The Role of Performing Arts in Asante Culture
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Date
2009-07-15
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Abstract
The study which is based on a qualitative research approach touched on the Asante Performing Arts and its role, importance, and meaning in the people’s culture. The study aimed at educating readers on the “real McCoy” of one of Asante’s most significant cultural arts since Asante youth appears to pick on incomplete knowledge from unreliable sources, such as the tradition of oral resources resulting in the modification of Asante Performing Arts. Again, due to the influx of foreign religious bodies and technological advances, the Performing Arts seem to be gradually losing their indigenous roles and significances. Due to the dissimilarities of elements or individuals in the population, the stratified random sampling was adopted and the population was divided into various strata. 30% of each group was taken meaning each stratum was represented in the total data sample. Observation, interview and questionnaire were the main data collection instruments. Results showed that, the various Performing Arts form a preparatory experience of the curative process at the various shrines and permeates the life of every Asante from life to death. The indigenous songs performed at marriage and funerals rites have been replaced by gospel and secular songs, and dances performed during these rites have also been merged with the foreign ones. In sum, music and dance syllabus for primary and junior high schools should be reviewed again with special attention given to the traditional music and dance starting from the child’s immediate local culture.
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A Dissertation submitted to the School of Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy