大象传媒

Afro Celt Sound System: Release - EdexcelFusion music

Afro Celt Sound System are a collective of musicians who combine elements of traditional West African, Celtic and Western pop to create fusion music. Release is from their 1999 album Volume 2: Release.

Part of MusicFusions

Fusion music

While a lot of music has influences from around the world, fusion is a genre itself. Fusion music is a blend of two or more styles of music. Fusion music cannot be called just one because it can be a mixture from many different types of world music. For example, bhangra music is a fusion of traditional Indian music and Western popular music.

Composers have been influenced by other world cultures throughout history, but pop fusions like Afro Celt Sound System and Capercaillie have become more common since the 1960s.

The following timeline includes some of the most notable fusion albums and artists since the 1960s.

Artists include; Machito; Miles Davies; Dizzy Gillespie; Bob Marley; Frank Zappa; Paul Simon; Bjork; Santana; Damet Akalin.

Other examples of 20th century fusion projects and their origins are:

  • Afro Celt Sound System - Irish traditional, West African traditional, electric dance
  • Esperanza Spalding - with
  • Dizzy Gillespie and Machito - Afro-Cuban with jazz
  • Buena Vista Social Club - fusion of African and South American elements with American guitar
  • Capercaillie - Gaelic traditional with modern music technology
  • Demet Akalin - Turkish folk with Western
  • Nitin Sawhney - Asian with elements of jazz, electronica and other worldwide influences

Fusion instrumentation

The Afro Celt Sound System song Release is a mix of Irish folk and West African instruments.

Celtic instruments

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 5, A Hurdy gurdy - a stringed instrument played by a hand turned wheel., Hurdy gurdy a stringed instrument that uses mechanical wheels to rotate and rub against the strings to create the tone. The instrument sounds similar to the bagpipes.

West African instruments

Image gallerySkip image gallerySlide 1 of 3, Djembe drumming, Djembe a skin-covered West African drum played by hands and tuned by ropes along the side. It sits between the performer鈥檚 legs.