Introduction to the question of the origins of theatre and drama. Dada adelowo introduction this paper is motiated by the need. The roots of african theatre ritual and orality in the pre. Modern african drama and improvisation mineke schipperde leeuw in his origin and forms of drama in the african context argues that modern african drama is a by product of traditional african drama. African dance refers mainly to the dance of subsaharan africa, and more appropriately african dances because of the many cultural differences in musical and movement styles.
The origin of african drama and theatre with salient. Here, youll discover resources on the continents prominent historical figures, complex racial politics, and turbulent military past. Africa has been late in joining the rest of the world in the indigenous movement. Alain ricard is research professor with the french national center for scientific research cnrs of the african studies center of the university of bordeaux, specializing in african languages and literatures, including drama and. Anansi became the king of all stories after proving to nyame that he could trick a jaguar, hornets and a fairy. His writings on african popular entertainment include music makers of west africa and west african pop roots.
Africa contains the most genetically divergent group of continental populations and several studies have reported that african populations show a high degree of population stratification. Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been contrasted with the epic and the lyrical modes ever since aristotles poetics c. In this regard, it is important to investigate the potential for population genetic structure or stratification in genetic epidemiology studies involving multiple african populations. West african popular theatre drama and performance. But historians have pieced together a broad understanding of the way the people of west africa lived at the beginning of the atlantic slave trade. West africas great ethnic and cultural diversity makes it hazardous to generalize about the social and cultural background of the first african americans. Some of the history of these countries, however, is naturally mentioned in this history of the rest of africa but is kept to the minimum needed to make the rest comprehensible. This is a kind of art in which the reflection of life is achieved through dramatic action performed by the actors in front of the audience. The west african fondness for this effect was so pronounced that dutch wax manufacturers still program those imperfections into the printing process today. By far the most significant instrument in african music is the african drum. Other questions, among them national identity, the role of chieftaincy, representation, justice, and constitutional design, have often been defined in relation to a preoccupation with racial and colonial forms of domination. This book, which also emphasizes the existence of a link or a sense of organic continuity within african literary tradition, between the precolonial and postcolonial forms of drama and theatre, will be of interest to general readers and a valuable guide to students and scholars of african literature and society. West african drama in english john povey we have long known, from the reports of anthropologists, that a kind of dramatic tradition exists in africa. Invariably, most of early modern african drama dramatized the process of transition of african traditional societies into modern ones.
Various west african peoples refer to the highest god as amma or olorun, while some east africans use the name mulungu. Oral tradition and african theatre leiden repository. Research in african literatures anyone with the slightest interest in west african cultures, performance or theatre should immediately rush out and buy this book. European colonialism, chiefdoms, traditional beliefs in sorcery and witchcrafts celebration after midnight, cultural heritage, how women secret societies operate and their initiation. Ugwu 2014 says that the igbo who belong of course to the west african subregion.
The historical origin of the igbo is not yet certain because. All communities accept that their later drama has roots in. Oral tradition and african theatre by mineke schipper the theatre is always a mirror of human existence, and theatrical expression is always linked to a specific time and place and culture. It was the persecuted, oppressed, and sometimesdestroyed nations on the american continent that forced the the socalled modern world to recognize the rights of indigenous peoples. The term african american reflects the twoness of the black experience in north america, denoting what w. Africa is the birthplace of humankind and knowing its history is essential for understanding the global society thats grown around it. This could be written by an african or a non african but it most picture the experience of the people and their environment. African mythology myth encyclopedia god, story, legend. For the better part of two centuries, racial domination has been the central concern of african social thought. Then god whispered into his ear telling him to beget many children, but to impress upon the children.
Intended to provide help for those interested in studying west african literature, this book is divided into three parts. Their efforts compelled the united nations to launch action to safeguard indigenous peoples rights in 1982 with the advent of the. African folklore tales about animal tricksters often describe how helpless creatures manage to outwit fierce animals. Versatile publishers, 1999 drama festivals 118 pages. Dubois aptly described as adoubleconsciousness, that is, a sense of being an african and american at the same time, two souls, two thoughts, two unreconciled strivings. Early african drama explored issues bordering on the colonial distortion of african history and communal relations among african communities before the western incursion into africa.
The akan understanding of the spirit world conveniently falls within parrinders fourfold classification of categories within west african religions, namely, the supreme god, divinities or gods, ancestors, and charms or amulets. Changes in societies generally lead to new forms of dramatic expression. The theatre scene is buzzing in south africa, with over 100 active spaces across the country offering everything from indigenous drama, music, dance, cabaret and satire to west end and broadway hits, classical opera and ballet. The music of european settler communities and that of arab north africa are not included in the present. There has never been a better time than right now to be a reader of african literature, especially in the united states historically, an underdeveloped nation in this regard. God created the first human being with the help of the moon.
A brief west african history, its past civilization and tourist attractions. Genetic structure in four west african population groups. Certainly, from the last half of the twentieth century, african secular theatre has returned to its own sources, and practitioners as well as researchers have once again found in these ancient forms the roots of theatrical renewal, and have again connected african theatre to those rituals, dances, masquerades, tales and folk celebrations which. These dances must be viewed in close connection with subsaharan african music traditions and bantu cultivation of rhythm. From their observations we have learned of the mime and dramatic portrayal that is an inherent part of traditional religious and social activity in africa.
A brief history of the indigenous peoples of west africa. A chronology and a selected bibliography are included. Introduction the word drama comes from the greek meaning to act, do or perform, and it is in the several subtle and diverse meanings of to perform that drama can be said to have begun. This is a short history of africa excluding egypt, ethiopia and dutch and british south africa, which are the subjects of separate histories. African dance utilizes the concept of as well as total body articulation. African theatre, effectively, the theatre of africa south of the sahara that emerged in the postcolonial erathat is to say, from the mid20th century onward it is not possible to talk of much african theatre as if it fell into discrete historical or national patterns. African music, the musical sounds and practices of all indigenous peoples of africa, including the berber in the sahara and the san bushmen and khoikhoin hottentot in southern africa. The beat of the african drum is considered the heartbeat of the community and its rhythm is what holds the dancers together. Colonial boundaries ignored cultural and linguistic unities, and ancient movements throughout the continentsometimes. Conflicts between african traditional religion and. Origin and forms of drama in the african context mineke schipperde leeuw the world is a stage and drama a mirror of society this expression is heard in many languages and countries. Africans who have adopted christianity or islam sometimes identify the supreme deity of those faiths with the supreme deity of traditional african religion and mythology. This to him is true because, a cursory study of modern african plays reveal that they owe much of their style to oral tradition. The origin of drama is difficult to trace and its development in human society.
African folklore, myths and legends victoria falls guide. The origin of african drama and theatre based on traditional, history, and contemporary dramatic forms in africa which range from sacred or ritual performances to dramatized storytelling, literary drama, or modern fusion of scripted theatre with traditional performance techniques. This to him is true because, a cursory study of modern african plays reveal that they owe much of. The supernatural and mythic characters, in their own actions, must portray traits which. One of the most important animal tricksters of west african legends is anansi, who acts on behalf of the sky god, nyame. It expresses the mood of the people and evokes emotion. Carnival is an african expression through and through, whether directly out of west africa via the slave trade, or indirectly out of africa ancient egypt via greece, rome, and western europe. Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. African writing, literature, and society a commemorative publication in honor of eckhard breitinger.