Mimesis and Aesthetics of Drum Languages as a Cultural Artefact of Some Asafo Companies among the Oguaa People of Ghana
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14738/assrj.210.1530Abstract
Drum languages as a cultural artefact is very pivotal in the Asafo system as far as their activities in the various communities are concerned. However, much documentation has not been done on the mimesis of the Asafo drum languages. Qualitative research methods were used to obtain all relevant data as well as accessing the knowledge and understanding of the drum languages from the prospective respondents. The research revealed that Asafo drums are a set of four but only one thus the Asafokyin (tuaakwan) is used to perform the all drum languages. Again, members of the various selected Asafo communities and even some members of the Asafo groups do have foreknowledge about Asafo drum languages but cannot interpret or comprehend some of the drum languages. Institutions like schools, radio and television stations and IT companies should be encouraged to use digitized drum languages as part of their system to enhance the fore knowledge and understanding of Asafo drum languages as a cultural artefact.
References
Acquah, L. (2002). A Repertoire of Tropes: a study of Fante-Akan Asafo song text from the Cape Coast area of the Central Region of Ghana. Unpublished Master’s thesis. Dept. of English, University of Cape Coast.
Aggrey, J.E.S. (1978). Asafo, Ghana Publishing Corporation. Tema; Ghana
Bentum, S. A (2006). Cultural Significance of Edina Asafo Company. Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation. College of Art and Social Sciences. KNUST, Kumasi, Ghana
Carrington, J. K. (1994). The drum language of the Lokele tribe. African studies, vol. 3, no. 2, pp. 78-88. 31/03/2011. 10.1080/00020184408706641
Carrington, J. K. (1949). The Talking drums of Africa. The Carey Kingsgate Press
Crew, M. E. J. (1990). Cape Coast Asafo Companies. Offinso Training College, Offinso, Ashanti.
Davis, E. (n.d) "Information, from drums to Wikipedia". James Gleick, The Information, a history, a theory, a flood. 526pp. Fourth Estate. 978 0 00 722573 6. The Times Literary Supplement.http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/the_tls/article7178836.ece. Retrieved August 26 2013
De Graft-Johnson, J. C. (1932). The Fante Asafo in Africa; Journal of International Institute of African Languages and Cultures, Vol. 5, London.
Fabre, G. (1996). Drumbeats, Mask and Metaphor: Contemporary Afro-American Theatre Harvard university press, London, England.
Epand, V. (2008). The Talking Drums of West Africa. Articlebase. Retrieved August 11, 2013.
Grove, G. (2001). Stanley S. ed. The New Grove Encyclopædia of Music and Musicians (2nd ed.). Grove's Dictionaries of Music. pp. Volume 5, pp638–649. ISBN 1561592390.
Gyekye, K. (1996). African Cultural Values: An introduction. Sankofa Publishing Company, Accra, Ghana
Johnson, R. (2011). The drum as an indicator of cultural unity in the African world: from hip hop to Africa. Academic articles: black voices on the hill. Retrieved September 2012, from http:www.ourlegaci.com/category/articles
Labi, K. A. (2002). Fante Asafo flags of the Abanze and Kromantse: A discourse between rivals. African Art, Vol. 35. 22/03/2011. http://www.questiaonlinelibrary.com
Labi, K. A. (2009). Reading the Intangible Heritage in Tangible Akan Art. International Journal of Intangible Heritage. Vol. 4, 41-57
Molokwane, S. J. (n.d). The African Aesthetics as it informs the product form. Dept. of Industrial Design and Technology, University of Botswana; Gaborone, Botswana.
Nketia J.H. (1954). The role of the drummer in the Akan Society, African music, vol. 1, no. 1
Nketia J.H (1963). Drumming in the Akan Communities of Ghana, Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd. Edinburgh, London
Perkins, B. L. (1994) "Traditional Institution in Coastal Development: Asafo Companies in Cape Coast History". http://digitalcollections.sit.edu/african_diaspora_isp/33
Singleton, J. A. (1999) The Slave Trade remembrance on the former Gold and Slave Coast; Slavery and Abolition, 2011, 150-169
Stern, T. (1957). Drum and whistle ‘language’: An analysis of speech surrogates. American Anthropolgy. University of Oregon.
Turkson, A. R. A. (1982). Effutu Asafo: its organization and music. Africa music,Vol. 6, No. 2, pp. 4-16. 25/02/2011. http://www.jstor.org/stable/30249754
Turkson, A.R.A. (1976). Efutu Asafo Music, A study of Traditional Music Style of Ghana. University Microfilm International
Uzukwu, E. E. (1997) Worship as body language: introduction to Christian worship: An African orientation. Liturgical press, Collegeville, Minnesota.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors wishing to include figures, tables, or text passages that have already been published elsewhere are required to obtain permission from the copyright owner(s) for both the print and online format and to include evidence that such permission has been granted when submitting their papers. Any material received without such evidence will be assumed to originate from the authors.