You were listening to music from Ghana, a country in West Africa. See below for a link to a great map of Africa.
West African Music is usually very complex in its rhythm, and this example is no exception.
The instrument in the example has an unusual tone color, at least from a Western music perspective. The instrument is a type of marimba, with wooden keys that are struck with mallets. The unusual tone color is partly due to the design of the keys, but also due to the use of gourds as resonators under the keys, rather than the usual long tubes found on most marimbas in this country.
In Music 220, you will study music of several geographic regions, and in the process, you will learn about instruments, people, and a variety of fascinating customs.
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