Asante Ivory Trumpet Music in Ghana: Culture Tradition and Sound BarrageDr Joseph Kaminski provides a valuable examination of the Asante trumpet tradition by focusing on its historical and socio-cultural context, as well as analysing the music itself and considering issues of performance practice. Based on interviews, field recordings, oral traditions, written accounts, archaeological evidence, and linguistic analyses, Kaminski shows how the Asante trumpets are symbols of Asante strength and have an important role in their cosmology. When several ensembles play simultaneously as a representation of power, they make staggered entrances beginning separate songs in order. This results in a simultaneous performance of separate songs. The author has termed this phenomenon "sound-barrage," for it is an ancient aesthetic based on sound energy and intensity factor to protect the kingdom and the ancestors. It is both spiritual and acoustical. This "sound barrage" is believed to act in the metaphysical world, dispelling evil spirits from court rituals, ancestor venerations, and funerals. Surrogate speech is performed via lipped tones through a tusk in praise of the Asante royal ancestors, and the living Asante king. The book includes transcriptions and analyses of surrogate speech texts and their accompanying ensemble songs, as well as analyses of musical structure and logic. The book is intended to reflect both the musicological and anthropological processes of this Asante tradition. |
Contents
Introduction to the Asante and the Ivory Trumpets | 1 |
Origins of the Ntahera Trumpets | 17 |
Anthropological Evidence of Ivory Trumpets in Ghana | 31 |
Early Descriptions of Gold Coast Ivory Trumpets | 41 |
Asante Trumpet Culture | 51 |
The Sound Barrage | 63 |
Asante Trumpet Groups | 93 |
Ivory Trumpet Surrogate Speech | 107 |
Transcriptions and Analyses of Ntahera Nnwom | 125 |
Transcriptions and Analyses of Nkontwema and Amoakwa | 139 |
Philip Asamoah Bonsu and the Postmodern Condition | 157 |
Kumase Ivory Trumpet Surrogate Speeches Collected | 163 |
Notes to the CD Tracks | 181 |
| 191 | |
| 201 | |
Other editions - View all
Asante Ntahera Trumpets in Ghana: Culture, Tradition, and Sound Barrage Joseph S.Kaminski Limited preview - 2016 |
Asante Ntahera Trumpets in Ghana: Culture, Tradition, and Sound Barrage Joseph S.Kaminski Limited preview - 2016 |
Common terms and phrases
abentia abosom adowa afre African Music Agya Agyeman-Duah agyesoa and bosoo Akan Akwasidae amoakwa and nkrawoben ancient Appiah Asante trumpet Asantehene Asantehene's Ashanti Asokwa atumpan Awisiaa Gyae Begho Bowdich bush dog Ceremonial Horns chief created cultural Denkyira drums Duodo durugya dwom Ejisu Example Figure fontomfrom Frankyenebra funeral Ghana Ghanaian Gyekye History hocket horn blowers Ibid Ivor Wilks ivory trumpet ivory trumpet groups J.H. Kwabena Nketia king Kumase ntahera Kwame Gyekye Kwasi Manhyia Manhyia Palace matrilineal means melorhythm mmaranee mmentia Musical Instruments Nana Owusu nkofe nkontwema nkontwema trumpet nnwom ntahera and kwakwrannya ntahera trumpets Oduro Sesreku Onipa Opoku Ware oral tradition Osei Tutu owuo palm wine performed Photograph phrase played Rat Tat Rattray rhythm royal Sarpong Sekyere seseę sesee player signal song sound barrage spirits Stool surrogate language surrogate speech syllables tonal tones Track transcription trumpet blowers trumpet ensembles tusk trumpet tusks University of Ghana West Africa word