Profs Video on Africa

Summary

This video introduces the vast and diverse continent of Africa, which consists of 54 countries and 55 states, highlighting its rich linguistic and cultural diversity. The focus then shifts to Dr. Coffey Agawu's critique of the Western Sachs-Hornbostel system for classifying African musical instruments. Agawu advocates for an indigenous approach, encouraging African musicians and musicologists to define their own classifications based on cultural, material, and functional aspects. The video emphasizes the balance of independence and cooperation in African music-making, challenging colonial frameworks and showcasing the continent's musical complexity and variety.

Takeaways

• 😀 Africa is a vast continent made up of 54 countries (according to the UN) or 55 states (according to the African Union), with diverse regions such as North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa.
• 😀 South Africa refers to a specific country, while Southern Africa is a broader region, so it's important to differentiate between the two.
• 😀 Africa is home to over 2,000 languages, reflecting its immense cultural diversity and complexity.
• 😀 The common media portrayal of Africa often oversimplifies the continent, neglecting its rich diversity in terms of ethnic groups, languages, and traditions.
• 😀 Dr. Coffey Agawu's work focuses on African music, particularly the diversity of instruments found across the continent.
• 😀 The reading in this module discusses the flaws of the Sachs-Hornbostel system of instrument classification, which does not accurately represent African musical instruments.
• 😀 Agawu argues that the Sachs-Hornbostel system is a colonial imposition and that African musicians and scholars should have the authority to classify their own instruments.
• 😀 African instruments are often named according to indigenous methods, such as onomatopoeia (naming instruments based on the sounds they make), the materials used to create them, or their cultural or spiritual significance.
• 😀 Classification of instruments in Africa might also depend on their musical function, familial relationships in ensembles, or their association with gods, ancestors, or dances.
• 😀 Agawu emphasizes the African perspective of music-making, which balances independence and cooperation, and argues that the Sachs-Hornbostel system doesn't fully capture this worldview of music.
• 😀 The chapter challenges Western-centric ideas and encourages understanding of African instruments within their own cultural context, promoting an inclusive view of African musical practices.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of this module?

The module focuses on the diversity and cultural richness of Africa, with an emphasis on African musical instruments and how they are classified and perceived.

How is Africa divided in the lecture, and why is this distinction important?

Africa is divided into five regions: North Africa, West Africa, Central Africa, East Africa, and Southern Africa. This distinction is important to avoid confusion between 'South Africa' the country and 'Southern Africa' the region.

How many countries and states does Africa have, according to the United Nations and African Union?

Africa has 54 countries according to the United Nations and 55 states according to the African Union.

What is Dr. Coffey Agawu's background?

Dr. Agawu was born in Ghana, West Africa, and is an expert in both African and Western art music. He is Professor Emeritus at Princeton University and has worked at the City University of New York.

What is the Sachs-Hornbostel system, and why does Dr. Agawu critique it?

The Sachs-Hornbostel system is a Western classification method for musical instruments. Dr. Agawu critiques it because it imposes Western values on African instruments, failing to reflect African ways of categorizing and understanding music.

What alternative to the Sachs-Hornbostel system does Dr. Agawu propose?

Dr. Agawu proposes that African musicians, musicologists, and instrument makers should classify African instruments based on their own understanding and cultural perspectives, rather than adhering to the Western Sachs-Hornbostel system.

What are some methods African musicians use to classify and name their instruments?

African musicians may classify instruments based on sound (e.g., *dun dun* for a drum), materials (e.g., wood, bamboo, gourds), cultural significance (e.g., gods, ancestors), musical function, or familial relationships (e.g., 'mother' or 'child' drums).

Why does Dr. Agawu emphasize learning the African names for instruments?

Dr. Agawu emphasizes learning the African names for instruments because these names are integral to understanding the cultural and functional significance of the instruments, reflecting indigenous worldviews.

What is meant by the phrase 'variety in unity' in the context of African music?

'Variety in unity' refers to the African musical tradition of balancing independence and cooperation. This is reflected in how musical instruments are used, often having distinct roles but working together within a larger musical context.

How does Dr. Agawu view the role of Western scholars in classifying African instruments?

Dr. Agawu views the Western classification of African instruments as a colonial imposition, where Western scholars dictate what is important or valuable in African music, rather than respecting the indigenous African perspective on their instruments.