The Inanga and Its Place in African Music
(Option One)
In the documentary Inanga: A Song of Survival in a Daughter’s Rwanda, Sibomana Athanase says, “After the drum, the inanga is the queen of all the traditional instruments” (Inanga: A Story of Survival in a Daughter’s Rwanda). For Rwandans, it is an instrument that is deeply rooted in tradition and in culture, yet as time goes on, it is slowly losing its appeal across generations. Traditionally associated with the Tutsi people, the inanga’s identity lies in its historical origin. Played in the courts in order to soothe the Tutsi kings, or mwami, the inanga became a concrete symbol of the contention and power divide that separated Rwanda into two distinct groups (Barz, McGovern). It is impossible to assess the significance of the inanga without first looking at the historical background of Rwanda. It is within this context that the inanga drew its meaning—both as a symbol of destruction and of rehabilitation. It is imperative that the role of the inanga be assessed from an African perspective; only then can one fully appreciate the instrument as a national symbol rather than a primitive and inconsequential artifact.
The role of the inanga as a political tool was brought on by cultural conflict. Until Rwanda was colonized by Germany in 1890, Rwandans had no concept of racial differences, and there existed only Banyarwanda—people of Rwanda (Barz, McGovern). This racial divide between Hutu and Tutsi was created and implemented by colonizers. Hutus were determined to be the inferior race. Short and heavy, the Hutus were viewed as “born to be led” while the taller and skinnier Tutsis were considered “born leaders” (14.4). Therefore, when Rwanda became an independent nation in 196...
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...iately advocate for tradition. Rather than disregarding the music, we must appreciate it. Then and only then will we be able to consciously appreciate the music for what it is, rather than contributing to the problem and promoting the disappearance of African culture in music.
Works Cited
Barz, Gregory, and Patrick McGovern. Inanga: A Story of Survival in a Daughter's
Rwanda. 2010. CD Insert. Vanderbilt University, Nashville.
Barz, Gregory F. Music in East Africa: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New
York: Oxford UP, 2004. Print.
Inanga: A Story of Survival in a Daughter's Rwanda. Prod. Gregory Barz. Perf. Sophie
Nzayisenga, Kirusu Thomas, Sibomana Athenase, Meddy. 2010. Global Music Archive. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
Stone, Ruth M. Music in West Africa: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. New
York: Oxford UP, 2005. Print.
According to Albert Murray, the African-American musical tradition is “fundamentally stoical yet affirmative in spirit” (Star 3). Through the medium of the blues, African-Americans expressed a resilience of spirit which refused to be crippled by either poverty or racism. It is through music that the energies and dexterities of black American life are sounded and expressed (39). For the black culture in this country, the music of Basie or Ellington expressed a “wideawake, forward-tending” rhythm that one can not only dance to but live by (Star 39).
The Rwandan genocide occurred due to the extreme divide between two main groups that were prevalent in Rwanda, the Hutu and the Tutsi. When Rwanda was first settled, the term Tutsi was used to describe those people who owned the most livestock. After the Germans lost control over their colonies after World War I, the Belgians took over and the terms Hutu and Tutsi took on a racial role (Desforges). It soon became mandatory to have an identification card that specified whether or not an individual was a Hutu, Tutsi, or Twa (a minority group in Rwanda). The Tutsi soon gained power through the grant of leadership positions by the Belgians. Later on when Rwanda was tying to gain indepe...
Throughout the semester, various styles of music and the aspects of culture associated with these styles have been analyzed. Musical elements such as dynamics, texture, form, timbre, melody, instruments, etc., have been used to thoroughly explore each kind of music from different areas of the world, with an emphasis in music from Africa, India and Indonesia. These aspects of music go far beyond just music itself. Culture also plays a huge role in music and the accompanying musical elements. Each country and culture has a different style and distinctiveness that add to what makes the music of that certain culture unique. Music in Africa may differ dramatically from music in Indonesia or India not only due to those certain elements but also due to how it is interpreted by people and what it represents for those people. In addition to this, what one may consider music in one culture may not be music to another. These differences have been made apparent in the several demonstrations that we have been exposed to in class.
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...ause the colonial masters believed that they resembled them. It was unethical for the Belgians to interfere with the peaceful coexistence that the two communities had enjoyed in the past. As a result, the Hutus acquired negative misconceptions about the Tutsis’ origin, what they stood for, and what they had done for them in the past. The Hutus expertly planned and organized the Rwandan genocide as a result of such historical distortions created by their country’s colonial masters.
“How Musical is Man?” was published in 1974. This book was written by John Blacking, a musician turned social anthropologist. His goal in writing this ethnography, and several other papers during this same time period, was to compare the experience of music-making that takes place within different cultures and societies throughout the world. In this book, he discusses and describes the musicology of the Venda people in South Africa. Though he does go to Africa to research and learn about the Venda people and their music, he specifically states that his book is “not a scholarly study of human musicality” (ix), but rather it is a summary (written from his point of view), which is both expressive and entertaining, of several different issues and ideas that he has seemingly been contemplating for some time.
The assassination of President Habyrimana sparked political unrest in Rwanda. While flying in a plane, an unknown killer shot the plane down. There were no survivors of the crash. On that day, violence broke out in Rwanda, for the Hutus believed that the Tutsis were the cause of the death of their president. Originally, the terms ‘Tutsi and Hutu’ was based on the amount of cattle a person owned. Tutsi were the people who owned cattle while the rest were Hutus. These social groups were not set in stone, for they can change through marriage or buying cattle. Afterwards, when the Germans took over Rwanda, the terms began to identify a racial group. Since the Tutsi looked more Europeans, having lighter skin and a taller look to them. Because of this, they were given a larger amount of responsibility, upsetting the Hutus. Then, World War I happened, giving Belgium control of Rwanda. The country forced everyone to have an identity card, explaining if someone is Hutu, Tutsi, or Twa (hunters) (Rosenberg 4). Therefore, t...
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...appened because of a variety of reasons; long struggle of the Hutu, knowing that they were different and a bane aspiration to being able to be placed in an important place in society, holding a good position in government or in Church, for example. However, greed was not the reason for the killings. Perpetrators were poor, as poor as their victims were and neither the killings started in the poorest regions of Rwanda (Stratus, 2006). Now, focusing on religion to Rwandans Religion became so important because they became aware of “something bigger than themselves”, understanding that with God everything is possible, they realised that their life must had a meaning. Faith was obviously their food, the source of the strength that kept motivating them to commit the “work”. Now, they forgive, now they ask for forgiveness and once again, the power of religion is upon them.
Music nurtured the African American tradition and their struggle towards equality in the same century.... ... middle of paper ... ... Greensboro, N.C.: Morgan Reynolds Pub. Carter, D. (2009).
Powell, A. (2007). The Music of African Americans and its Impact on the American Culture in the 1960’s and the 1970’s. Miller African Centered Academy, 1. Retrieved from http://www.chatham.edu/pti/curriculum/units/2007/Powell.pdf
Music played a very important role in the lives of people is diaspora communities. It served as a reminder for the immigrants of their homeland, which allowed them to proudly express their national and cultural identities. Diaspora refers to an international network of communities linked together by the identification of a common ancestral homeland and culture. People in these communities are no longer living in their homelands, with no guarantee of a return either. (Bakan, 19). Music played a large role in African diaspora communities. This was first started by the slave trades many years ago when slave traders traveled to the coast of West Africa to capture Africans and brought them back to the United States to be slaves on plantations. Slaves were more prone to loose a sense of their own culture because every new aspect of their lives was forced upon them, therefore they were undoubtedly forced to abandon their n...
Middleton, John. "Rwanda." Africa: an Encyclopedia for Students. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 2002. Print.
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