in sub-sahara africa, it is one of the main ways that vocal music is organized. [call and response singing] (man) call and response is the lifeblood of african people. and so, for example, when we played "kakilambe," there was a call, ♪ maimbo maimbo mama maimbo kakilambe be boom be ♪ and we responded. and so, as you could see, there is a lead person singing, and we respond directly. so if you had to connect it to, perhaps, a western sense of it, you would have section a stated and then section a repeated. in the ceremony for kakilambe, call and response plays a very important part within the music. it's a harvesting dance. you're calling to kakilambe for blessings. (man) call and response goes back to the communal nature of african music. traditionally, in africa, there are truly no spectators. everybody's involved. so if somebody is starting a ceremony or singing a song, everybody answers. there's a call. it brings everybody into the ceremony, so that it ties the community together. ♪ it's me. ♪ it's me, oh, lord. (chorus) ♪ i am standing in... (man) call and r