The objective of African music is not necessarily to produce sounds agreeable to the ear, but to translate everyday experiences into living sound . . . .
Consequently, African voices adapt themselves to their musical context — a mellow tone to welcome a new bride; a husky voice to recount an indiscreet adventure; a satirical inflection for a teasing tone, with laughter bubbling up to compensate for the mockery — they may be soft or harsh as circumstances demand. Any individual who has the urge to make his voice heard is given the liberty to do so; singing is not a specialized affair. Anyone can sing and, in practice, everyone does.
This is the essence of the collective aspect of African music; no one is ruled out because he is technically below par. Vocal music is vitally important in this respect because it gives the people who perform it every day of their lives a confirmation of the social significance of their art.
