PercAI is an explorative project aimed at developing a human-AI co-creative model to enhance the creativity, analysis, and learning of West African polyrhythms, specifically the traditional balafon music composed by Youssouf Keita and Aly Keita. Through the use of AI technology, the project seeks to inspire both African and Western musicians, as well as bringing new insights to ethnomusicology, and the global music creatives on the use of AI.
As continuation to Creatie Research Group’s AI Musicking project (2023-24), PercAI will research into the ‘bottom-up’ approach (machine learning ML and deep learning) to learn from data and discover the underlying patterns among the balafon polyrhythms, capturing the compositional relationships among melody, patterns, and pulse. The process will train a generative AI model—a human-AI co-creative model prototype—that is capable of producing rhythmic and melodic patterns to accompany a user-inputted main melody, hence, empowering performance and creativity in balafon style.
Situated at the center of the research, the balafon musicians will be invited to record and sample the balafon compositions in MIDI format (i.e., data collection), feedback, and guidance to refine the AI model. Hence, the project embraces a participatory approach: feedback loops and co-creation concert comprising KCA students, traditional musicians and percussionists. Additionally, PercAI will investigate the ethics inherent in developing AI models for traditional music forms.
Update: April 2025
