| For many years, Africa was referred to as the Dark Continent, because many Westerners could not look into the lifestyles and mysteries that might exist there. Superstitions about Africans were common, causing many outsiders to think of Africans as being somewhat less than human. By traveling to Africa, my eyes have been opened to the vitality of African life, culture, and cultural education that are found there. Traditional African music has been studied intensely by ethnomusicologists, and frequently mentioned by cultural anthropologists and sociologists. Until recently, studies focusing on how Africans achieve or learn their musical ability were not so easy to find. Ethnomusicologists give some indication of the learning process during their discussions of indigenous ceremonial and social settings. But today's Africa is dynamic, ever changing, with many Africans receiving most of their education away from traditional settings. These non-traditional educational settings are often ignored by Westerners. When music education is to be considered, the problem is compounded because of the belief that only traditional indigenous music is of importance in Africa. My own observation suggests that almost all African music is important. Those Africans who want to study traditional and other music for cultural enrichment, or for entering music or music education as a career, seek ways to achieve their goals.;This project represents a first-hand account of research observations related to music education in sub-Saharan Africa that have taken place over a period of many years. Traditional musicians, contemporary musicians, composers, music educators, students, churches, governmental offices, and other entities have been made a part of this study. Because of my dual life as an African-American and a continental African, I try to think of Africans as being the subjects, rather than objects, of my discussions, hopefully lending an African perspective to this work. Social, cultural, economic, and political issues become highly important, for both positive and negative reasons. International developmental issues are also a component of this study, with cultural development being an area of discussion.;With Nigeria being the focus, and Senegal, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ghana serving as other examples, a variety of music educational settings are explored, formal and informal, traditional and modern. Interviewees include persons who are well-known and not-so-well-known. An unusual feature is that there is a section devoted to expatriate African musicians, because so many musicians have left Africa for whatever reason. Their stories are special.;Finally, the conclusion explores my own concerns, laudits, ideas, and suggestions concerning the development of musicians and music education in sub-Saharan Africa. Hopefully, the reader will read this work intently, because most of what I have written represents a different way to look at Africa, a way that is seldom explored. |
