Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
NATIONAL IDENTITY
Arugha Aboyowa O.
ABSTRACT
Art music in Nigeria has its antecedence in the ideals and ideas of Western
art music as expressed in the works of the acclaimed composers of that
tradition. Colonial music education in Nigeria succeeded in disorienting the
beneficiaries and supplanted their natural creative urge with those of the
western tradition a process that converted them into mere imitators of the
composers of the western tradition. However Nigerian composers soon
realized the futility in this blind imitation, and the need to carve a niche and
a racial identity in a world that in increasingly becoming westernly global so
that their uniqueness as a people is preserved. In the search for identity and
relevance they turned to their musical heritage for inspiration and
techniques which is evident in the titles of their compositions, the use of
Nigerian texts, settings of traditional melodies, and some elements of African
music such as tonal constructs, melodic sequencing, pentatonic
configurations, antiphony, ostinato, melodic parallelisms, instrumentation
and instrumental ensemble formats, bi-partite voice leading techniques. It
is from this process that a truly Nigerian art music tradition will evolve.
INTRODUCTION
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in the sensibilities and cultural theories of the time, European art music
epitomized. For racially based and biased theories such as evolutionism had
placed European art music higher than any other type of music while
African music was rudimentary. In fact it was referred to as primitive music
and surviving vestiges of the trappings of the early stages of the development
of man. The concert repertoire consisted of mainly works by European
composers. The sensibilities of Victorian times did not permit the
performance of indigenous materials. According to Omojola (1995:14)
‘Traditional Nigerian pieces were rarely performed even though most of the
performers were African’. So in these concerts, African music was not
included. The concerts, therefore, could not have had any impact on the
generality of the indigenous Lagosians because their traditional music was
their main musical menu.
Repertory apart the concerts were also held along social class to the
extent that the ordinary Yoruba could not afford the expense of the entry
tickets even if they so desired. This was an era where to be or act European
was to be civilized. The Saro in an effort to be European aped the European
mannerisms and ‘deluded’ themselves in expecting to be treated as ‘black
white men’ (Ayandele 1974:9). This social expectation was consequent on
the fact that many of them had studied in England and were as qualified as
their white counterpart while others has their social status from their
position in the civil servant or as wealthy merchants. But this was not to
be, for the whites did not accord them the respect they thought they
deserved or had earned. For a while there was seething misgivings between
the whites and Saro. The ill feelings of the Saro came to the fore when the
whites apposed the consecration of Samuel Ajayi Crowther as Bishop
because of the racial prejudice of the white missionaries. For the whites felt
that is was anathema for a black man to superintend over whites. This
issue brought to the fore other misgivings of the black elite class and forged
the Saro and the indigenous blacks in a united stand against whites
domination. Consequent upon this the Saro began to shed the trappings of
European civilization and took pride in their African heritage. The
discontent was so severe that by 1881 there was a call for the establishment
of an African church which occurred in the 1888, 1981, 1901, 1917 schisms
in the Church and the emergence of the Independent African churches in
Nigeria.
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Lagos it spread across the southern churches and indeed the Nigerian
church and this become a veritable legacy from the Nigerian church to
Christendom and a precursor to Nigerian literary art music.
The three models above could be regarded as the traditional, the syncretic
and the experimental approaches of Nigerian composers. Right from the
inception of art music composition in Nigeria, Nigerian composers have in
their works been concerned about creating music that reflect their African
identity wherein they become innovative resulting in what Akpabot
(1986:102) calls ‘new sound’. But how was this done? This paper aims at
isolating, through score study, those African compositional techniques and
idioms and that the Nigerian literary art music composers have employed in
an effort to create an African identity in their works.
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music, while ‘Nigerian art composers’ is a literary creative musician which is
not only Nigerian by nationality but grew up in the cultural milieu and had
received formal training in western art music. What is art music? Amu as
quoted by Omojola (1995:6) defines art music as the music type where ‘a
great deal of attention is given to the technical or artistic interest of the piece
as a focus of aesthetic enjoyment.’ The paper assumes that Nigerian art
composers create from a paradigm that is not African and they have to make
a conscious effort to make their music acceptable to the Nigerian society.
The issue being that his music is foreign which s/he is trying or struggling
to localize.
In a topic such as this the conclusion must derived from the result of
analyzing several works by various composers and this raises some
attendant problems and questions. How many composers should be used or
how many works should be analyzed as to be representative of the general
trend? Considering the fact that most of the works of Nigerian composers
have remained largely unpublished, how can they be assessed/available?
The following criteria have been adopted to circumvent the issues just
mentioned: The works should be available in staff notation and published.
The issue of statistical representation has been ignored and I have adopted
the approach that once a musical feature is identified in a work, that
qualifies it for mention no matter the few instances where it is applied.
However, it will still be possible in a few cases, to generalize. The
methodology used in this study has been determined by the nature of the
topic. Data was obtained about Nigerian art composers from the libraries
and from the personal collections of scores of music lecturers at Abraka,
Awka and Nsukka. The scores were analyzed and what appears here is the
result of the study.
Titles of Compositions
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Song text in Nigerian Languages
From 1900 to circa 1950 most of the text of vocal works by Nigerian
composers were written in English. Although the adoption of English as the
official language was greatly responsible for this, the composers on their
part knew that the use of English has the potential of bringing their work to
a wider audience at a time when to write in English was indicative of the
highly cultured, an image which they craved so most of them wrote in
English. From the 1950s there was a gradual change in attitude towards
African culture and civilization especially regarding Nigerian languages and
composers became more confident and proud to use their languages. By this
1960s it it developed into a trend and several vocal works with text in local
languages began to appear. The trend towards the use of local languages
was first observed in the Yoruba and Ibo speaking areas of the country
before it began to be felt in the other languages. Even at this mostly of the
works were arrangements of folk songs by Ibo or Yoruba composers of which
Okechuwku Ndubuisi is noted. It will be recalled that Yoruba and Ibo were
among the first group of Nigerian languages into which the Bible was
translated and this influenced the early composers because they were all
Christians, and composed church music. It is note worthy that while the use
of African languages does not imply an Africaness in content as was the case
in the translation of hymns into local languages; they nevertheless reflect a
move towards nationalism in Nigerian art music.
Firstly is the use of folk melodies without alteration. This has three
presentations:
(a) Settings for solo voice and accompaniment. E.g. Akin Euba’s Six
Yoruba folk song for voice and Piano (1959), Three Yoruba folk songs
for baritone, Piano and Iyalu.
(b) Settings for two or more voices and accompaniment eg Samuel
Ojukwu’s Jemine for S.A.T.B. and piano
(c) Settings for a capella choir Ifionu’s Udala Nwenwe for SATB
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In these presentations the piano is the most preferred instrument for
accompaniment in the form of: introductions, interludes or endings, chordal
support and percussive drive to the piece. In Akin Euba’s Six Yoruba folk
songs arranged for voice and piano, the piano provides an introduction,
harmo-rhythmic support and an ending. In some piano accompaniments,
the piano is given the response after the soloist has executed the call. In
such cases the piano accompaniment is crafted within a call-response
rhythmic structure.
Tonality
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of musical tones is an important ways the composer does this; it represents
a framework of tonal musical syntax within which he communicates. Music
built on atonal structures breaks the vehicle of communication and the
composer looses his audience. This explains strong rejection by Nigerian
audiences of atonal music. It is gladdening to note that Nigerian composers
have remained largely tonal even when he employs discordant tones they are
quickly resolved within a tonal framework.
Antiphony
Works with this feature include Rev. T. Ola Olude’s Mayoku (Yoruba Hymn
book); Laz Ekwueme’s Elimeli, Obi Dimkpa, Nne n’eku nwa (O Mary, dear
Mother); Ayo Bankole’s Orisa bi ofun ko si.
Scale
Ostinato
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Laz Ekueme’s Hombe uses three different kinds of choral ostinati at
different times, in different keys, either on the three lower parts or on all
four (SATB) parts to accompany the melody, in order to achieve variety
within a thematic unity in the work. Ayo Bankole’s Orisa bi Ofun ko si
employs several ostinati during the course of the work. Ayo Bankole,
as an organist, indeed exploit the idea of the ostinato and ground bass
in a lot of his compositions, such that the passacaglia becomes an
important recurring feature in some of his major works ( . . .) Perhaps
the most sophisticated employment of the ostinato comes in Bankole’s
Ore Ofe. At the point where the three lower parts sing the words ife
olorun, the soprano sing a lively sequentially conceived melody to the
words Ore Ofe Kristi Oluwa.. The three lower parts sing a curious
combination of ostinati. The Bass has a 6 pulse (64) repeated phrase,
the Alto has an 8 pulse (44) ostinato, and the Tenor has a 9 pulse (44)
one. These go on simultaneously in the various parts for the number of
times required by each to accommodate the tune on the soprano line,
until all the parts beautifully cadence together, the Bass having
repeated it ostinato 15 times, the Alto taking its own for 10 and half
times, while the Tenor has a 9 time repeat of its theme, with a little
augmentation on the last repeat.
Harmony
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The first generation of Nigerian composers utilized an ensemble format
of western instruments. Their favorite instrument is the organ. Works in
this category include
Fela Sowande Ka Mura for organ (1945), Out of Zion for SATB with organ
(1955), and Ayo Bankole’s Ya Orule for piano (1957).
Samuel Akpabot’s
Akin Euba’s
Two Tortoise folk Tales for speaker and Nigerian instruments (1975),
Morning, Noon and Night a dance drama for Nigerian instruments (1975),
Joshua Uzoigwe’s
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(b) African Ensembles
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plays an instrument that should be percussed as in the piano, he deploys
the percussive techniques of drum playing where shades of timbres from a
single drum through striking and muting technique. Indeed it is absurd or
out of traditional for a player to play without variation. It is for this reason
that an African approaches the piano an indeed any struck instrument as a
set of tuned drums played within the principle of the time line.
Nonsense words/syllables
Texture
Conclusion
Notes
i
The Wesleyan (now Methodist) and the Church Missionary Society (Anglican) missionaries introduced
western education in Badagry in 1841 and 1843 respectively.
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ii
Dr Sam. Ekpe Akpabot made this comment during a class on African Music and Dance at the Institute of
African Studies, University of Ibadan in 1987.
References
Agu, D. C. C. 1999 Form and Analysis in African Music. Enugu: New Generation Books.
Akpabot, Samuel Ekpe 1998 Form, Function and Style in African Music. Lagos: Macmillan
Nigeria Publishers Limited.
…….1998 Foundation of Nigerian Traditional Musi.: Ibadan: Spectrum Books.
Amu, Misonu 1985 Stylistic and Textual Sources of a Contemporary Ghanaian art Music
Composer: A case study of Dr E. Amu. Unpublished M. Phil Thesis, University of
Legon.
Ekwueme, Laz E.N. 1974 “Linguistic Determinants of Some Igbo Musical Properties,’
Journal of African Studies 1(3): 335-353
…… (2001) ‘Composing Contemporary African Choral Music: Problems and Prospects’ in:
African Art Music in Nigeria Fela Sowande Memorial, M. A. Omibiyi-Obidike (Ed.),
pp.18-29. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Publishers (Nig.) Ltd.
Idolor, G. Emurobome. 2001 ‘Formal Education and the Development of African art music in
Nigeria’ Prospects’ in: African Art Music in Nigeria Fela Sowande Memorial, M. A.
Omibiyi-Obidike (Ed.), pp.18-29. Ibadan: Stirling-Horden Publishers (Nig.) Ltd.
Omojola, Bode. 1995 Nigerian Art Music.Ibadan: IFRA.
Toffolon, Elsa. 1981 SING ‘N’ CLAP Folk Songs of Nigeria for slo voice and Piano and Clap
Accompaniment Vol. 1 and II. Meki Nzewi (Ed), np:Elka Books.
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