Verbal-Text as a Process of Compositional and Improvisational Elaboration in Litungu Music Essay Example

Verbal-Text as a Process of Compositional and Improvisational Elaboration in Litungu Music Essay VERBAL-TEXT AS A PROCESS OF COMPOSITIONAL AND IMPROVISATIONAL ELABORATION IN BUKUSU LITUNGU MUSIC by ABIGAEL NANCY MASASABI Submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: DR MARIE R. JORRITSMA CO- SUPERVISOR: DR FLORENCE NGALE MIYA MAY 2011 i DECLARATION Student number: 3658-166-6 I declare that VERBAL-TEXT AS A PROCESS OF COMPOSITIONAL AND IMPROVISATIONAL ELABORATION IN BUKUSU LITUNGU MUSIC is my own work and that all sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. _______________________ SIGNATURE (Miss A N Masasabi) ______________ DATE ii DEDICATION To the late Japheth Muia Mutangili and my daughter Grace Buyanzi. iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This work would not have been accomplished without the moral and professional support of a number of individuals. I am particularly grateful to my supervisors for their patience, support and guidance. I thank Dr Marie Jorritsma for her perceptiveness in matters of theoretical content, language and organization. Her careful reading and criticisms led to substantial improvement in the quality of this thesis. I am also indebted to my second supervisor Dr Florence Ngale Miya whose comments and suggestions were a source of inspiration. Dr Miya‘s encouragement and her confidence in my ability kept me going throughout my work. I thank Dr Kidula for taking time to critique my thesis, directing me to books relevant to my study and for sending me a number of articles that enhanced my thesis. I thank Dr and Prof Tamusuza for insightful criticisms to the theory, method and terminologies used in my thesis. I also thank Dr Kilonzo for her encouragement and for proofreading my thesis. We will write a custom essay sample on Verbal-Text as a Process of Compositional and Improvisational Elaboration in Litungu Music specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Verbal-Text as a Process of Compositional and Improvisational Elaboration in Litungu Music specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Verbal-Text as a Process of Compositional and Improvisational Elaboration in Litungu Music specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In addition I would like to appreciate Dr Omondi Okech for editing my thesis. I would also like to acknowledge the assistance of Fred Wekesa Kusienya and Isaac Shitubi who made my fieldwork much easier. They helped me to identify interviewees and escorted me during my fieldwork. Shitubi was instrumental during the interview process and Kusienya assisted me by verifying the translations of songs from Lubukusu to English. I appreciate the cooperation I received from my interviewees who included members of the Jackson Kisika Band, the Namatete Band, the Sinani Group Band, the Lugulu Bumusika Band and the Kwane Band. Many thanks go to my parents Cleophas Masasabi and Grace Masasabi, my brothers Richard and Wellington, and sisters Catherine and Dorcas for their support and inspiration. Special thanks to my mother for taking care of my baby Grace as I was busy collecting data. Finally, I appreciate the almighty God for giving me strength and the sound mind to undertake this study. iv ABSTRACT The Bukusu community is predominantly found in Bungoma district of Western Kenya. The Litungu is a word referring to a lyre among the Bukusu community. Music accompanied by this instrument is what is referred to as Litungu music. This music makes use of sung text and â€Å"verbal-text†/ silao-sikeleko (speech and speech-melody) and silao-sikeleko is the focal point of this study. Silao-sikeleko is performed in alternation with sung text in Litungu music. This study seeks to identify the cultural and compositional role of silao-sikeleko in the music. To achieve the objectives of this study I used a qualitative approach to collect and analyze data. Data collection included the use of interviews and observation. The interviewees included performers of Litungu music, whose music was audio recorded and video recorded for analysis. In addition, I made observations of the performance sites and performance behaviour, taking notes and making audio and video recording. Music for analysis was then selected on the basis that it had the silao-sikeleko component. The Bukusu cultural view of silao-sikeleko is discussed in relation to their customs and way of life. The execution of silao-sikeleko is based on a culturally conceived framework that allows the involvement of various performers in the performance composition process. Here the contexts within which silao-sikeleko is performed are identified. Analysis of the relationship between sung text and silao-sikeleko established that whereas the two are thematically unified, silaosikeleko substantiates the sung texts by facilitating an understanding of messages contained in the songs. The analysis of language use ascertained that silao-sikeleko makes use of language devices such as proverbs, idioms, symbolism, riddles and similes. I established that silao-sikeleko as a performance compositional element has its own presentational structure that influences the overall structure of the Litungu music. Litungu music has a quasi-rondoic structure whose output is not static but varies according to context and the wishes of the soloist. The soloist interprets how effectively a given message has been communicated during performance determining how much silao-sikeleko should be performed. Silao-sikeleko is in most cases composed and performed by various members of a performing group. Key terms: Kenyan music, Bukusu music, Bukusu culture, Litungu music, silao-sikeleko, performance composition, music composition, song text, music structure, improvisation. v TABLE OF CONTENTS DECLARATION . ii DEDICATION . iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .. iv ABSTRACT ILLUSTRATIONS ix LIST OF FIGURES . ix LIST OF TABLES . x LIST OF PLATES . DEFINITION OF TERMS xi CHAPTER ONE .. 1 INTRODUCTION .. 1 1. 1 BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY .. 1 1. 1. 1 Who are the Bukusu? .. 2 1. 1. 1. 1 Bukusu Origin and Settlement 3 1. 1. 1. 2 The Bukusu Family and Social Life 6 1. 1. 2 Bukusu Litungu Music .. 10 1. 1. 2. 1. Litungu Music in the Community . 0 1. 1. 2. 2. Gender Issues in Litungu Music 11 1. 1. 2. 3. Construction of the Litungu . 12 1. 1. 2. 4. Litungu Performance Technique and Ensemble 14 1. 2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM . 19 1. 3 RESEARCH OBJECTIVES .. 0 1. 4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS 20 1. 5 RATIONALE AND SIGNIFICANCE . 21 1. 6 SCOPE AND LIMITATION . 22 1. 7 THEORETICAL AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK . 23 CHAPTER TWO .. 8 LITERATURE REVIEW . 28 2. 1 INTRODUCTION .. 28 2. 2 COMPOSITIONAL ELEMENTS IN AFRICAN MUSICS . 28 2. 3 SONG TEXTS AND SILAO-SIKELEKO 38 2. 4 CREATIVE PROCESS IN AF RICAN MUSIC .. 44 2. CONCLUSION . 48 CHAPTER THREE . 49 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY 49 3. 1 INTRODUCTION .. 49 3. 2 RESEARCH DESIGN .. 49 3. POPULATION AND SAMPLING 50 3. 3. 1 Target population . 50 3. 3. 2 Purposive sampling . 50 3. 3. 3 Snowball sampling .. 51 3. 4 DATA COLLECTION . 2 vi 3. 4. 1 Fieldwork 53 3. 4. 2 Interview method . 54 3. 4. 3 Observation . 56 3. 4. 4 Note taking .. 56 3. 4. 5 Audio and video ecording.. 57 3. 4. 6 Photography .. 57 3. 5 DATA PROCESSING, ANALYSIS AND INTERPRETATION.. 58 3. 8 CONCLUSION . 58 CHAPTER FOUR . 0 FORMAL STRUCTURE OF LITUNGU MUSIC 60 4. 1 INTRODUCTION .. 60 4. 2 SILAO-SIKELEKO STRUCTURE . 61 4. 2. 1 Narration . 62 4. 2. 2 Dialogue by Two People. 3 4. 2. 3 Dialogue by More Than Two People 64 4. 3 OCCURRENCE OF SILAO-SIKELEKO. 67 4. 4 THE CONSTRUCTION OF INSTRUMENTAL PHRASES .. 71 4. 5 OVERALL FORM OF LITUNGU MUSIC .. 79 4. 7 CONCLUSION . 2 CHAPTER FIVE .. 94 THE CULTURAL ROLE OF SILAO-SIKELEKO IN BUKUSU LITUNGU MUSIC . 94 5. 1 I NTRODUCTION .. 94 5. 2 THE ORIGIN OF THE SILAO-SIKELEKO ELEMENT IN LITUNGU MUSIC .. 95 5. 3 CONTEXT OF SILAO-SIKELEKO IN LITUNGU MUSIC .. 97 5. CULTURAL FUNCTION OF SILAO-SIKELEKO IN LITUNGU MUSIC 105 5. 4. 1 Introduction and Acknowledge Personalities 105 5. 4. 2 Education . 108 5. 4. 3 Self Expression . 113 5. 4. 4 Social Commentary. 113 5. CONCLUSION .. 121 CHAPTER SIX 123 SUNG TEXT AND SILAO-SIKELEKO . 123 6. 1 INTRODUCTION 123 6. 2 THEMATIC ROLE OF SILAO-SIKELEKO .. 24 6. 3 QUANTITY OF SILAO-SIKELEKO IN LITUNGU MUSIC . 136 6. 4 LANGUAGE USE 141 6. 4. 1. Prose vs Poetry. 143 6. 4. 3. Imagery 145 6. 4. 6. Proverbs and Sayings 48 6. 4. 7. Symbolism . 152 6. 4. 9. Riddle .. . 155 6. 4. 10. Idiomatic Expression . 156 6. 4. 11. Allegory 156 6. 5. WORDS DEPICTING RELATIONSHIPS 158 6. 6 CONCLUSION .. 160 CHAPTER SEVEN .. 163 vii PERFORMANCE COMPOSITION IN BUKUSU LITUNGU MUSIC 163 7. 1 INTRODUCTION 63 7. 2 PREREQUISITES FOR THE IMPROVISATIONAL PROCESS . 165 7. 2. 1 Prolonged Exposure to Music 167 7. 2. 2 Knowledge and Mastery of Lubukusu .. 171 7. 2. 3. Knowledge of Cultural Environment and Events .. 173 7. 2. 4. Presence and Maturity of Audience .. 174 7. 2. 5. Intra-Group and Inter-Group Interaction 175 7. 2. 6. Knowledge of Instrumental Genre . 176 7. 3 THE CONSTANT AND VARIED FEATURES OF LITUNGU MUSIC .. 177 7. 4 THE CREATIVE PROCESSES 188 7. 5 CONCLUSION .. 193 CHAPTER EIGHT .. 195 SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.. 195 8. 1 SUMMARY . 195 8. 2 CONCLUSIONS 195 8. 3 RECOMMENDATIONS .. 99 BIBLIOGRAPHY .. 201 APPENDIX I 216 SONGS IN LUBUKUSU AND THEIR TRANSLATION INTO ENGLISH 216 APPENDIX II .. 252 CONSENT FORM FOR RESEARCH ASSISTANTS .. 52 APPENDIX III . 254 CONSENT FORM FOR INTERVIEWEES . 254 APPENDIX 1V 255 INTERVIEW QUESTIONS . 55 APPENDIX V .. 256 FOCUS GROUP DISCUSSION INTERVIEW GUIDE 256 APPENDIX VI. 257 INDEX TO AUDIO CD . 257 viii ILLUSTRATIONS LIST OF FIGURES 1. 1 Map of Kenya showing the location of Bungoma district 1. An Example of a Seven-Stringed Litungu Scalic Pattern 1. 3. An Example of an Eight-Stringed Litungu Scalic Pattern 1. 4. An Example of a Twelve-Stringed Litungu Scalic Pattern 1. 5 Interpretation of R egula Qureshi’s performance model of musical analysis 4. 1 Chingubo by the Lugulu Bumusika Band showing Isiriri and Litungu phrases 4. 2 First variation performed by the Isiriri in the song Chingubo (Lubao 2007) 4. 3 Second variation performed by the Isiriri in the song Chingubo (Lubao 2007) 4. 4 Solo-response of the song entitled Chingubo against instrumental accompaniment 4. a Litungu phrase of the song entitled Endakano (Lubao 2007) 4. 5b Isiriri phrase of the song entitled Endakano (Lubao 2007) 4. 6 Litungu phrase of the song Mayi (Namatete 2007) 4. 7 Resultant instrumental music of the song Mayi (Namatete 2007) 4. 8 Call and Response excerpt from the song Ewuyo Ino (Mukubwa 2007) 4. 9 Call and Refrain excerpt from the song Nekoye (Manyali 2000) 4. 10 Solo and Chorused Refrain excerpt from the song Ewuyo Ino (Mukubwa 2007) 4. 11 Strophic form excerpt from the song Namulobi (Namatete 2007) 4. 12 Background, middle ground and foreground features of Litungu music 7. An excer pt from the song Eswa by the Kwane Band 7. 2 Ewuyo Ino theme by the Kwane Band 7. 3. Ewuyo Ino vocal theme by the Lugulu Bumusika Band 4 14 14 14 26 73 74 74 75 76 76 77 77 82 82 82 83 91 170 177 178 7. 4 Relationship between the vocal melody and the drone as performed by Kwane Band 179 7. 5 New vocal melody introduced by Kwane Band in the song Ewuyo Ino 7. 6 Lugulu Bumusika Band’s first new melody in the song Ewuyo Ino 7. 7 The Lugulu Bumusika Band’s second new melody in the song Ewuyo Ino 7. 8 Mayi Muro by the Kisika Band 179 179 180 181 7. Excerpt of the song Mayi Muro showing the relationship between the vocal melody and the instrumental part as performed by Kwane Band 7. 10 Vocal melody of the song Mayi Muro as performed by Lugulu Bumusika Band ix 181 181 7. 11 The Kwane Band’s new material to the song Mayi Muro 7. 12 Opening excerpt of the song Kulukulu wa Bwabi as performed by Kwane Band 7. 13 Opening excerpt of the song Kulukulu wa Bwabi by the Lugulu Bu musika Band 7. 14 Thematic melody of the song Kulukulu wa Bwabi 7. 15 Thematic variation of Kulukulu wa Bwabi by Kwane Band LIST OF TABLES 4. Frequency of silao-sikeleko in Bukusu Litungu music 4. 2 Structure of songs 4. 3 The first quasi-rondoic form presentation 4. 4 Structure of the first presentation of quasi-rondoic form in the song Nekoye 4. 5 Structure of the first presentation of quasi-rondoic form in the song Mayi muro 4. 6 Structure of the first presentation of quasi-rondoic form in the song Ewuyo Ino 4. 7 Structure of the second quasi-rondoic form presentation in the song Yekamakhanya 4. 8 Structure of the second quasi-rondoic form presentation in the song Lijembe 4. Structure of the third presentation of quasi-rondoic form in the song Namulobi 4. 10 Structure of the third presentation of quasi-rondoic form in the song Endakano 6. 1A Quantity of silao-sikeleko and sung text 6. 1B Percentage of silao-sikeleko by group 6. 2 Length of silao-sikeleko in Litungu 182 184 185 18 6 186 69 80 87 87 88 88 89 89 90 90 137 138 139 LIST OF PLATES 1A Parts of the Litungu. Photograph taken by Nancy Masasabi, on 7th May 2010 1B Playing position of the Litungu, demonstrated by Wekesa Kusienya. 2 The Isiriri. Photograph taken by Nancy Masasabi, on 6th February 2007 3 Siiye. Photograph taken by Nancy Masasabi, on 6th February 2007 4 The improvised drum played by Wekesa Kusienya 5 First structure of silao-sikeleko 6 Second structure of silao-sikeleko 7 Third structure of silao-sikeleko 8 Kwane Band, Sylvester Mukubwa on the Litungu and Caleb Wangila on the Isiriri 13 15 17 17 18 64 65 68 163 x DEFINITION OF TERMS Abaluhya This word refers to a community in Western Kenya. The word is used interchangeably with the words Baluhya, and Luhya to mean the same thing. Composition As a product, compositions are musical concepts that have been assimilated and are integral to a Bukusu musician. They are called upon to inform the process of music making. As a process composition is the act of formulating new musical ideas within the Bukusu musical cultural genre. The ideas are mainly conceived and rehearsed before the actual performance. Dominant The fifth tone on the fifth open string, a perfect fifth from the referential tone. Improvisation Creation of music in the course of performance; this is similar to extemporization. Improvised drum This is a plastic water container turned upside down whose base is struck by sticks to produce rhythmic accompaniment in Litungu music. It is used instead of the traditional drum called Efumbo. Khulaa-khukeleka To verbalize or utter the speech and speech-melody sections of Bukusu Litungu music. Mediant The third tone of the third open string, a major third from the referential tone. xi Omukeleki The person who speaks or performs speech-melody in Litungu music. In plural they are called Bakeleki. Performance composition This is the process of formulating new musical ideas as variations of the existing melodies and silao-sikeleko within a given context during performance. Quasi-rondoic A musical form that is similar to rondo form with some deviations from the conventional rondo format. It does not always start with an â€Å"a† section alternating with other sections (b, c, d, and so on). Silao-sikeleko Silao-sikeleko encompasses speech and speech-melody as musical elements in Litungu music. The term is used as a synonym to verbal-text. Subdominant The fourth tone on the fourth open string, a perfect fourth from the referential tone. Supertonic The second tone, on the second open string, a major second from the referential tone. Tonic This is the referential tone in Litungu music which is normally on the first open string of the Litungu from the left. xii CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION 1. BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY Performance composition and/or improvisation are common characteristic features of musics on the African continent. 1 Performance composition refers to the creative perspective of music during a performance in a given socio-cultural context. Such a process is facilitated by the fact that musics from oral cultures are not notated but passed on orally from on e generation to another, thus memory is essential. This study is based on the Bukusu people’s Litungu music. The Bukusu culture has been transmitted orally thus the musicians who are cultural transmitters depend heavily on their memory. Within this culture musical composition can be perceived as products and processes. As a product, compositions are musical concepts that have been assimilated and are integral to a Bukusu musician. They are called upon to inform the process of music making. As a process composition is the act of formulating new musical ideas within the Bukusu musical cultural genre. The ideas are mainly conceived and rehearsed before the actual performance. In the process of performance, anyone listening to Litungu music cannot escape hearing verbal-text/ silao-sikeleko as part of the musical experience. The occurrence of silaosikeleko in Litungu music is as captivating as it is educative and appears many times in the performances of this musical genre. Silao-sikeleko is a term I use to refer to both speech and speech-melody. My study of Litungu music separates sung text from speech and speech-melody. The speech aspect of silao-sikeleko is performed as narrations and/or dialogue. I have preferred to consider speech-melody as part of silao-sikeleko for three reasons. First, the amount of text used and the rate at which words unfold as speech-melody are similar to that of speech. Second, speech and speech-melody unfold in prose, and third, speech-melody and speech in Litungu music are so intertwined that it is sometimes not easy to separate the two when listening to the music. For a further discussion of performance composition and improvisation as used in this thesis refer to chapter seven. 1 1 In order to understand the compositional process, I analyze how silao-sikeleko is composed and performed, and also where and when silao-sikeleko occurs in Litungu music. In this regard, the study perceives silao-sikeleko as a musical element and relates it to other musical elements within Litungu music. Furthermore, there is emphasis on the comparison between silao-sikeleko and sung text, because both silao-sikeleko and sung text are made up of words. I also analyze the instrumental phrases over which silao-sikeleko is performed. Once the relationship between silao-sikeleko and other musical elements within Litungu music is established, it becomes easier to identify the function of silao-sikeleko in the music. Even though silao-sikeleko is both a process and a product, my study concentrates primarily on silao-sikeleko as a process of performance composition. As a product, silao-sikeleko normally exists after the performance has been completed in the minds of the audience and the performers. Likewise, the recordings of Litungu music obtained during my fieldwork also contain examples of silao-sikeleko as the products of the performance compositional events. As a process, silaosikeleko keeps unfolding during the performance composition of Litungu music. A song performed on different occasions by the same band has different words as silao-sikeleko but the song theme is maintained. The performance composition of silao-sikeleko takes place within the Bukusu socio-cultural environment. To create relevant social context, the following sections describe the Bukusu people and their cultural beliefs and practices that affect the performance of silao-sikeleko. This is then followed by a discussion of Bukusu music and Litungu music in particular. 1. 1. 1 Who are the Bukusu? The Bukusu, who call themselves â€Å"Babukusu†, are a sub-tribe of the Abaluhya community, who migrated from the region around Cameroon as part of the large group of Bantu-speaking people. They moved eastwards to what is presently central Uganda and then settled around the Mount Elgon. From there they settled in their current location (Makila 1978: 26). In Kenya, the Abaluhya settled mainly in western Kenya and parts of the Rift valley. With regard to social communication, the Luluhya language consists of seventeen dialects with the prefix â€Å"Ava†, â€Å"Aba† or â€Å"Ba† depending on the Luhya dialect of origin. Apart from the Babukusu dialect, the other sub-tribes are Bamarachi, Bakhayo, Babedakho, Babesukha, Batiriki, Basamia, Banyole, 2 Barakoli, Bawanga, Bamarama, Bakisa, Bamateka, Bachocho, Bakabarasi, Batachoni and Banyala (Wanyama 2006: 1-3). Even though the sub-tribes are many and appear different, they do have some similarities in their cultural practices (Gwako 1998: 176). For instance, they believe in God whom they call â€Å"Were† or â€Å"Nyasaye† depending on dialect; they name their children after climatic conditions or major social events; they practise male circumcision as a rite of passage; and they have lengthy greetings as exemplified by Salome Nanyama’s greeting dialogue on page 8 and 9. More significant to this study is the fact that the sub-tribes also share some melodies but with slightly different words due to the close geographical location of the sub-tribes. 2 A common instrument among them is the one-stringed fiddle called eshilili, isiriri, siiriri or kiiriri, depending on the dialect. 1. 1. 1. 1 Bukusu Origin and Settlement The Bukusu have a myth that serves to explain their origin, namely, that Wele Khakaba (God) created Mwambu (man) out of mud. He also created a wife for him called Sela (Makila 1986: 1823). The stories about Mwambu and Sela as the fore-fathers are narrated in Bukusu music as both silao-sikeleko and sung text (see the song Sellah in Appendix 1, page