Kokofu Traditional Music in Kokofu Culture
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Date
2009-07-21
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Abstract
Traditional music is the modern name for what used to be called “Folk music”. However the term "Folk music" was expanded to include a lot of non-traditional matter. The music is passed down orally; this is not universal, but there must be a strong tradition of oral transmission. The music derives from, or is related to, a particular people, region or culture and lacks copyright. The problem of this thesis was that, traditional music used to be very active in Kokofu community, and the younger generation has little knowledge about the traditional music in the Kokofu culture. The aim of this study is to identify the various traditional music types found in Kokofu community and discuss the functions of the traditional music in the religious, political, economic and social activities and its importance in the Kokofu culture. To elicit information for the study, 300 people were targeted and sampled. These include chiefs, health workers, teachers, students, children, market women, tailors and seamstresses, bankers and elders in the Kokofu town and its environs. Stratified and purposive sampling techniques were used and instrument for data collection include participation observation, questionnaire and structured interviews. Libraries were consulted to review literature.It was found out that traditional music performed in Kokofu community is indispensable in the political, social, religious and economic life of the people at Kokofu and it is important to the culture, most especially in the area of chieftaincy. It is also recommended that the old folks in the Kokofu community should teach the younger generation to ensure its continuity. In the nutshell, traditional music is important to Kokofu community and the youth must be encouraged and motivated to perform it to ensure its continuity. Though it has suffered because of modern education and some religious beliefs but due to chieftaincy and its activities, it has been able to survive the test of time.
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A Thesis Submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF ARTS IN AFRICAN ART AND CULTURE.