Through the course of my undergraduate studies at Kabarak University School of Music and Performing Arts (SMPA), I observed a standardised curriculum for the study and examination of Western music Performance, through established systems and exam boards such as Associated Board of Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM). This was absent in the study of Kenyan indigenous music performance. Standards and...
Abstract:
Analysis is a structural explanation of a piece of music in terms of its tonality, metric divisions, form, texture, rhythmic importance, melodic significance and harmonic processes among others. The techniques adopted in the piece are also very important. The study focuses on the rhythmic techniques adopted in dùndún drumming performance in Yoruba land. These techniques are...
African communities culturally craft songs text to serve cultural and religious purposes. This paper intends to explore the ways in which this is embodied through Ikerigbele songs which is indigenous and performed among the Abraka-Urhobo people of Nigeria. The songs are performed during the annual Ovwuvwe festival. The songs present a body of text that contains a great deal of information...
There is evidence to suggest that lack of sufficient treatment motivation (TM) is a challenge among substance use disorder (SUD) clients. It is therefore critical that the issue of treatment motivation is addressed. Studies suggest that music-based intervention (MBI) may be used as a means to enhance motivation of such persons. However, such evidence is scanty and hardly has any research been...
This study will explore how music functions in the context of forced migration as a result of ethno-political violence among the South Sudanese refugees, and how refugee management policies in Uganda promote, restrict and transform such expressive cultures. Four main questions will guide the study: 1) how do the South Sudanese refugees use song and dance to embody, reflect, and express their...
When the low levels of female participation in decision making is considered, there is reason to believe that among other factors, the socialisation and enculturation of women through marriage ceremonies in Zambia has a deep impact on how women perceive their roles beyond the household. This study examined the subtleties for women empowerment or disempowerment in the music of women’s marriage...
The earliest manifestation of the saxophone in the Nigerian popular music scene dates back to the 1950s. It came with the introduction of highlife music to the Nigerian entertainment arena by musicians from Ghana. It thereafter became more popular through the Afro beat of Fela Anikulapo Kuti, in which it was used for solo rendition in almost speech-song style. The saxophone has then continued...
ABSTRACT
Through the annals of history of theatrical performance in Kenya and the globe at large, one thing that has stood out is the specificity of each undertaking. Stemming from the idea of theatrical performance as process and product of ritualistic performance in the African context, the outlook of the national and community theatres has, in spite of the “standardized performance lingo”...
Electronic musical instruments have been a part of the performance practice of Kenyan music for approximately eight decades. Electronic musical instruments in this study will refer to any musical instruments that produce or alter the sound produced by an electronic means. This study seeks to investigate the role and impact of these instruments in the performance practice of Kenyan music. The...
