack of a steady tempo, slow movement, the presence of spoken recitative, strong portamento (sliding from one note to the next), large but flaccid sound, and extremely dense texture" (139). In general, the music areas of Africa consist of similar stylistic features in the large central core, marked differences in style in the north and northeast, and variant forms in the south (139).
The common denominator of African music is its central function both in terms of the community and the individual. Music is a celebration of life and its various passages. When an African child is born, the event is accompanied by traditional songs, dances, and rituals. Even prior to the birth of the child, when the mother visits the witch doctor regarding the child's delivery, special incantations and dances are employed in which the entire village often participates. The naming of the child is likewise a celebrated event. In Ghana, the Akan people even sing a special song to discourage bedwetting
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