African Music Analysis

8/21/2019 African Music Analysis

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The concept of the existence of a unique African philosophy, as

discussed by many scholars, is said to underline the Africans

thinking and perception of life, and in turn permeates all aspects of

his existence and being, be it family, work, war or creativityFor

eki !"ewi bases his discussion of inter#rhythmic reali"ation and the

structure and analysis of African music on this concept of African

philosophy and African musical philosophy, calling onto the concept

of co#existence and interdependence in traditional African societies,

as he talks about the relationship between simultaneous musical

motifs in an ongoing drum music$%

This idea has been contrasted by several scholars who, taking

the &niversalist perspective on philosophy, argue that the notion of

an African philosophy is a ploy by 'esterners to perpetuate a sense

of inferiority and di(erence in the mind of the African$ This

orientation is made abundantly clear in )mbos *&niversal +enitions

of African -hilosophy,. where he brings to light that the ob/ects and

methods of philosophy are universal01and consequently2 what

makes African philosophy African is not that it is about some unique

African truths, concepts, or problems, but rather that it is the written

literature of Africans engaged with universal philosophical

problems$3 4e further disagrees with 'estern ethnophilosophical

% eki !"ewi$ *Theoretical 5ontent,.African Music: TheoreticalContent and Creative Continuum, The Culture exponents Denition$6ldershausen, 7ermany8 )nstitut f9r +idaktik -opul:rer usic, %;;$3 ?amuel 6luoch )mbo$ *&niversal +enitions of African -hilosophy,.An Introduction to African Philosophy$ !ew @ork8 owan BCittleeld-ublishers, %;;D, p$ 3%$


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representation of Africa that *in their emphasis on African

separateness, ethnophilosophers are basically trading in the

currency of European stereotypes01as such2 the di(erence

ethnophilosophers emphasi"e is di(erence from Europe$.=

This ideation of a universal philosophy in contrast with an

African philosophy extends beyond the boundaries of social

organi"ation and thought it also permeates discourse in musical

systems, especially the area of music analysis$ The term analysis as

used here refers to the breaking down of musical aspects and

determining how they work together and the di(erent roles that

each aspect plays in the total sonic structure$ The question that

arises from this loose denition is how does one determine the

functions and reasons for the composers Gbe it communal or

individualH choices of musical elements even after breaking the

whole structure downI +oes this determination or analytical

methodology emanate from a universal perspective or from the

composerJmusical societyI And if the latter, should that be given

prominence over the universal approachI

)t is incontrovertible that the ideologies of a particular period

and geography are largely imbibed into its musical systems, and as

such the compositions that are made in that time will typify the

culture and general ethos of the people and their beliefs$ This goes

to reason that methodologies and concepts developed for musical

analysis will, to a large extent, be developed with particular music

= ?amuel 6luoch )mbo 6p$ 5it$ p$ 33$


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systems in mind to which it should remain faithful$ )n extending this

idea, it is likely that this cultureJperiod specic analytical method

could be used in analy"ing music from outside cultures or later

periods, at least on a purely sonic level$ The problem with this is

that it has the potential to sub/ect other music, without a prior

written analytical method, to *harsh. concepts of understanding,

analysis and interpretation or misinterpretation$ Further, the music

is forced to ad/ust to the standards of this foreign analytical aid,

sometimes loosing integral nuances peculiar to it$ This is the issue

with analy"ing African music with 'estern or &niversal

methodologies8 you stand the risk of generali"ation mostly due to

inadequate knowledge of the African culture Gincluding music

makingH and an appropriation of European terminologies to pre#

existing concepts used on di(erent parts of the continentthis idea

stands true for the misappropriation of the term rhythm and its

derivatives such as polyrhythm, ploymetricity and cross#rhythms by

European theorists to the perception of movement of music in time$K

6n the other hand, &niversalists could easily infer Gand they

doH that the conception of a thinking so specic to African music and

the Africans special point knowledge of musical elements should be

abandoned$ Thus, in his *epresenting African usic. Lictor Mo

Agawu exclaims that * the truth is that, beyond local inNections

deriving from culture#bound linguistics, historical and materially

inNected expressive preferences, there is ultimately no di(erence

K eki !"ewi$ 6p$ 5it$ pp$ =3#K%$


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between European knowledge and African Mnowledge0all talk of a0

distinct African mode of hearing, or of knowledge organi"ation is a

lie$.O Agawus argument in this literature suggests that African

music scholars should leave behind the notion that African music

and its making is too special to be analy"ed by other methodologies

it would seem that he seeks a sameness in analytical ideology

while eki !"ewi seeks a more di(erential approach to the issue$

Again, Agawus may be acceptable because after all, music is music

and sound is sound, so why should there be variation in the hammer

that breaks its structures downI

+rawing from the above perspectives of reasoning, ) am more

likely to sway to the ideals of Mo Agawu that. there is obviously no

way not to analy"e African music.>$ y concern therefor is the

aftermath of breaking down the structure of the music, after

identifying the *what. component, how do you proceed to the *why.

component of analysesI ) am of the view that even if 'estern

analysis makes for a better approach to the *what. aspect, it will

certainly lack in the approach to the *why. in African music$ This is

the part where a contextual analyses comes to play the part where

we try to identify the composers motives and ideologies in his

choice of musical ob/ects and elements the part that requires an

understanding of the philosophy of interdependence in nature and

the African composers ideals of belonging in a society, a society

O Lictor Mo Agawu$ *4ow !ot to Analy"e African usic,.epresentin! African Music: Postcolonial "otes, #ueries, Positions$!ew @ork8 outledge, 3PP=, p$ %DP$> Lictor Mo Agawu$ 6p$ 5it$ p$ %;>$


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that is reNected in his musicfor the *what. is in the sound while

the *why. is in the people and culture that make the music$

+iscussions on Analy"ing African music8 &niversal and ?pecic

)deologies$

?amuel Qoateng


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Ment ?tate &niversity

?eminar )n Ethnomusicology8 usic of Africa

+r$ Ma"adi wa ukuna

6ctober 3=, 3P%K

-aper O

Qibliography

Agawu, Lictor Mo$ *4ow !ot to Analy"e African usic,.epresentin! African Music: Postcolonial "otes, #ueries,Positions$ !ew @ork8 outledge, 3PP=, pp$ %

Documents

African Music Analysis