International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science (IJRISS) | Volume IV, Issue VI, June 2020 | ISSN 2454–6186

Emerging Musical Trends in Aboakyer Festival of the Winneba-Efutu People in Ghana

Samuel Agbenyo¹, Augusta Arko-Mensah^2
1Department of Music, University of Mississippi, U.S.A
²Department of Music Education, University of Education, Winneba

Abstract: – Aboakyer festival, annually celebrated by the Winneba-Efutu people of Ghana is characterized by performances of different musical genres. One could observe that apart from the indigenous Asafo dance, other musical performances feature prominently throughout the township during the festivities. This study therefore, sought to find out the different forms of music that are performed during the festival, the role of these musical forms in the festival and their educational implications for practice. Two participants, a master drummer and a cantor were selected purposively and interviewed. By means of interpretive phenomenological data analysis, results revealed that besides the Asafo dance, musical types from other cultures were appropriated to the embellishment of the celebration, partly due to modernity and globalization. Findings further indicated that these musical groups were not usually offered the privilege to feature during the durbar activities (on the durbar ground). They therefore, tended to express themselves roaming the length and breadth of the town. It is recommended that since the festival has assumed an intercultural dimension, these musical types should be accorded the needed recognition to participate more actively, with their roles well-defined to boost the splendour of the festival. The study finally implores music scholars and educators to acquaint themselves with the emerging musical trends in Aboakyer festival which consequently have implications for the teaching and learning of music in schools.

Keywords: Aboakyer, Asafo, Efutu, festival, performance, youth, modernization

I. INTRODUCTION

Music is such a pervasive form of human experience that everyone in any society can have some sort of meaningful experience with it in one context or the other. Africans, like some countless other cultures are fond of music making music. We make music when we mourn the dead. Our forefathers made music on departure to the war field. They made music on arrival from war” (Nketia, 1998, p. 3). In African communities music making indispensably permeates human life in such identifiable continua as from birth to death and from an individual to thousands. The former continuum includes but not restricted to rites of passage such as naming ceremonies, puberty initiations, marriage customs and funeral rituals (Enninful, 2013). The latter continuum embodies the communal sense of festival celebrations and durbars as diverse as there are ethnic and community uniqueness (Hodges, 2020), certainly characterized by different shades of musical performances.