1 2 0 AFRICAN MUSIC SOCIETY JOURNAL
o c c a s io n a l a s id e s in o r d e r to e x p la in a fo re ig n p h ra s e o r to g iv e c r e d it to th e s im p le r a n d p o s s ib ly m o re
“ a c c e p ta b le ” A fric a n m e lo d ie s . T h is is d o n e w ith a c le a r s en se o f th e s ta tu s o f A fric a n m u s ic a l id io m w h ic h th e a u th o r c o n sid e rs m a y h a v e a c e rta in p r im a l m e rit b u t can o n ly be tre a te d as a s te p p in g s to n e to h ig h e r th in g s .
T h e te n o r o f th e b o o k can be a p p re c ia te d in th e w r it e r ’s o w n w o r d s w h e re h e d is c u s se s M u s ic F e s tiv a ls (p . 2 5 ):
“ M u c h can b e d o n e th r o u g h th e w is e c h o ic e o f E u ro p e a n m u s ic to b e s u n g a t fe s tiv a ls
to establish good taste.
T h is d o es n o t m ean th a t th e m u s ic h as to b e d ifficu lt. T h e r e is a g r e a t d e a l o f v e r y g o o d m u s icw h ic h is
quite easy
to s in g .”E a s y E u ro p e a n m u s ic , in g o o d ta ste , a n d a lw a y s w ith o n e en d in v ie w , th a t th e r iv e r d iv id in g b la c k fro m w h ite m u s t b e c r o s se d , s o o n e r o r la te r — b y th e m .
T h is is a p ity as th e re is m u c h g o o d m a te ria l in th e b o o k w h ic h w o u ld b e n e c e s sa ry in s tr u c tio n in a n y m u s ic a l m a n u a l. A s it is th e re is a c o n s ta n t fe e lin g in e v e r y c h a p te r, in s p ite o f s e v e r a l e x c e lle n t a d m o n itio n s to im p r o v e th e p e rfo rm a n c e a n d q u a lity o f th e in d ig e n o u s id io m , th a t th e o n ly s ta n d a rd o f m u s ic a l m e rit m u s t b e E u ro p e a n in its o r ie n ta tio n , th a t th e d e v e lo p m e n t o f A fric a n m u s ic m u s t u l t i
m a te ly in c lu d e W e s te rn h a r m o n ie s , a n d th a t A fric a n m o d a lity w ill so m e d a y g iv e p la c e to th e m o re
“ c iv ilis e d ” te m p e re d sca le . T h is h y b r id d e s tin y m a y be o n its w a y fo r so m e o f A f r ic a ’s m u s ic . W h o can s a y h o w m u c h w ill be affected b y E a s t o r W e s t ?
T h e re a re so m e s tr a n g e la c u n a e in th e w o r k . N o m e n tio n is m ad e o f A fric a n cro s se d rh y th m s w h ic h a re b a s ic to m o st A fric a n c o m p o s id o n s o f m e rit a n d to m u c h A fric a n en s e m b le p la y in g ; a n d o n ly s lig h t re fere n c e is g iv e n to th e p o s s ib ility o f th e re b e in g c o m p le x fo rm s o f A fric a n c o u n te rp o in t a n d p o ly p h o n y ; a n d th e fe w e x a m p le s o f in d ig e n o u s m u s ic a l in s tru m e n ts h e g iv e s a re o f th e s im p le s t, a n d ig n o r e th e w id e ra n g e o f x y lo p h o n e s , m b ira s, tu n e d d ru m s a n d h o rn b an d s, ex a m p le s o f a ll o f w h ic h can b e h e a rd w ith in a s h o r t d is ta n c e fro m , i f n o t w it h in , th e b o rd e rs o f K e n y a its e lf.
T h e a u th o r d o e s , in fa c t, a d v o c a te re se a rc h in to th e c o m p le x itie s o f th e w h o le ra n g e o f A fric a n m u sic s:
“ T h e re can b e fe w m o re u r g e n t n eed s in th e m u s ic a l w o r ld in A fric a to d a y , th a n fo r as m a n y m u s ic ia n s as p o s s ib le to g iv e th e ir m in d s to d is c o v e r in g a ll th e y can a b o u t th e tra d itio n a l m u s ic o f th e c o u n tr y , its s o n g s , m u s ic a l in s tru m e n ts , s y s te m s o f to n a lity , r h y th m ic p a tte rn s a n d its fo r m .”
H e c o n c lu d e s th a t:
“ so m e o f th is m u s ic is lik e ly to d is a p p e a r w ith o u t tra c e in a g e n e ra tio n o r tw o , o r b eco m e so in flu e n c e d b y m u s ic fro m o th e r p arts o f th e w o r ld , th a t it w ill b e d iffic u lt to re -d is c o v e r th e o r ig in a l id io m in a ll its s tr e n g th ” .
A p a rt fro m th e fa c t th a t m o st E u ro p e a n m u s ic a ls o d is a p p e a r s w ith o u t tra c e in a g e n e r a tio n o r tw o , th is s m a ll b o o k w ill u n d o u b te d ly fill a g a p in th e s h e lv e s o f u s e fu l h a n d b o o k s a n d , w e h o p e , w il l b e th e fo r e r u n n e r o f s e v e ra l m o re .
H . T .
* * * * *
“ A F R IC A N S C U L P T U R E ” ,
by
W illia m F a g g a n d M a r g a r e t P lass. 160 p p ., f u lly illu s t r a t e d w ith p h o to g ra p h s . S tu d io V is ta . L o n d o n . 18/-.H e re is a m o d e st litt le v o lu m e , o n ly 5" b y 7 wh i c h te lls m o re a b o u t A fric a n s c u lp tu r e in a co m p re h e n s iv e a n d u n d e r s ta n d a b le w a y th a n a n y p re v io u s a r t w o r k o n th e s u b je c t w h ic h h as co m e o u r w a y .
T h e s c rip t is c o n tin u o u s a n d th e e x a m p le s o f c a r v in g o r b ro n z es a re illu s tr a te d o n th e sa m e p ag e as th e d e s c r ip tiv e te x t in e v e r y case. T h r o u g h o u t th e w h o le a n th o lo g y th e jo in t a u th o rs g iv e o n e co m p le te c o n fid e n c e in th e in t e g r ity o f th e ir ju d g e m e n t, th e ir w id e e x p e rie n c e a n d th e ir e x te n s iv e b a c k g r o u n d k n o w le d g e o f b o th th e B ritish M u s e u m a n d th e U n iv e r s ity M u s e u m , P h ila d e lp h ia .
It is a g r e a t r e lie f to find th a t a ll th e e x a m p le s p re s e n te d a re fe a tu re d fo r th e first tim e a n d th a t the a u th o rs h a v e a v o id e d w h a t th e y c a ll th e u s u a l “ c a n n ib a liz in g ” o f e a r lie r illu s tr a te d w o r k s o n th e su b ject.
T h e ir in tro d u c tio n is a s m a ll m a ste rp ie c e o f co m m o n s en se in a field w h ic h h as lo n g b een m u d d ie d b y th e ro m a n tic ism o f fa lse im a g in a tio n a n d th e c u r io tra d e . O n e w o u ld lik e to q u o te w h o le p arag ra p h s as th e w o r k h as so la r g e a b e a r in g u p o n its s is te r s tu d y , th a t o f in d ig e n o u s m u sic . I f o n ly m u s ic c o u ld be illu s tr a te d b y p h o to g ra p h s it w o u ld be g r a n d ; as it is , m u s ic ia n s w ill e n v y th e ease w ith w h ic h th e jo in t a u th o rs m a k e th e ir p o in ts a n d d e m o n s tra te th e ir c o n c lu s io n s . T h e re a re n a tu r a lly a fe w d ire c tio n s in w h ic h th is b o o k m ig h t h a v e b een im p ro v e d b u t o n ly fe w . T h e m a in d iffic u lty I th in k , is in o b ta in in g p h o to g ra p h s o f s u ffic ie n tly h ig h q u a lity to b r in g o u t th e fu ll g e n iu s o f th e s c u lp to rs a n d c a rv e rs .
In m o st cases I find th a t p h o to g ra p h s ta k e n o n th e sp o t a re b e tte r a n d m o re r e v e a lin g th a n those ta k e n in an a lie n la n d o r a p h o to g r a p h e r ’s s tu d io w h e r e th e lig h t in g h as in d ic a te d th e ta ste o f a tech n ician ra th e r th a n th e h o m e ly lig h t u n d e r w h ic h th e w o r k s w e re c re a te d . In th is th e a u th o rs suffer th e sam e lim ita tio n s as th e m u s ic re se a rc h w o r k e r w ith a n in a d e q u a te re c o r d in g a p p a ra tu s o r th e a fte r effects of p o o r a c c o u s tic re p ro d u c tio n b y th e m o n o -a u ra l d e v ic e o f g ra m o p h o n e o r ra d io . In eac h ca se th e object o f s tu d y c a n n o t b e fu lly a p p re c ia te d in th e ro u n d . T h is h o w e v e r d o es n o t d e tra c t fro m th e co m p reh en s iv e n e s s o f th e b o o k w h ic h is w e ll d e m o n s tra te d in th e fin al p a r a g ra p h o f th e ir in tro d u c tio n w h ic h reads:
“ R a r e ly in h u m a n h is to r y ca n a p e o p le h a v e b een c o n fro n te d w ith a n o v e r t a n d co n scio us ch o ic e b e tw e e n h a v in g an a r t o f th e ir o w n — th e ir g r e a te s t c o n trib u tio n to th e ric h n e s s o f hum an c u ltu r e — a n d a d o p tin g o n e fro m a b r o a d , fro m a s u p p o s e d ly ‘h ig h e r ’ c iv ilis a tio n . Y e t th is choice
REVIEWS 12 1
d o es co n fro n t h u n d re d s o f A fric a n p e o p le s to d a y , i f o n ly th e ir s ta te sm en a n d th in k e rs w ill g iv e tim e to w e ig h in g it. W e d o n o t m ean th a t c o n te m p o r a ry a rt s h o u ld be d is c o u r a g e d , o r cease to be e n c o u r a g e d in th o s e fitte d fo r it. B u t w e d o b e lie v e th a t A fric a n s a re s till la r g e ly u n a w a re o f th e im m e n se v a lu e o f th e ir tr ib a l a r t to th e w o r ld a n d o f th e d a n g e r th a t th e A fric a n v a lu e s w h ic h it re p re se n ts m a y so o n b eco m e fo s siliz e d in th e w o r ld ’s m u s e u m s .”
F o r e v e r sile n c e d m u s ic a l in s tru m e n ts m ig h t s h a re th e sa m e fate i f th e y esc ap e d th e w h ite -a n tin g o f d ec a y th ro u g h n e g le c t o f A fric a n m u s ic . T h e p rin c ip a l in b o th cases is th e sa m e , a n d th is s m a ll v o lu m e is a v a lu a b le a d d itio n to th e re a l u n d e r s ta n d in g o f th e p la s tic s a rts in A fric a .
H . T .
* * * * *
M U S IK IN R W A N D A
by
R O B E R T G U E N T H E R . M u s e e R o y a l d e L ’ A friq u c C e n tra le , T e r v u r e n , B e lg iq u e , A n n a le s — S e r ie IN -8 0 S cien ce s H u m a in e s — N o . 50, 1964.R o b e rt G u e n th e r ’s b o o k is a m o n o g ra p h y o n R w a n d a m u s ic , b ased o n th e s tu d y o f m u s ic o lo g ic a l lite ra tu re a n d o f ta p e m a te ria l re c o rd e d b y P ro f. J a q u e s J . M a q u c t, 1954/ 5 5.
In th e p refa c e th e a u th o r th a n k s h is te a c h e r P ro f. D r. M a riu s S c h n e id e r fo r th e m e th o d ic a l t r a in in g h e re c e iv e d fro m h im an d sta te s th a t “ p r im a r y so u rc e s o f s o u n d ex a m p le s fo rm th e b asis o f th e (p re se n t) in v e s t ig a tio n s .”
In th e in tr o d u c tio n h e p ra is e s h is te a c h e r’s c o n trib u tio n s to th e s tu d y o f C e n tra l A fric a n m u s ic , as w e ll as th a t o f a u th o rs lik e R o se B ra n d e l a n d A la n P. M e rria m . O n p a g e 4 h e sta te s th a t “ fo r e v e r y s tu d y o f th e m u s ic o f C e n tra l A fric a o n e w ill h a v e to c o n s u lt S c h n e id e r ’s ‘H is to r y o f P o ly p h o n y ’. ”
O n p a g e 8 h e d e a ls w ith th e “ p o s s ib ilit y ” o f tra n s c rip tio n a n d s a y s th a t “ in th e first p la c e th e sta te o f r e c o rd in g s d e c id e s o n th e p o s s ib ility o f t r a n s c r ib in g .”
In th e m ain c h a p te r h e a n a ly s e s o n e b y o n e 38 sele c te d re c o rd in g s o f T W A , H U T U , F U L E R O an d T U S S I m u s ic , m a d e b y M a q u e t. T h e b asis o f th e a n a ly s is a re h is tra n s c rip tio n s o f th e r e c o rd in g s , w h ic h c o v e r a lm o s t th re e -q u a rte rs o f th e th ic k n e s s o f th e b o o k .
T h e tra n s c rip tio n o f v o c a l m u s ic is d o n e
without any text
a n d th e re fo re h as to b e re g a rd e d b o th in a d e q u a te a n d in c o r r e c t, s in c e th e c h a ra c te r o f v o w e ls a n d c o n so n a n ts in A fric a n la n g u a g e s in flu e n c es th e so u n d o f th e n o te s , th e p h r a s in g , a n d th erhythm
in A fric a n m u sic .In th e in s tru m e n ta l p la y in g th e re is
no indication as to how the transcriptions should be played.
A ll w e a re o ffered a re ju s t “ s o u n d e x a m p le s ” ( “ K la n g b e is p ie le ” in th e a u t h o r ’s o w n fre q u e n t e x p re s s io n ) a n d n o t R w a n d a m u s ic . W h a t w c s h o u ld lik e to k n o w , h o w e v e r, is n o t w h a t it so u n d s to th e a u t h o r ’s E u ro p e a n ears in h is s tu d y fa r a w a y fro m th e sce n e , b u t w h a t th e R w a n d a m u s ic ia n s a rcdoing.
M o r e o v e r , m o st o f th e tr a n s c rip tio n s a re p ro d u c e d in a fa in t, u n c le a r an d b a d ly a r r a n g e d h a n d w r it in g , w h ic h w o u ld n o t d e s e rv e su c h e x p e n s iv e a n d p a p e r -w a s tin g p r in tin g .
G u e n th e r ’s w e ll- tr a in e d m eth o d o f re se a rc h h as to be c o n sid e re d u n s c ie n tific a n d o u td a te d b y p re s e n t s ta n d a rd s o f m u s ic o lo g ic a l re se a rc h in A fric a . T h e re fo re , w e c a n n o t c o n sid e r as s a tis fa c to ry , the
results
o f h is a n a ly s is a n d th e s ta te m e n ts in h is s u m m a r y (b o th in G erm a n a n d F re n c h ), sin c e th e y a re b ased on th e a n a ly s is o f h is o w n s u b je c tiv e p e rc e p tio n im a g e s o f R w a n d a m u sic .A c h a r m in g a n d a u th e n tic a lly A fric a n p a r t o f th e b o o k is th e set o f 10 p h o to g ra p h s o f R w a n d a m u s ic ia n s b y P ro f. M a q u e t.
G . K .
♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦
“ D O Z E C A N C O E S D A L U N D A ” ,
Commentaries, transcribes e harmoni^acao de professor maestro Hermino do Nasciniento;
19 6 2 , in -q u a r to , 84 p p ., C o m p a n ia d e D ia m a n te s d c A n g o la , R u a d c s F a n q u e iro s , N o . 12, 2", L is b o n . (N o p ric e g iv e n ).T h is is a first cla ss g r a p h ic p u b lic a tio n , a c h o ic e o f tw e lv e to p ic a l so n g s fro m L u a n d a , in A n g o la , p re c e e d e d b y e x c e lle n t c o m m e n ta rie s , s h o rt e th n o m u s ic a l n o tes, a n d h arm o n iz e d fo r c o n c e rt re n d itio n . T h e w h o le tre a tm e n t is e v id e n tly a im in g at a E u ro p e a n a u d ie n c e a n d W estern in its a p p ro a c h . N o d o u b t th a t, w ith th e p h o n e tic a ffin ity o f L a tin la n g u a g e s to A fric a n la n g u a g e s g e n e r a lly , a n d w ith th e m o d e rn fre e s ty le a c c o m p a n im e n t in w h ic h th e y a re p re s e n te d , th e y s h o u ld h a v e a g o o d re cep tio n o v erse as.
E x c ep t in a fe w p a s s a g e s , w h e n e v e r th e c h o ru s a n s w e rs th e s o lo is t th e c h o ru s d o es it a t a b are h o riz o n ta l th ir d , o stin a to fa sh io n . T h is seem s to b e a c o n ce ssio n to th e a u d ie n c e in m in d . A ll in a ll, a p le a s in g p u b lic a tio n . B u t its g r e a te r m e rit lie s in th e tra n s c rip tio n s w h ic h h av e a g e n u in e A fric a n fla v o u r a n d , so fa r as th is r e v ie w e r can ju d g e , a re t e c h n ic a lly c o rre c t.
Br o t h e r Ba s i l.
+ sfe Jfe sfe
“ D O M IN E N O N S U M D IG N U S ” , F ilib c r to G io r g e tti, F .S .C .L , 1963: a m o tet w ith b o th A fric a n a n d L a tin te x ts; E d itric e N ig r iz ia , v ia M e lo n c e llo 3 / 3 , B o lo g n a , I ta ly . (N o p rice g iv e n ).
O n c e a g a in F a th e r G io r g e tti d is p la y s h is e x p e rt v e r s a tility , th is tim e in a little g e m o f a m o tet p a r a p h r a s in g th e s h o r t L a tin te x t “ D o m in e n o n s u m d ig n u s ” . E x cep t fo r th e L a tin te x t, a ll is h is: th e p a r a p h ra s e in Z a n d e, th e tu n e in A fric a n to n a lity , a n d th re e d ifferen t a c c o m p a n im e n ts: th e first, a c c o rd in g to th e p rin c ip le s ex p o u n d e d in h is tre a tis e “ M u s ic a A fr ic a n a ” , th e sec o n d in W es te rn s ty le , a n d th e th ir d fo r A fric a n d ru m s .
In ste a d o f th e u s u a l re p e titio n a d in fin itu m , th e a u th o r u ses a s im p le d e v ic e w h ic h , as it w a s g iv e n t o th is r e v ie w e r to ju d g e in s itu y e a rs a g o , see m s in fa llib ly to e le c trify th e s in g e rs : th e re p e titio n in a
