TRADITIONAL MUSIC BEYOND ENTERTAINMENT: A CRITICAL EXAMINATION OF SOME FACTORS INFORMING MUSICAL APPRECIATION IN IGBO SOCIETY

Résumé

In a lay man’s point of view, music is generally seen as nothing but one of the media available to fulfill man’s innate desire for pleasure. This paper contends that music especially the traditional music has the potency of addressing the entire nature of man. The reality of its efficacy or effectiveness is most evident in the functions and usages which can never be divorced from man’s daily existential experiences. The crux of this paper is to critically examine those factors inherent in traditional music which place it beyond mere entertainment medium and which inversely inform its aesthetic appreciation. This examination is facilitated through literatures, practical observations and personal experiences. The paper argues that the Igbo appreciate music based on its ability to conform, consolidate, propagate and reinforce the expected value system and philosophical concept of people. These are embroiled or located within the confines of performance styles as can be seen in the use of song-texts, dynamic application of rhythms, symbolic visual representations, aesthetic disposition of costumes, make-ups and other body adornments that give credence to traditional music performances. The paper therefore concludes that traditional music should not be viewed from mere entertainment perspectives rather from its functional relevance and applicability.