Defining African traditional musical traits: Resource material for African art music composition

AbstractBetween 1971 and 1989, fifteen editions of the Cursos Latinoamericanos de Música Contemporánea (Latin American Contemporary Music Courses) took place alternatively in five countries of the continent. These were intensive meetings concentrated in two weeks, consisting of classes, workshops, seminars, conferences, and concerts. One of the central concerns was contemporary art music composition, although an important space was also given to performance, technologies, innovative pedagogies, popular music, and musicology. Around 150 lecturers from different countries took part in the courses, among them, about forty-five were European. On the one hand, the courses aimed at providing updated information on contemporary international musical life. On the other hand, they encouraged its critical evaluation in relation to the history, culture, and concrete practices of Latin American musicians. This article analyses exchanges between Latin American and European musicians regarding compositional techniques, theoretical perspectives, repertoires, aesthetics, and ideological positions during the 1974 and 1977 editions of the Cursos.

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Emurobome Idolor and the Discourse of Nigerian Art Music: A 60th Birthday Celebration

AFRREV IJAH An International Journal of Arts and Humanities ◽

10.4314/ijah.v9i1.6 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

pp. 58-68

Author(s):

David Bolaji

Keyword(s):

Music Education ◽

Music Composition ◽

Art Music ◽

Empirical Method ◽

Compositional Techniques ◽

African Music ◽

Philosophical Perspective ◽

Indigenous Music ◽

Scholarly Publications ◽

Birthday Celebration

This article focused on some of the contributions of Emurobome Idolor in the Nigerian music studies. His scholarly contributions cut across different areas of Art Music including Ethnomusicology, Music Composition, Conducting, African Music and Music education in Nigeria. This article identifies and acknowledges the ideological concept of Idolor’s Philosophy towards excellence. Also, this article justified and abstracted some musical attributes that he portrayed as a scholar in Nigerian Art music. Empirical method of research was used for this study, through the holistic overview of some of his scholarly publications and two of his art music compositions titled “Glory Hallelujah and Nigeria’ Otoro So Owan. Through abstractive analysis of these creative works, younger art composers will learn and acquire divers’ compositional techniques that can be used and adopted in promoting African indigenous music. Key Words: Hard Work, Philosophical Perspective, Art Music and African Music

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African Art Music and the Drama of Christian Worship among Baptists in Nigeria

East African Journal of Traditions, Culture and Religion ◽

10.37284/eajtcr.2.1.226 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 2 (1) ◽

pp. 72-82

Author(s):

Isaac Osakpamwan Ibude

Keyword(s):

Art Music ◽

New Music ◽

Ethnographic Research ◽

African Art ◽

Design Data ◽

Facilitated Communication ◽

African Experience ◽

Christian Worship ◽

And Performance ◽

Functional Art

Church music is purpose-driven and functional art. The search for authentic African experience in Christian worship among Nigerian Baptists brought about the introduction of art music compositions into the drama of worship. The paper discusses the development and contextualisation of Baptist worship by the inclusion of new music(s) written, composed and performed by Africans for the purpose of the liturgy, serving as a voice within the culture. The research adopted an ethnographic research design. Data were collected from published works and recorded art music compositions, content analysis of worship bulletins, personal interviews with art music composers, choirmasters and pastors within the denomination. Textual analysis of art music compositions reveals that there are four different modes of communication in the drama of worship: Kerigmatic, Leitourgic, Koinonia, and Reflexive. The emergence and performance of art music compositions in the drama of worship have facilitated communication, indigenisation and acculturation of Christian worship among Baptists in Nigeria.

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KOMPOSISI KARAWITAN ISMUNING CAHYA: INTERPRETASI KEESAAN TUHAN MELALUI TOKOH SEMAR

Keteg: Jurnal Pengetahuan, Pemikiran dan Kajian Tentang Bunyi ◽

10.33153/keteg.v20i2.3555 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 157-167

Author(s):

Danis Sugiyanto ◽

Sigit Setiawan

Keyword(s):

Music Composition ◽

Contemporary Music ◽

Research Work ◽

Art Music ◽

Works Of Art ◽

The Creation ◽

Artistic Research

This work is entitled "Ismuning Cahya", is a work of contemporary Javanese gamelan music composition with the theme "the form of the Oneness of God” represented by the wayang character, Semar. The purpose of the creation of this works is to prove the existence of contemporary music (gamelan), as a reference for gamelan students who are interested in creating works of art (music). The output of this artistic research work is in the form of works (both live and/ or audio documentation) and scientific works which contain the process of developing the works "Ismuning Cahya". From there, it is hoped that this work will be able to become a model for the creation of works of art, especially the creation of contemporary gamelan.

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The Challenge of African Art Music

Circuit Musiques contemporaines ◽

10.7202/1005272ar ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 21 (2) ◽

pp. 49-64 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Kofi Agawu

Keyword(s):

Piano Music ◽

Traditional Music ◽

Art Music ◽

African Art ◽

Diverse Range ◽

Steve Reich ◽

Oxford University ◽

Creative Achievement ◽

Gyorgy Ligeti ◽

Musical Knowledge

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.

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