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TRANSCENDING THE SONIC AND THE TEXTUAL: SENWELE MUSIC PERFORMANCE IN ILORIN, NORTHERN NIGERIA
Get PDFAmong Muslim women in predominantly Islamic societies, music-making remains a contested subject. At the core of these contestations are questions of boundaries, agency, taboos, resistance, and generalisations of the socio-musical experiences of Muslim women. This article explores the development of senwele music, a socio-religious music form of the Ilorin in northern Nigeria, from its origin as orin-kengbe (calabash music) to its transition into a translocal music form. Given influences of the Yoruba, Hausa-Fulani, and Islam, senwele music is examined as a compendium of history; one that is not only reflective of the Ilorin traditional music scene, but also the north-south dualism in Ilorin, tensions in music-making and Islam, and regio-political remapping in Nigeria. Based on fieldwork with a major exponent of senwele, Alhaja Iya Aladuke, and her music group in Ilorin, the article explores the practice, ambivalences, convivialities and sustainability of senwele music performance within its predominantly Islamic context. I argue that while established societal conventions, such as those in Ilorin, function as a standard for the acceptance of music, a woman musician such as Alhaja Iya Aladuke continues to thrive through a musician-community exchange that takes into cognisance the sensibilities of the people while retaining their patronage and her artistic autonomy. Beyond its sonic, textual, and entertainment prerogatives, the sustained practice of senwele music in Ilorin presents a continuum for interrogating and negotiating cross-cultural encounters, socio-religious binaries, gender boundaries, and the multiplicity in the socio-musical experiences of Muslim women
On possibility: Exploring the connections between postcolonial feminism and community engagement in pursuit of university transformation
Get PDFHigher education institutions have historically enabled and aided epistemicide, or the marginalisation, annihilation and devaluing of the knowledge of those beyond university walls. Twenty-first century universities therefore face the important task of transforming teaching and research in ways that broaden epistemic access, incorporate various knowledge systems, and ensure local relevance. Here, academic feminism, especially postcolonial feminism, and community engagement may provide a way forward, as both projects serve to deconstruct the binary between ‘knower’ and ‘non-knower’, contributing to epistemic justice. In isolation, however, these projects have not yet made enough progress in pursuit of university transformation. This essay offers a preliminary exploration of the connections between community engagement and postcolonial feminism, and the ways in which a mutually beneficial relationship between the two may enhance each project\u27s contribution to epistemic justice. It brings together literature on feminism and community engagement, linking this literature to the ideas of postcolonial feminism. Focus on postcolonial feminism specifically emerges from the recognition that universities do not only need to transform, but also decolonise. Ideas put forward in this writing are interspersed with my subjective memories and recollections of my lived experiences, spanning two universities and continents
Learning in the context of partnership: Trainee and intern psychologists’ reflections on community-based service learning
Get PDFFor a number of years, community-based service learning (CBSL) has been a key element of the Community Psychology module in the Master’s programme for training psychologists at Rhodes University. In 2022, CBSL was consolidated to become central to the whole programme, with a focus on providing services in a partnership with the Assumption Development Centre (ADC). After introducing a model showing how students gradually move from sensitisation to social justice issues at undergraduate levels towards conscientisation as postgraduates, this paper will reflect on the interface between the professional training programmes and the community-based partnership with the ADC. Following a brief background about the partnership’s development, we describe the structure of the CBSL and its integration into the curricula. We provide evidence of its impact on both the firstyear master’s students, and the second year Counselling Psychology Interns. These data draw from the trainee psychologists’ reflections, as reported in the Rhodes Psychology Clinic 2022 Annual Report; and the Intern Psychologists’ reflections, integrated into the 2022 ADC Counselling Hub Annual Report. A thematic analysis of the reflections illustrates the commonalities in the accounts of learning, as well as the deepened insights and shifts evident in the accounts. The reported reflective learning is then considered both practically and theoretically, with recommendations for further development
GENDERING MUSICAL DISCOURSE: INDIGENOUS MUSIC AND DANCE IN THE HEALING RITUALS OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES CHURCH IN GHANA
Get PDFIn this article, I apply a gendered analysis to a healing phenomenon understood through indigenous musical performances in a ritual context. Ghanaian indigenous music has been widely researched and documented, however, a contextual analysis of the gendered musical roles associated with the healing rituals of the Twelve Apostles Church (TAC) is scant. In this research, the data was obtained from six congregations of the TAC, between 2014 to 2019. Based on participation, observations and interviews, the analysis is a description of how music is gendered in the indigenous healing rituals of the TAC. The main question I seek to answer is: how is gender constructed and how are the gender roles ascribed to musical performances in the healing rituals of the TAC? In answering this question, I discuss the cultural interpretations ascribed to gender in a musically informed healing ritual. The findings revealed that in the TAC, singing is mostly initiated by females who sing about illnesses. Males, on the other hand, are mostly in charge of playing the dondo, an hourglass drum. However, the mfoba, an enmeshed rattle is played by both males and females and it is the mfoba that aids spirit possession. Spirit possession is an integral part of the healing rituals of the TAC and females are more susceptible to being possessed by spirits than males. Based on various rules I argue that the healing ritual of the TAC is based on complementary rather than opposing musical roles of males and females
LEO PALAYENG: BRIDGING THE GAP FROM TRADITIONAL TO ELECTRONIC ACHOLI MUSIC
Get PDFThis article examines the historical and sociological processes that led to the electronification of traditional Acholi musical repertoires in the northern region of Uganda. Akena P’Layeng Okella, also known as Leo Palayeng, is presented as a leading figure in this transformation of traditional music to electronic music, which has become known as Acholitronix. Palayeng is also my main interlocutor. Through Palayeng’s biography, the influence of digital technology in the production, distribution, and reception of musical traditions is discussed. The new, digitised repertoire was first integrated into wedding ceremonies, and then played in bars and clubs in the city. It finally reached the international, alternative electronic club scene. This process of transformation in the repertoire is part of a long history of local and international musical influences in Uganda. The extent to which information and communication technologies have played a decisive role in the dissemination of musical genres, the adoption or adaptation of musical instruments and techniques, and the creation of local, national, or even pan-African musical identities since the 1980s, is described in the article. The place that these forms of digital musical traditions have on online platforms is also discussed. Based on these observations, the contours of the transformation and switch from the acoustic to the electronic – while being considered by the actors as being the same music – are described
Editorial Policy
Get PDFToposcope (ISSN 1011-1948 print version) is published annually by the Lower Albany Historical Society (LAHS) to reflect the Society\u27s activities and the interests of its members and readership, concerning, but not limited to, the history of the Lower Albany area in the Eastern Cape. The journal, published since 1970, is produced by the Editorial Committee and is issued free of charge to members of good standing of LAHS. In 2018 the Lower Albany Historical Society celebrated its 60th year of existence
Contemporary narratives on climate-induced migration and community engagement interventions in rural communities: A systematic literature review
Get PDFThe Global Compact on Migration recognised climate change as a critical factor in migration and displacement and called on the global community to address the issue. However, recent reports suggest that global efforts to address the impacts of climate change on migration have not been able to address climate change-induced migration substantially. Global actions have often resulted in suboptimal outcomes. This study, therefore, sought to explore how local challenges can be leveraged in addressing global issues. A systematic literature review was conducted to analyse the potential of local solutions to mitigate the effects of climate change on migration. Information was obtained from full-text peer-reviewed journals published between 2010 to 2023 from the Scopus database. Atlas ti.23 was used to create codes and themes and then construct flowcharts that effectively demonstrate the importance of addressing issues at the local level when dealing with global challenges. This research contributes to the existing body of knowledge on how local approaches can mitigate the impact of climate on migration
Outing to Rokeby Park and the Blaauwkrantz Bridge
Get PDFThe article describes an outing of the LAHS on 21 July 2022 to Rokeby Park Church, followed by a picnic tea and talk at the Blaauwkrantz Bridge. Rokeby Park was so-called by George Dyason, the leader of a 1820 Settler party, in honour of Lord Rokeby of Kent, where Dyason came from. The church was opened with great celebration on 2 October 1884 (the same year as the train came to Port Alfred), and the original miller-style lamps (possibly brass - or silver-plated pewter), pupil books, carpet and cushions were still there in 1984 when it celebrated its centenary. These lamps still hang there today, looking well-loved; one notes, too, the attractive wooden cutout details on the ceiling. In fact, the church is beautifully kept thanks to the families in the area