Which of the following is a basic characteristic of African music?

• A. Call and Response Form
• B. Ballad and Strophic Forms
• C. Major, Minor, and Pentatonic Scales
• D. Oral and Written Traditions

Answer: (A)

Call and response captures how many African musical performances work as a communal conversation. A lead voice or instrument issues a cue and others reply, often with variations or improvisations, creating a dynamic back-and-forth that invites wide participation. This format helps keep time and energy, weaving together drums, voices, and clapping into one shared performance. It’s a hallmark across chants, dances, work songs, and ceremonies, emphasizing collective involvement over fixed, one-way presentation. The other options describe forms or scales more associated with Western music or with transmission methods, rather than this fundamental interactive practice.