Emerging Solutions for Musical Arts Education in Africa

Pan African Society For Musical Arts Education

Description

Emerging Solutions for Musical arts Education in South Africa offers peer-reviewed articles prepared for the 2003 Conference of the Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education in Africa held in Kisumu, Maseno, Kenya.Not only does this publication voice the solutions offered by 31 authors from the African continent and beyond, but it presents in a unique and highly accessible fashion the collective voice of the conference participants.True to the spirit of ubuntu – an individual is only a person through other people (their communities) – this publication is a reflection of the essence of an overarching sub-Saharan philosophy; the contents represents a conference where papers were not presented, but where conference participants engaged to discuss solutions for the musical arts on the African continent.While the individual voice has been given its rightful place, the collective voice represents an emergent song composed by the scholarly community in oral fashion.This publication provides insight into the problems of musical arts education in Africa; and solutions for musical arts education.

Sujets

• Musique

Informations

• Publié par: African Minds
• Date de parution: 03 décembre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 1
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 2 Mo

Extrait

Emerging solutions for musical arts education in Africa Selected articles prepared in advance for the 2003 PASMAE conference and commissioned researchbased chapters on the collective voice of conference participants Kisumu, Kenya, 5 to 11 July 2003

Edited by Anri Herbst

Cape Town  African Minds

Emerging solutions for musica l arts education in Africa Selected articles prepared in advance for the 2003 PASMAE conference and commissioned research based chapters on the collective voice of conference participants

Kisumu, Kenya, 5 to 11 July 2003 Published for the Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (Pasmae) by African Minds 109 Buitengracht Street, Cape Town, South Africa ISBN 1920051112 © 2005 Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education (Pasmae) First edition, first impression All rights reserved Copy editor: Edwin Hees Music typesetting: Adrian More Artwork: Geoff Walton Production management: Compress www.compress.co.za Marketing and sales agent: Oneworldbooks www.oneworldbooks.com Orders can be placed with Oneworldbooks: P.O.Box 16185, Vlaeberg, 8018 Telephone: [phone] Fax: [phone] Email: [e-mail] Online ordered: www.oneworldbooks.com

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Contents

Foreword vi Anri Herbst

Keynote address 1 Establishing dialogue: thoughts on music education in Africa Mogomme Masoga

Part A: The collective voice

Musical arts education in Africa: a philosophical discourse 11 Anri Herbst

Discussing music as science and art 25 Meki Nzewi and MÍcheál O Sûiilleabháin

Technology and the musical arts in Africa 32 Michael Nixon

Part B: The individual voice

Dodo47performance: an avenue for education in and through music Hellen A O Agak

To ‘sing the Lord’s song in a strange land’: music in the education of the Kenyan child 54 Emily Achieng’ Akuno

Relative theories: an African perspective 64 Mandy Carver

Investigating musical lives in Botswana: students at the intersection of local, African and Western musics 72 Sheelagh Chadwick

The significance of minimal units and intercultural music education 101 Rossana Dalmonte

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An ethnic approach to music making as a strategy for teaching African music: the need for systematic research 108 James Flolu

The distant music of the future 114 Marjut Haussila

Linking African sounds through collaborative networking 134 Christopher Klopper

Report on music technology 143 Robert Mawuena Kwami

Indigenous African music in a relocated context: a case study 153 Robert Mawuena Kwami

Indigenous music theatre of the Tsonga people of South Africa 163 Nyiko Nelson Manganye

Factors affecting music education in Zambian government schools and the community 169 Boscow Mubita, Joyce Nyirenca, Justina Nayame, Munalula Kakanda & Arnold S Muyunda

Pedagogical implications for the use of African music in developing a contextualised secondary school music education in Zambia 178 John A Mwesa

Instrumental music ensemble as a general musicianship training strategy 202 Meki Nzewi

An audiovisual approach to musical arts education in Africa: a multidisciplinary perspective series 211 Odyke Nzewi

Resources: musics of Southern Africa for education 219 Elizabeth Oehrle

Reclaiming Kenya’s popular music: a solution to a dilemma 228 Caleb Chrispo Okumu

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Game songs and folktale songs as teaching resources in musical art education of a Luo child 235 Rose A OmoloOngati

Researchcomposition: a proposition for the teaching of composition from the traditional perspective 250 Christian Onyeji

Performance styles of selected Luo contemporary genres 267 Charles Nyakiti Orawu

Issues of access, demand and teaching of African music and its related technology in the Kenyan higher education system 283 Wislon O Shitandi

External influence on theLitungutraditional popular music of the Luhya in Kenya 298 Isaac Waswa Shitubi

The Soccajasco kids project: an African musical intervention in an African problem 306 Krystyna Smith

Interactive songs for children 321 Johanella Tafuri

Linking music making to musical arts education in Africa: a case study of Zairian music 327 Mellitus Nyongesa Wanyama & Joseph Basil Okong’o

La pratique de la danse comme processus du cognitif musical dansl’apprentissage338/ Dance as a cognitive process in learning music Adépo Yapo

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Foreword

A person who is carrying an elephant on his or her head should not be searching the ground for a cricket.

Since I heard this African proverb a week ago, I knew instinctively that it is relevant to this book. The equivalent of this proverb is phrased more harshly in Matthew 7:4 (Living Bible): ‘Should you say, “Friend, let me help you get that speck out of your eye,” when you can’t even see because of the board in your own?’  In our search for solutions to musical arts education problems unique to the African context, there is no time to beat around the bush. Postcolonial Africa cannot afford to sit back, waiting for the West to provide solutions; neither is it healthy to keep on blaming others for the continent’s situation which is, to a large extent, to be laid at the door of colonial governments. However, proverbs tend to work in both directions: while people from Africa should seek creative problems to restore the continent’s cultural riches within the context of the global world, the Western world should also engage in acts of selfanalysis, allowing the African voice to be heard the way that it is; not in fancy Oxford English or Princeton phraseology. It is a voice which tends to ‘repeat’, although not exactly, ideas in true oral fashion to gain advanced energy and direction; a voice which bears marks of colonialism and a voice of peoples undergoing transformation as an important part of selfanalysis, singing songs in acculturated verses validated by indigenous refrains.  James Flolu from Ghana succinctly summarised this situation during one of the sessions at the Pasmae Conference in Kisumu, Kenya; he called for a mature African identity, be it from singularist or pluralist perspectives, that will reflect responsible interaction and respect for other cultures:

We have been hindered by this concept of "their" music and "our" music, which has influenced our attitude and approach to the teaching of music in the classroom. We have become very conscious of something being "Western" and another being “African”; however, at some point we will have to realise that, if we look around us, a lot of things that we see are neither Western or African – they just belong to "us".

Emerging solutions for musical arts education in Africa is the outcome of the conference of the Pan African Society for Musical Arts Education held in Kisumu, Kenya, 511 July 2003. This publication is unique in that, apart from presenting individual voices of participants, an entire section is devoted to the ‘collective’ conference voice based on principles of Grounded Theory. This emergent collective voice is portrayed in Part A, which consists of chapters written by focus

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group leaders Michael Nixon, Meki Nzewi and Micheál O Suilleabhain, and myself. Since the conference, we have experienced the unfortunate loss of a dear colleague and friend, Robert Kwami, who chaired the technology session at the conference and who passed away before this publication came about. May his soul rest in peace.  Apart from detailed notes by the focus group leaders, arrangements were also made for audiovisual recordings, which resulted in a 106page electronically typed transcript. These documents informed the relevant chapters in which the discourses are presented. Although frequency of occurrence plays an important role when generalisations are made, none of the participants’ opinions were dismissed as peripheral and an attempt has been made to present a holistic picture of the musical arts in African countries represented at the conference.  Fortyfour articles and essays were prepared prior to the conference and underwent a strict impartial peerreviewing process involving four peer reviewers per contribution. Twentysix of these articles were recommended for publication and, after being edited, appear in Part B. Because many of the individual contributions belong to more than one of the focus areas, it was decided to print them in alphabetical order and not grouped according to the focus areas.  Caroline van Niekerk administered the peerreviewing process and started preliminary editing of some of the articles, an effort for which Pasmae’s executive is grateful. Christopher Klopper handled all Transfer of Copyright administration and assisted me by typing in the bibliography of a contribution in which the relevant information was omitted from the electronic copy. He also made me laugh at times when all I wanted to do was to bang the computer! I would also like to mention Jasper Saayman’s dedication to this project; his administrative assistance was invaluable and he managed a smile even after his computer was flooded and he, as a consequence, had to redo large chunks of work for this publication. Adrian More set all music examples and gracefully moved notes according to my instructions: ‘slightly to the left, a bit up … yes, that is it!’  The task of communicating between African countries is not one for sissies, and definitely not one which the uninitiated should tackle barehanded or bare foot. One of the very real problems related to a poorly established communication infrastructure between scholars from countries, cities, towns and villages on the st African continent, even at the dawn of the 21 century, is that, despite the editor filling cyberspace with zillions of email messages, some articles still lack precise referencing. Not only should governments attempt to empower scholars to network across Africa, but scholars on the continent also need to work with greater care when providing the results of their extremely valuable fieldwork.  Despite the diversity of opinions, both parts of the book reveal a strong awakening to the value of indigenous knowledge systems. As Meki Nzewi pointed out in his Presidential Address (see <www.pasmae.org> for the full version of his address):

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We must bear in mind that the musical arts in Africa, long before the modern systems, was the indefatigable organ that marshalled African indigenous health, political, social, religious and recreational services with the integrity and credits appertaining to its sincere practitioners.

If musical arts education in African will truly derive from Africa’s rich knowledge base, we must engage in research at home levels. We must reinstitute African concepts, meanings, theories and values of the musical arts education and practice.

Nzewi’s view was suitably echoed in Kezia Nakirya’s statement: ‘Not all research costs a lot of money, some costs nothing. It costs me nothing to ask my grandmother about the musical instruments of her day. So my point is: we are all teachers who have a passion for music, so let’s change our attitudes and get to work!’  It is appropriate to end this foreword with the following words of wisdom sent to Meki Nzewi by Mogomme Masoga on the eve of the Kenya conference, words with which he launched the conference, and words which I now use to launch this book:

The history of medicine

2000 BC 1000 BC 1850 AD 1940AD 1985 AD 2000 AD

Here, eat this root. That root is heathen. Here, say this prayer. That prayer is superstition. Here, drink this potion. That potion is snake oil. Here, swallow this pill. That pill is ineffective. Here, take this antibiotic. That antibiotic doesn’t work anymore. Here, eat this root!

Forum Microbiologicum, Summer, 2000

Anri Herbst South African College of Music University of Cape Town South Africa

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Keynote address

Establishing dialogue: thoughts on music education in 1 Africa

2 Mogomme Masoga●University of the North West, South Africa●[e-mail]

Finding ourselves: context

I must confess that I was rather hesitant about accepting the invitation to deliver the keynote address at such a conference as this. My hesitation was partly due to my naivety when it comes to the theories and methodologies of music research and science. However, I am not completely new to musical experiences and practices. I was born and bred in families and clans with a rich musical background. One of the instances that I can recall was when I was introduced to the basic esoteric knowledge and skills of handling oracular tablets. Songs and dances characterised the entire process of digging for and gathering of herbs as well as administering medicines. Novices in training for healing and divining had to use music, i.e. clapping of hands, drumming and dancing to induce ancestral trances on a daily basis. Songs such asKhalel’nkanu, khalel’nkanu, nkanu y’baba b’yi buzi nkanu(I am crying for the healing horn, let my ancestral spirits bring the healing horn to me) were repeatedly sung by the novices led by their seniors in the sangoma lodges (izindomba). With drums beating in the background, novices danced and evoked their spirits to become active. Then I was informed by one research participant, Koko, that ‘Magwetja nkwe ya thaba badimo ba retwa e bile ba lebogwa ka mekgolokwane’ (ancestors are praised and thanked by means of ululations which are characterised by songs and dances). In most cases those around the possessed novice or trainee are expected to respond by clapping hands and beating a drum rhythmically. Usually the spirit in possession begins singing her or his favoured song and is then joined by those who sit around.

1  This contribution was also published in the journal of the Centre for the Study of Southern African Literature and Languages,Alternation,10(2) 2003, 334–347. 2  The author acknowledges with appreciation the doctoral bursary (1999–2001) support of the National Research Foundation (NRF) that made this research possible, as well as the scholarly guidance from Professors P J Nel and M A Moleleki.

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Establishing dialogue: thoughts on music education in Africa

 In one of the spirit possession activities (trance related) I observed the following: the novice was sitting on the floor when she began to shiver and was agitated and had uncontrollable hiccups. She moved her feet uncontrollably. Immediately those sitting around her spoke patiently:Botse botse, le seke la tla ka bogale, tlang ka lethabo, e kaba mokgekolo goba mokgalabje, re a le amogela (Wonderful, wonderful, do not come with trouble, come with good tidings, we welcome you). Theithwasana (novice) then moved out of the ancestral room towards the hut of the trainer (gobela). She was going tohlehlagreet (to accordingly). She then sang the preferred ancestral song:Awee… shai… mankarankaraand thereafter greeted the trainer. 3  I am also reminded of my exclusive interview with diviner-healer Gogo Nkosi from Majaneng in the North West province of South Africa. She used music to 4. decipher theditaola(divining bones). On one specific occasion the client-in- consultation (molwetsi) was accompanied by clapping of hands as he breathed into the bag full ofditaolaand threw them on the floor. When the divining bones (ditaola) lay scattered on the floor, having been thrown bymolwetsi, Gogo Nkosi began her musical divinatory performance (golaola): 5 Gogo:A re yeng le ditaolaLet us go along with the bones Audience:Siyavuma(clapping hands while We agree/confirm or we are with you shouting in agreement with the 6 oracle)

3  She has a strong background in Sepedi divination and healing practices, but her divination technique has a Nguni approach. She uses hand-clapping pulses to accompany her divination process. The audience interject by shouting (affirmatively)siyavuma (meaning ‘we agree with the divining bones’) to indicate their active participation in this process. 4 Ditaola, from Sepedi, is derived from the verb rootlaola, which translates as to ‘divine’, or put scientifically, to seek or establish meaning. As Peek (1991:2) rightly asserts,

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A divination is often the primary institutional means of articulating the epistemology of people … [it] is central to the expression and enactment of his or her cultural truths as they are reviewed in the context of contemporary realities.

In this case, the use ofditaolaand going through thelaolaprocess in themselves offer and guide the enquirer into the entire context of esoteric knowledge, symbolic power and performative beauty. An interesting formula – it functions as both the opening phrase and it also paces the divination process. The diviner-healer uses this formula to call for the attention of the audience present and at the same time authorises the divining bones to function. It means ‘let us begin and go along with the divination process’. The audience is supposed to respond affirmatively:siyavuma(‘we agree’). In this case it is important for both the diviner-healer and the audience present to find a common space of agreement, which affirms the divination process and shows the intercultural nature of African divination and healing.Siyavumais in this case expressed in a Sepedi context, while one may note its Nguni derivation. Divination in an African context is both dynamic and intercultural, and it further employs a variety of devices and patterns. Some of these devices and patterns are borrowed from other African cultural orientations.

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Gogo: Audience: Gogo:

Audience: Gogo:

Audience Gogo: Audience: Gogo:

Establishing dialogue: thoughts on music education in Africa

7 Ka mokgwa o dibolelago ka gona Siyavuma Ge ke eya ke tsamaya le taola tsa gago Siyavuma Eeh ditaola tsa gago di wele makgolela papa waka Siyavuma Ge eya ke bolela le taola tsa gago Siyavuma Molomo ka basemanyana Siyavuma

According to your bones As I go along with your bones

We are with you This is a critical bone-fall [falling of the bones]

We are with you As I go along with your bones We are with you Gossip by boys We are with you

Lastly, I can also share one of the appealing and rhythmic wedding songs sung in my village:

Dikuku di monate Lenyalo le boima Rena re a tsamaya o tla sala o di bona makoti

Wedding cakes are tasty But marriage is a tough zone We leave you and you shall see how to finish – (The term ‘you’ refers to both the bride and groom).

However, what becomes a challenge is to begin to engage seriously in dialogue within the science and practice of Music in Education, viewed from an African context or perspective. This is what has given me a hard time. I couldn’t help being reminded of the story of the two Italian women shouting at each other across the street from the upper storeys of their houses. A watching bystander cynically observes to his companion: ‘They will never agree. They are arguing from different premises!’ Disagreement is, of course, endemic to intellectual debate. But it seems that a conference-cum-workshop on ‘Solutions for music education in Africa’ is more likely than others to produce what one would no doubt term ‘The mother of all controversy’. There are two main reasons for this. One is the longstanding conflict between ‘Music’ and ‘Ethnomusicology’ or rather ‘Para- musicology’. The other is a child of the twentieth century: the dichotomy which has been created between what has come to be called Eurocentrism and

6  Clapping of hands in a rhythmical way introduces a musical form and content. The diviner-healer provides most of the lyrical basis while the audience supports the entire musical structure. It becomes important for the process not to suffer from boredom but instead offers both meaning and entertainment for the diviner-healer and the audience. As Finnegan (1970:2) argues, ‘Oral literature is by definition dependent on a performer who formulates it in words on a specific occasion – there is no other way in which it can be realized as literary product’. 7  The diviner-healer is able to exhort her audience to go along in the divination process. In this case she builds on the formulary pattern and emphasises the fact that the divining bones have the capacity to speak the truth. The divining bones are said to be powerful as they reveal the mysteries of life, for life, against life, and on life. Life’s binary oppositions are detected and analysed through the process of divining bones. The diviner-healer uses the expressionka mokgwa wo di bolelago ka gona. It seeks to keep both the speaker and audience on track.

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