Profs Video on Africa

Summary

This module explores the diversity and complexity of Africa, emphasizing its 54 countries, 55 states, and more than 2,000 languages. It challenges the oversimplified perceptions of Africa often presented in Western media. The reading, from Dr. Coffey Agawu's 'The African Imagination in Music,' critiques the Western classification system of African instruments, highlighting how it doesn't reflect indigenous African views. Agawu advocates for more culturally relevant classifications, exploring African naming conventions for instruments and the interconnectedness of independence and cooperation in African music, shedding light on the continent's rich and varied musical heritage.

Takeaways

• 😀 Africa is a continent with 54 countries (United Nations) or 55 states (African Union), home to over 2,000 languages.
• 😀 Africa is divided into regions: North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa.
• 😀 Be careful to distinguish between 'South Africa' (the country) and 'Southern Africa' (the region).
• 😀 Media often depicts a one-dimensional view of Africa, but it is a continent of immense diversity with thousands of ethnic groups and languages.
• 😀 The reading in the module comes from 'The African Imagination in Music' by Dr. Coffey Agawu, an expert in both African and Western music.
• 😀 Dr. Agawu critiques the Saks-Hornbostel system of instrument classification, calling it a colonial imposition by Western scholars.
• 😀 The Saks-Hornbostel system does not reflect African perspectives on musical instruments and their categorization.
• 😀 Agawu advocates for African musicians, musicologists, and instrument makers to define their own classification systems.
• 😀 Instruments in Africa are named and classified using various methods, including onomatopoeia, material composition, function, and cultural significance.
• 😀 Agawu emphasizes the African worldview of 'independence and cooperation' as central to both musical instruments and music-making practices.
• 😀 The African way of classifying instruments includes values and relationships that are not captured by Western classification systems, such as familial terms like 'mother' and 'child' in a drum ensemble.

Q & A

What is the significance of Africa's size and diversity in relation to its music?

Africa's vast size and diversity, with 54 countries and more than 2,000 languages, are reflected in its music, making it complex and varied. This diversity influences how instruments are made, used, and classified, with each region contributing its own traditions and sounds.

What are the key regions of Africa, and why is it important to distinguish between them?

Africa is often divided into five key regions: North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa. It's important to distinguish between these regions to understand the cultural and musical diversity of the continent, as they each have unique traditions and musical instruments.

Why does the Sachs-Hornbostel system of instrument classification not work for African instruments?

Dr. Agawu argues that the Sachs-Hornbostel system, a Western-imposed method, does not reflect how African musicians and communities perceive or categorize their instruments. The system prioritizes Western values and overlooks indigenous African ways of understanding and naming instruments.

Who are Sachs and Hornbostel, and why is their classification system criticized?

Kurt Sachs and Eric von Hornbostel developed a classification system for musical instruments, but it is criticized by Dr. Agawu for being a colonial framework that imposes Western ideas on African musical instruments, disregarding local perspectives and traditions.

What alternative ways do African musicians categorize their instruments?

African musicians categorize their instruments based on sound (e.g., onomatopoeia), materials (e.g., wood, bamboo, gourds), cultural significance (e.g., names of gods or ancestors), function (e.g., rhythm or melody), and kinship or family relationships (e.g., 'mother' and 'child' in a drum ensemble).

How does the concept of naming instruments based on sound, like the 'dun dun' drum, reflect African musical traditions?

Naming instruments based on the sounds they produce, such as the 'dun dun' drum, reflects the direct connection between the sound and the instrument's identity. This practice emphasizes the relationship between the instrument's function and its cultural meaning.

What does Dr. Agawu mean by 'unity in diversity' in African music?

Dr. Agawu explains 'unity in diversity' as the coexistence of independence and cooperation in African music. Instruments and musicians work together in a harmonious, yet diverse, way, with each instrument contributing its own unique sound while being part of a collective performance.

How does the Sachs-Hornbostel system fail to recognize African ways of knowing and categorizing music?

The Sachs-Hornbostel system fails to reflect African ways of categorizing instruments because it is based on Western ideas of classification that prioritize certain characteristics, like material or function, rather than understanding the cultural context and local significance of the instruments.

Why is it important to use indigenous names for African musical instruments, as suggested by Dr. Agawu?

Using indigenous names for instruments, like 'ganko gui' for a bell, helps to preserve and respect the cultural significance of these instruments. It acknowledges the unique ways in which African peoples understand and interact with their musical traditions, rather than imposing an external framework.

What does Dr. Agawu suggest about the role of African musicians and musicologists in instrument classification?

Dr. Agawu suggests that African musicians, musicologists, and instrument makers should be the ones to classify and categorize African instruments, as they have a deeper understanding of the cultural context and significance of the instruments, rather than relying on Western systems like Sachs-Hornbostel.