Republic of Liberia

History · Politics · Demographics Culture · Geography · Music Communications · Transport · Economy Armed Forces · Foreign relations Americo-Liberian · Nationality law Subdivisions: Counties · Districts Image File history File links Coat_of_arms_of_Liberia. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Politics of Liberia takes place in a framework of a presidential representative democratic republic, whereby the President is the head of state and head of government, and of a pluriform multi-party system. ... There are 16 ethnic groups that make up Liberias indigenous population. ... The culture of Liberia reflects this nations diverse ethnicities and long history. ... Telephones - main lines in use: 6,700 (2000) Telephones - mobile cellular: 0 (1998) Telephone system: telephone and telegraph service via microwave radio relay network; main center is Monrovia domestic: NA international: satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean) Cellular Phone Networks: 2 (2005) Lonestar (GSM 900) Omega Communications (GSM 900... The Armed Forces of Liberia (AFL) is the military of Liberia. ... Liberian foreign relations were traditionally stable and cordial throughout much of the 19th and 20th centuries. ... Americo-Liberians are a Liberian ethnicity of African American descent. ... The Republic of Liberia was founded by free American slaves of African origin who formed the American Colonization Society and returned to establish a republic on African soil. ... There are 15 counties in Liberia, as of 2005. ... Liberias 15 counties are subdivided into districts. ...

The music of Liberia involves several different genres. Liberia is a West African country. Its musical heritage includes several important genres of pop derived from neighbors like Ghana and Nigeria. Liberia also boasts an array of indigenous folk music, Christian music and influences from its Americo-Liberian minority. Because most cultures and customs in Liberia are influenced by the United States, R&B and Hip-hop are also being performed in this country as well.  Western Africa (UN subregion)  Maghreb West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. ... This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. ... Americo-Liberians are a Liberian ethnicity of African American descent. ... Rhythm and blues (or R & B) is a musical marketing term introduced in the United States in the late 1940s by Billboard magazine. ... Hip hop music is a style of music which came into existence in the United States during the mid-1970s, and became a large part of modern pop culture during the 1980s. ...

Folk music

Traditional Liberian music utilizes such typical West African elements as ululation, vocal repetition, call-and-response and polyrhythms. Traditional music is performed at weddings, naming ceremonies, royal events and other special occasions, as well as ordinary children's songs, work songs and lullabies. An ululation is a long, wavering, high-pitched sound resembling the howl of a wolf. ... In music, a call and response is a succession of two distinct phrases usually played by different musicians, where the second phrase is heard as a direct commentary on or response to the first. ... Polyrhythm is the simultaneous sounding of two or more independent rhythms. ... Nubian wedding with some international modern touches, near Aswan, Egypt Preparing for the photographs, at a wedding in Thornbury Castle, England A traditional Japanese wedding ceremony A wedding is a civil or religious ceremony which celebrates the beginning of a marriage. ... A name is a label for a thing, person, place, product (as in a brand name), and even an idea or concept, normally used to distinguish one from another. ... Childrens songs may be nursery rhymes set to music or modern creations intended for entertainment or use in the home or education. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A lullaby is a soothing song sung to children before they go to sleep. ...

Christian music was introduced to Liberia by American missionaries, and Christian songs are now sung in native languages in a style that mixes American harmonies with West African rhythms and a call-and-response format. Harmony, Greek ἁρμονία harmonía meaning a fastening or join. The concept of harmony dates as far back as Pythagoras. ... For the popular Tamil film, see Rhythm (film) Rhythm (Greek = flow, or in Modern Greek, style) is the variation of the accentuation of sounds or other events over time. ...

Popular music

Highlife music is very popular in Liberia, as elsewhere in West Africa. It is a combination of North American, West African and Latin American styles, and emerged in the 1950s in Ghana, Sierra Leone and Liberia, especially among the Liberian Kru people, who were sailors that played Spanish guitar, banjo, pennywhistle, harmonica, accordion, mandolin and concertina [1]. Highlife is a musical genre that originated in Ghana and Sierra Leone in the 1920s and spread to other West African countries. ... The 1950s was the decade spanning from the 1st of January, 1950 to the 31st December, 1959. ... KRU is a popular Malaysian singing group that formed in the 1990s. ... classical guitar A classical guitar, also called a Spanish guitar, is a musical instrument from the guitar family. ... A four-string banjo For other uses, see Banjo (disambiguation) The banjo is a stringed instrument of African origin, early or original examples sometimes being called the gourd banjo. One predecessor to the banjo is called the Akonting. ... Tin whistles in a variety of makes and keys The tin whistle, also called the flageolet, pennywhistle, Irish whistle, or simply whistle, is a simple six-holed breath instrument. ... This article does not cite its references or sources. ... A 24-bass piano accordion An accordion is a musical instrument of the handheld bellows-driven free reed aerophone family, sometimes referred to as squeezeboxes. ... Carved (electric) and round backed mandolins (front) A mandolin is a small, stringed musical instrument which is plucked, strummed or a combination of both. ... English concertina made by Wheatstone around 1920 A concertina, like the various accordions, is a member of the free-reed family of instruments. ...

Past and present musicians include Hawa Moore, Tejajlu, Molly Dorley, Yatta Zoe, Anthony Nagbe and Miatta Fahnbulleh. Of these Dorley deserves special notice for having spearheaded a movement to create a national Liberian identity, alongside musicians like Anthony "Experience" Nagbe. Dorley's popular songs include "Grand Gedeh County Oh! Oh!" and "Who Are You Baby, Oh!".

There is a new breed of budding musicians now in Liberia. they have created their own Label called HIP-CO which is usually in the Liberian English or local vernacular. this music is very popular with both youth and adults. It touches on all aspects of life in Liberia.(for more information, contact Mr. Bennie Johnson, VP of the Musicians Union of Liberia-gbenniejohnson@yahoo.com and James Dwalu - jvdwalu@yahoo.com (Writer/Poet) The country's most renowned radio station is ELBC, or the Liberian Broadcasting Corporation.

References

• [2]

External links

• Samples to download