The Scope of Musical Activities in Africa

The nature and scope of music making is generally related to the aims and purposes of a specific social events or the needs of the performers. As in many cultures of the World, music making in Africa may be organized as a concurrent activity, that is, as incidental or background music for other event such as games, wrestling matches, walking parties, processions, beer parties and feast. On the same basis, music may be related to the needs of the performers in a variety of ways. It may be performed in the street or by market vendors to attract customers.

    A vivid example of this use of music is given by Camara Laye in his African Child. Another kind of setting for the performer is found among the Frafra of the northern Ghana. In this society, a player of the one-string fiddle and a rattle player accompany by teams of men who cut grass as they play, the workers swing their cutlasses in a concerted manner to the rhythms of their music, causing the slashing sounds of the blades to fall regularly on the main beats. This has a remarkable effect on the speed as well as the efficiency of grass cutting for the rhythmic movements that are organised on some regular basis appear to be use fatiguing than movements in which exertion and release of effort do not form an ordered sequence. In some societies, the music is not as closely integrated with work as in this example, but is performed in the background. A.A Njungu tells us that in Barotse land, "village men, on returning from the field usually gather under a big tree listening to one of our several musical instruments, while the rest work at the various crafts.
     On ceremonial and ritual occasions, music making may similarly go hand in hand with set sequences of symbolic actions, performed with or without props by specified people playing given roles. These actions, which are dramatic in character, take place in the presence of some participants or spectators. Music may be integrated with the event, either to set the mood for the actions or to provide an outlet for expressing the feelings they generated. It may also be used to continue the dramatic action, hence, it may punctuate statements or provide a continuous background of ordered sounds.
    When a king dies in Sukuma land, in Tanzania, for example, some stages in the funeral are marked by music designed to perform various dramatic functions. The funeral announcement includes drumming, for the drums is associated with the office of the King(ntemi) can convey this message in a more forceful and dramatic manner to the community. According to Hans Cory, the drums, Lugaya or Milango, are turned upside down soon after the death of the king, when preparations for burial are made. While the corpse of the King is being carried to the grave, the itemelo drum is beaten. All those who hear the sound of the drum understand the word spreads: "ngomaya chibuka" the drum has burst, that is, the King is dead.
    For the crowing of a new King who succeeds a dead King(ntemi), a different stages of the ceremony are again marked by music. As soon as the new King comes out of the door of the palace,a song is sang by an office bearer.
                                      "Kawahenja, you small and pretty birth,
                                       come out that you may be seen by every body.
    
     A number of formal questions are put to him, and the end of each questions is punctuated by drum stand, and receive an ovation from the people. Silence is enjoined by beats as the King is formally proclaimed. While war songs and dancers are performed, the King retires for a time, and then returns to ceremonial ground. The coronation ceremony reaches it's musical climax when he returns. The names of the clans of his predecessors are recounted one by one, and each is punctuated by a drum beat. As each clan is called, the members dance forward to the King, brandishing their spears as a sign of their loyalty, and then return to their places in the crowd.
    The second approach is to organize music as a terminal activity or as an activity preceding a major event. Thus in some societies, the use of musical sounds made for flushing animals from cover during hunting is differentiated from the music performed after the hunt. The final phase of a ceremony or rite may be given more time than the actual ceremony or rite itself. There is a great deal of emphases in community life on music making as a terminal activity, for it is through such participation that a large number of people identify themselves with the aims and purposes of a social event and interact with one another. Enjoyment of the music of the occasion is always paramount consideration, hence, music making in such contexts may be protracted.
    A third way of organizing music is to make it a free activity, unrelated to a ritual, a ceremony or any form of non-musical event, for music and dancing constitute an important means of creation in African community life. This form of music activity, however, depends largely on the musical interest of the African community, as well as on the initiative and leadership of the individuals.