Musical transformation

Traditional music performance is a significant aspect of African cultures. Scholars have extensively discussed its components and their significance, including dance movements, rhythms, instruments, gestures, communication and aesthetic values embedded in the art form. It is also no doubt that the spread of Christianity and long-lasting influence of colonial rules continue to suppress these art forms. Over the last three to four decades, there has been a "cultural re-awakening" rooted in "Sankofa" (go back and retrieve), a Ghanaian philosophical model that influenced the incorporation of traditional music performance in most churches in Africa. Despite its success, there arose criticisms with how churches perform this traditional dance-music. According to its critics, this style is contrary to the original objectives and values of the churches' establishment. The purpose of this chapter is to shed light on how traditional dance-music got into some of the churches and to examine some of the criticisms encountered in performing them. The chapter focuses on ethnographic fieldwork conducted in churches in Ghana and Uganda. In the case of the latter, I am aware of the general discourse on baakisimba and the attitudes of missionaries regarding baakisimba performance, which I will analyze with the existing ethnographies and scholarship on this dance-drumming genre. The chapter is divided into four categories in which I argue for the significance of traditional music and the missionary attitude toward it; the cultural re-awakening and the concept of transformation; the criticisms of performance; and finally suggested recommendations to ease the criticisms.