African music’s rich traditions

MOVING INTO AFRICAN MUSIC, by Joyce Scott. Pretext, Cape Town, 2009. 136pp (includes 72-min CD with 27 songs)

Reviewed by Barry Smith

Author Joyce Scott’s qualification for writing this book “comes from 28 years of cross-culture missionary work in East Africa…learning music from grassroots interaction with African friends and mentors in eleven African groups in Kenya”.

In addition to all this she acted as a consultant on indigenous music for ministry in Namibia, Sudan, Lesotho and also in North African Muslim countries and the Comoro Islands. In her introduction she modestly invites the reader to share her journey, “not with a know-it-all music specialist, but as with an adventurer”. And so this is not a book full of technical advice, but one which gently encourages the listener to have an open mind on indigenous African music and to understand both its background and meaning.

Much of the book is couched in language essentially intended for the layperson and not necessarily musicologists or professional musicians. Scott has unbounded enthusiasm for her subject and this enthusiasm constantly leaps out of the page in such phrases as “if you can walk, you can dance”, and especially when she writes about “ecstasy” in religious music.

We are constantly reminded of her modest willingness to learn from the people with whom she worked, discovering that her journey was not always an easy one.

Indeed, at one time the musical changes she introduced in worship almost resulted in her dismissal when the acting principal of a Bible College accused her of leading the students “back to heathenism”. Her dogged persistence and energy, however, led to the founding of a School of Music under the Christian Education Department in Kenya in the late 1970s. Here she became involved in the playing and making of African instruments as well as teaching composition and the basics of reading music.

In the course of its 133 pages, this book covers a surprisingly wide spectrum and is full of clearly expressed ideas and insights into African religion. I have never quite understood the ethos behind traditional African religious beliefs and so found her clear and concise explanation (with a helpful diagram) of the links between the African “High God”, “the Living Dead Ancestors”, “mediums” (sangomas), “The Living” and “The Not Yet Born” to be particularly helpful.

Quite rightly she quotes Dr Hugh Tracey’s trenchant comment, “it was you missionaries who tried to destroy the music of Africa”, and then goes on to give an enthusiastic account how preconceived prejudices and judgment can be transformed into understanding and appreciation. She also touches on many interesting concepts such as “what kind of music is Christian”. Fascinating territory indeed.

Particularly useful is the section where Scott writes about developing musical gifts and gives helpful guidelines and suggestions as to what constitutes a memorable song and how to set about composing one. All this is detailed in economic point form and extends to the teaching of songs, not only for theological education but also for a variety of subjects as varied as community health and agricultural development.

The book comes with a CD which contains a colourful variety of traditional music culled from across Africa – from Kenya, Sudan, Malawi, Lesotho, Madagascar, Tunisia, Algeria and, of course, South Africa. All these items give us a fascinating glimpse of the musical treasures still waiting to be discovered by many of us, the inhabitants of this great continent.

Barry Smith is the musical director at St Michael’s parish in Rondebosch, Cape Town.