African Harmonies

African harmonies are songs sung in several parts at once, with each voice carrying its own line until they lock together into one huge, rich sound. The style comes from the folk and gospel traditions of Southern Africa, sung in languages such as Zulu, Shona, Ndebele and Setswana. It's taught by ear, not from sheet music, so all you need is your ears and a willingness to join in.

Across Southern Africa, singing together is woven into daily life. Songs turn up at weddings, in church, at work and around the fire, and many have been passed down through generations without ever being written down. Zulu is spoken mainly in South Africa, Shona and Ndebele in Zimbabwe and Setswana in Botswana. Each language brings its own rhythm and sounds, and Zulu and Ndebele even include click sounds, which are a lot of fun to attempt.

The group splits into sections and each takes a different line. One carries the melody, and the others sing higher or lower notes that fit around it. Alone, your part might sound a bit odd. Together, it's glorious. Many songs use call and response, where a leader sings a phrase and the group answers, and some add claps, sways and a bit of stepping. Rhythm is half the fun.

Your Activity Leader teaches each part by ear, a line at a time. Listen, sing it back, repeat. You'll pick up the words, what they mean and a little about the story behind each song. Then the parts get layered up one by one until, suddenly, the whole group is in harmony and the hairs on your arms stand up. It's quite a moment.

Brilliant, you're exactly who this is for. There's no audition, no sheet music and no solo unless you fancy one. Singing in a big group is the easiest way to find your voice, because nobody can pick you out over everyone else. By the end, you might catch yourself humming it in the queue for coffee.

You might also like Sign Language, Ukulele and STOMP Body Percussion.

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