scholarly journals The Challenge of African Art Music

2011 ◽  
Vol 21 (2) ◽  
pp. 49-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kofi Agawu

This essay offers broad reflection on some of the challenges faced by African composers of art music. The specific point of departure is the publication of a new anthology, Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, edited by Ghanaian pianist and scholar William Chapman Nyaho and published in 2009 by Oxford University Press. The anthology exemplifies a diverse range of creative achievement in a genre that is less often associated with Africa than urban ‘popular’ music or ‘traditional’ music of pre-colonial origins. Noting the virtues of musical knowledge gained through individual composition rather than ethnography, the article first comments on the significance of the encounters of Steve Reich and György Ligeti with various African repertories. Then, turning directly to selected pieces from the anthology, attention is given to the multiple heritage of the African composer and how this affects his or her choices of pitch, rhythm and phrase structure. Excerpts from works by Nketia, Uzoigwe, Euba, Labi and Osman serve as illustration.

2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-25
Author(s):  
Justice O. ◽  
Emmanuel O.A.

Ethnomusicology has an important mission of providing a body of musical knowledge that can be drawn on by artist-composers, performers, dancers as well as scholars in the field of music. The paper therefore presents an outcome of a creative ethnomusicological study of abele music among the Yeji people of the Bono-East Region in Ghana. Using Euba’s theory of creative ethnomusicology and Nketia’s concept of syncretism, the study highlights the indigenous elements of abele musical genre and unearths the process where these elements were used to create a musical artefact called Abelengro. Data for the study were collected through observation and adopted definitive analysis to provide the materials for the composition. The study revealed that Abele music contains rich source materials for creating a neoclassicism of African traditional music that could be enjoyed by a wide range of people. It is envisaged that these rich indigenous musical elements and idioms are harnessed by contemporary art musicians to achieve the uniqueness of African identity in art music compositions in Ghana.


2006 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 457-460
Author(s):  
Duncan Ivison

Political Obligations, George Klosko, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2005, pp. x, 266.Jacobins and Utopians: The Political Theory of Fundamental Moral Reform, George Klosko, Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2003, pp. xii, 200.Perhaps two of the most persistent and perplexing questions in political theory are: Why should I obey the law (or the state)? And, what is the relation between human perfection and politics? Can (or must) human beings realize their true nature through politics? Or is any such hope not only misplaced, but dangerous—one that is itself a problem that political theory must confront? In these two thoughtful books, George Klosko sets out to address them, drawing on a remarkably diverse range of material to do so.


1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-24
Author(s):  
Patricia Shehan Campbell

Because art music of the late twentieth century has received little attention in North American school music settings, this paper proposes a rationale as well as procedures for the teaching of one of its emerging styles: minimalism. A brief historical view of the development of minimalism is offered, the influence of Cage's concepts of music as an ongoing [if indeterminate] process is recognised, and the relationship of minimalism to other musical sytles and genres is noted. Listening lessons for works by composers Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Phillip Glass are devised, along with suggestions for performance and composition experiences in the music classroom. Due to its eclectic nature, including the influence of rock and pop music, instruction in the music of the minimalist composers is viewed as a gateway to other art music styles and techniques of the late twentieth century.


2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 639 ◽  
Author(s):  
İlhan Ersoy

<p><strong>Abstract</strong></p><p>This article examines the diversity in music with a “sociological/social” centered perspective. Based on the fact that music has a social basis independent of all other musical components, the article asserts that different societies have different kinds of music at both the national and international scale. In other words, the differentiation of societies also differs the music they produce and consume. This approach theoretically carries the subject over to the grounds of ethnomusicology which is a musical discipline that leans against anthropology.</p><p>The article first examines the relationship between music-society providing examples regarding the fact that there is a differentiation in music just as societies are separated into different layers. Afterwards, the relationships of <em>Turkish Art Music </em>and <em>Turkish Folk Music </em>with different social layers at different geographies are taken into consideration.</p><p>Secondly, the article also carries out evaluations on the differentiation of <em>Turkish Art Music </em>and <em>Turkish Folk Music</em> on a social basis as two different musical traditions of Turkey. It has been put forth through various examples in the article that Turkish Art Music is a music type that has developed under the auspices of the ruling class. Whereas Turkish Folk Music has not received sufficient attention from the ruling class even if it has been supported from time to time. In addition, it has been argued that Turkish Folk Music is a type of music that contains different cultures and local traces instead of being the only type of music adopted by the public.</p><p>The cultural context of music has been examined in the final section of the article thereby making evaluations by way of concepts such as public culture, learned culture and hybrid culture.</p><p><strong>Öz</strong></p><p>Bu makale, müzikteki çeşitliliği, “sosyolojik/toplumsal” merkezli bir bakış açısıyla incelemektedir. Yani makale, var olan diğer müziksel bileşenlerden bağımsız bir biçimde, müziklerin toplumsal bir zemini olduğundan hareket ederek hem ulusal hem de uluslararası ölçekte, farklı toplumların farklı müziklere sahip olduğunu savunmaktadır. Bir başka ifadeyle, toplumların farklılaşması, onların ürettikleri ve tükettikleri müzikleri de farklılaştırır. Bu yaklaşım, konuyu kuramsal olarak, antropolojiye yaslanan müziksel bir disiplin olan, etnomüzikoloji zeminine de taşımaktadır.</p><p>Makalede öncelikle müzik-toplum ilişkisi incelenerek toplumların farklı tabakalara ayrılması gibi müzikte de bir farklılaşmanın olduğu konusunda örnekler sunulmaktadır. Sonrasında ise <em>Türk Sanat Müziği</em> ve <em>Türk Halk Müziği</em> türlerinin farklı coğrafyalarda farklı toplumsal katmanlar ile ilişkisi ele alınmaktadır. </p><p>Makale ikinci olarak, Türkiye’deki iki farklı müzik geleneği olan <em>Türk Sanat Müziği</em> ve <em>Türk Halk Müziği</em> türlerinin toplumsal zemindeki farklılıkları üzerine değerlendirmeler yapmaktadır. Makalede, Türk Sanat Müziğinin yönetici sınıfın himayesinde gelişen bir müzik türü olduğu ile ilgili örneklere yer verilmiştir. Türk Halk Müziği ise zaman zaman yönetici sınıf tarafından desteklense de bu kesimden yeterli ilgiyi görememiştir. Buna ilaveten, Türk Halk Müziğinin halkın bütünü tarafından benimsenen tek bir müzik türü olmak yerine farklı kültürleri içerisinde barındıran ve yöresel izler taşıyan bir tür olduğu savunulmuştur.</p><p>Makalenin son bölümünde ise müziğin kültürel bağlamı incelenerek halk kültürü, öğrenilmiş kültür ve melez kültür gibi kavramlar üzerinden değerlendirmeler yapılmıştır.</p>


2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 9
Author(s):  
Welly Agita Sari ◽  
Yos Sudarman ◽  
Marzam Marzam

Abstract This study aims to describe the implementation of analysis of examination questions by the cultural arts teachers at Class X of Accounting Department in SMK Negeri 2 Pariaman. This type of study was qualitative research with using descriptive analysis method. The instrument of the study was the researcher and it was assisted by interview note, observation note, and documentation files. The researcher was involved in the research as a participant observer. The types of data were primary and secondary with qualitative data analysis techniques that described the problem. The result of this study indicates that the analysis of examination questions of cultural art (music) done by the teachers of SMK Negeri 2 Pariaman, which have been tested on the final exam in odd semester 2018/2019, shows the results of the existence of categories of questions that are easy, medium and difficult, based on the results of examination of students correct answers which have been recapitulated and summarized. there are six items whose material are not related to the subject, the description of questions are too broad and the questions that the teachers have never been explained in the Indonesian traditional music insight material, then the questions can be removed, replaced or corrected. The results of the analysis of questions. Keywords: semester exam analysis, cultural art teacher


2019 ◽  
pp. 127-150
Author(s):  
Nepomuk Riva
Keyword(s):  

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