Indigenous performance and modernity : investigating the vitality of play and work songs of the Dagaaba community in North Western Ghana as verbal art performance

Date
2022-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study looks at play and work songs of the Dagaaba in north western Ghana as verbal art performance and how modernity has influenced the vitality of these indigenous performances. Performance studies remain a contested subject as it cuts across disciplines. However, the overarching theme in scholarship on performance defines it as a paradigm-driven concept which needs to be discussed in context. Aligning with this position, play and work songs of the Dagaaba is studied as performance in the context of an activity in motion as theorised by Richard Schechner. By investigating the vitality of play and work songs of the Dagaaba, I set out to draw attention to the declining nature of indigenous performance. I argue that social change, an inevitable phenomenon which has swept through the Dagaaba land, has halted the motion of play and work songs performances – hence its vitality – and call for alternative platforms to revitalise performances to ensure continuity. Using the qualitative approach, this study focuses on play and work songs as indigenous art forms among the Dagaaba. The main objective of this study is to unearth the influence of modernity on indigenous Dagaaba performances. Specifically, the study seeks to investigate the role of play and work songs as traditional verbal art performances in the Dagaaba community. The study also aims at exploring the manifestations of modernity in the Dagaaba community as well as analyses the perceived impacts of modernity on play and work song performances of the Dagaaba. In addition, the study investigates alternative platforms for indigenous performances. The study finds farming, domestic chores, recreation, environmental rituals, ancestor veneration, and rites of passage as some platforms that sanction the performance of indigenous art forms. The study however finds that modernity has influenced these performances and identifies formal education, Christianity, technology, industrialisation, and urbanisation among others as causes of this change. The study discovers meeting places of identifiable groups and competitions of indigenous performances as alternative platforms for continuity and vitality of play and work songs performances. The study reveals, based on songs collected, that play and work songs satisfy Bauman’s analysis of verbal art as performance. Analysis of songs collected responds to what Baumann identified as the frames of communication, communication devices and keying in performance which provides the audience a structure within which to interpret and appreciate the text. The study contributes to scholarship on performance studies by propounding play and work songs as accessorial performance. It concludes that though play and work songs are vital in the social organisation of the Dagaaba, they are gradually losing their places due to the influence of modernity.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie bestudeer speel- en werkliedere van die Dagaaba in noordwes Ghana as gesproke kuns performance en hoe moderniteit die lewenskrag van hierdie inheemse performance vorme beïnvloed. Performance studies bly ʼn betwiste vakgebied omdat dit oor verskeie dissiplines strek. Die oorkoepelende tema binne die lering van performance definieer dit egter as ʼn paradigma-gedrewe konsep wat binne konteks bespreek moet word. In lyn met hierdie posisie, is speel- en werkliedere van die Dagaaba as performance bestudeer in die konteks van ʼn aktiwiteit wat uitgevoer word soos geteoretiseer deur Richard Schechner. Deur die lewenskrag van speel- en werkliedere van die Dagaaba te ondersoek, wou ek aandag vestig op die afname in inheemse performance. Ek argumenteer dat sosiale verandering, ʼn onafwendbare fenomeen wat deur die Dagaaba gebied swiep, die voortbestaan van speel- en werkliedere se performance halt – gevolglik ook hul lewenskrag – en maak ʼn oproep vir alternatiewe platforms om die liedere te laat herleef en hul voortbestaan te verseker. ʼn Kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering word gebruik en die studie fokus op speel- en werkliedere as inheemse kunsvorme van die Dagaaba. Die hoofdoel van die studie is om die invloed van moderniteit op inheemse Dagaaba performance te bepaal. Meer spesifiek ondersoek die studie die rol van speel- en werkliedere as tradisionele gesproke kuns performance in die Dagaaba gemeenskap. Dit poog ook om die manifestering van moderniteit binne die Dagaaba gemeenskap te ondersoek en die waargenome impak van moderniteit op die performance van speel- en werkliedere te ontleed. Daarby ondersoek die studie alternatiewe platforms vir inheemse performance. Die studie bevind dat boerdery, huishoudelike take, omgewingsrituele, voorvader verering en deurgangsrites sommige van die platforms is vir die performance van inheemse kunsvorme. Die studie bevind egter ook dat moderniteit wel hierdie performance vorme beïnvloed het en identifiseer onder andere formele onderrig, Christendom, tegnologie, industrialisasie en verstedeliking as oorsake van verandering. Die studie ontdek vergaderplekke van identifiseerbare groepe en kompetisies vir inheemse performance as alternatiewe platforms vir die voortbestaan en lewenskrag van speel- en werkliedere. Op grond van die versamelde liedere, toon die studie dat speel- en werkliedere voldoen aan Baumann se ontledig van gesproke kuns as performance. ʼn Ontleding van die versamelde liedere kom ooreen met wat Baumann identifiseer as kommunikasieraamwerke, kommunikasiemiddele en sleutels in performance wat ʼn struktuur vir die gehoor verskaf waarbinne die teks geïnterpreteer en waardeer kan word. Die studie dra by tot die lering van performance studies deur speel- en werkliedere voor te hou as bydraende performance. Dit bevestig dat alhoewel speel- en werkliedere lewensbelangrik is vir die sosiale organisering van die Dagaaba, die liedere geleidelik besig is om hul plek te verloor as gevolg van die invloed van moderniteit.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.
Keywords
Verbal art as performance, Dagaaba (African people) -- Ghana, Dagaaba (African people) -- Social life and customs, Dagaaba (African people) -- Music, UCTD
Citation