Anotaes de GOODWILL MFUNDO NTAKA - MUSIC AS CULTURE, MUSIC IN CULTURE: AN ANALYTIC

AL STUDY OF THE HISTORY AND CULTURAL CONTEXT OF MBAQANGA MUSIC IN

SOUTH AFRICA. 2007. In fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor o
f Philosophy in the Department of IsiZulu Namagugu at the University of Zululand
. KWADLANGEZWA, SEPTEMBER 2007, Supervisor: Dr P.M. Lubisi
I
1. msica como cultura
Nettl (1983:132), The study of music as culture would make an attempt to seize t
he general nature of a society's culture and show how music accommodates its str
ucture. It might identify certain central values
of a society such as hierarchy or individualism and show how these
are reflected (or perhaps violated) in musical conceptualization,
behavior and sound.
"Music has various roles in various societies, and plays a paramount role III Af
rican societies. It is used to teach people important things about their own cul
ture. In African societies, cultural behaviour panerns are reflected in music" (
p. 17)
Sithole (1968: ll8) emphasizes that the music will express and reaffirm the cult
urally determined values of a society. If the values change and new values are a
dopted, the music will express new values or social situations. The African lear
ns about life, and is disciplined through, music. Gcabashe (1995:90) attests to
this when he says that most black societies do not regard music merely as entert
ainment, but as an embodiment and expression of beliefs and societal norms. This
shows that music is part and parcel of culture. In the South African context, m
usic plays a vital role as a vehicle for cultural transmission. Nkabinde (1997)
attests to this when he stresses that South African music is well received by pe
ople because in most cases it deals with everyday life, at times with themes ref
lecting the traditions, beliefs and customs of, and current events in, the socie
ty.
Music is culture itself, and to understand African music entails
understanding the culture of African societies. Nett!, in Pewa (1997:15), argues
that music must be understood as part of culture and as a product of human soci
ety. The above reveals the notion that music and culture in African societies ar
e intertwined and interwoven.
2. msica na cultura: Nettl (1983), Merriam (1977)
Most approaches to the study of music In culture use a static
conception of culture. Music in or as culture implies a
relationship.... In all cases, there is at least the implication of
influence of one on the other, normally of culture on music, or of a
time sequence, normally of music following culture. Nettl (1983: 136)
4 modelos para o estudo da msica na cultura
Enumerative approach: Based on the proposition that culture consists of a large
number of separate components, interrelated to be sure, but a group of more or l
ess separable domains e.g. Components such as marriage, puberty, death etc. (Net
tl, 1983:136).
Functionalist or structural-functionalist view of culture: Culture is like a hum
an or animal organism, with parts or organs interrelating and contributing somet
hing to the whole. The interrelationships and interdependencies of orans are par
alleled by the same kind of relationships among the domains of culture (Nenl,198
3:137).

A second kind of functionalist approach involves the hypothesis that there is fo

r each culture a core or center, a basic idea or set of ideas, whose nature dete
rmines the character of other domains, including music (Nett!, 1983:138).
A fourth model, subsumed in part under the foregoing three but yet worthy of spe
cial mention, envisions a line of relationships leatling from a major value of c
ulture to music. This model uses Merriam's tripartite model of music (concept, b
ehaviour, sound) (Nett!, 1983:140).
Ntaka defende que as abordagens de msica na cultura seriam mais adequadas ao estu
do da msica africana por "enfatizarem o papel vital desenvolvido pela msica na cul
tura "The above approaches emphasize the vital role played by music in culture."
. Isso se deve, segundo ele ao fato de a msica, nas sociedades africanas, a msica
no ser vista como uma unidade separada de um todo social comum. prprio da sociedad
e ociental a separao e compartimentalizao das artes, o ato de sacraliz-las ao ponto d
e afast-las da vida cotidiana "In African societies, contrary to Western societie
s, music is not seen as a separate entity.
Weinberg (1979:30) maintains that music-collection is an integral part of Zulu l
ife, and children are taught to dance and sing at an early age. Nzimande (1993:2
4) also attests to this when he says that "through traditional songs and dances,
young men and young women receive instructions in family life, customs and prac
tices".
Nettl (1983:323), who states that "in many societies ... children and young peop
le learn the important elements and values of their own culture through musical
experience".
Bebey (1975:134) states: Music is born in each child and accompanies him through
out life. Music helps the child triumph in his first encounter with death - the
symbolic death that precedes initiation; it is reborn with the child who is now
a man and it redirects his steps along the path of law and
order that has been laid down by community.
Ntaka: "Music permeates every sphere of African life. Music is part of the proce
ss of living itself and is not a luxury. It is virtually integrated into all the
life patterns."
MUSIC IN ITS CULTURAL CONTEXT
Nett! (1983:131), points out that ethnomusicology is the study of music "not onl
y in terms of itself but also in relation to its cultural context". Studying mus
ic in its cultural context provides us with historical and ethnographical data r
egarding the production, performance and experience of music (Nettl, 1983:132).
Two major gaps in the academic study of African music include
ying framework for evaluating the information collected about
the lack of a theoretical perspective for integrating musical
al analysis. It is still common for anthropologists to give a
an African event in which music was performed, without paying
e significance of music.

the lack of a unif

African music and
analysis with soci
detailed study of
an attention to th

REVIEWS AND SUMMARIES

Bruno Nett! (1983) in his work, The Study of Ethnomusicology: Twenty-Nine Issues
and ConceptsHe focuses on music as culture and music in its cultural context. N
ettl discusses uses and functions of music in detail. Nettl (1983:147) points ou
t that "much literature on the study of music in

culture involves the ways in which humans use music, which is therefore said to
carry out certain functions in human society...." Nett! also looks at several th
eories relating to the origins of music. In his work, Nettl focuses on the study
of music as symbol and as a system of symbols.
Nettl reveals the importance and role of music in the transmission of culture.