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Nigerian HighLife

Web Note One:

I learned this arrangement of Highlife in 1976 from my first teacher, Nigerian Yoruba drummer/singer/dancer Augustus Olatunji Vidal when he taught at Sonoma State College in Northern California. At that time I was his apprentice drummer, teachers aide and workshop teacher.

There are many styles of Highlife in Africa, with the center of the movements being in Ghana and Nigeria. It is an urban music form that is sung in several languages, sometimes within the same song. During the 1970's in Nigeria, Highlife was supplanted by AfroBeat , a style created by Fela Kuti.

Strictly speaking, Highlife is an ensemble based rhythm with the addition of guitars, horns, electric bass and singers. The rhythm I present for you here is one base of the style. Try adding your own guitar, vocal, bass and horn parts, and respect the clave!!

Web Note Two:

If you need help integrating the Clave pattern and the four pulse, please check out my Clave Consciousness lessons.

Web Note Three:

This same pattern can be played standing by moving the rattle forward and back at shoulder height. You can strike your opposite palm and shoulder, though this is not absolutely necessary. The movement becomes "out -in-out" rather than "down-up-down."

Web Note Four:

Make sure you pay attention to where this pattern starts. Many people make the mistake of starting on beat one rather than beat three. This causes the rhythm to "go flat" and lose it's correct polarity to clave and the other drums. Just make sure you listen to the bell before starting.

Web Note Five:

This combination of patterns perfectly illustrates one principle of clave. The drum part is rhythmically the same on both sides of clave, but in the first half of clave, the points of conjunction are the second stroke of each pair : do GO do GO. In the second half of clave, the point of conjunction is the first stroke of the pair: PA ta pa ta.