WOMEN ROLE

In mostly every society women plays an important role; the African country isn’t too far from this important role of women. Women in Africa played a political role, social role, and economic role; this wasn’t smooth sailing, they faced obstacles along the way. Most African countries are largely agricultural people. Taking Ghana for example, they grow maize (corn), plantation, bananas, yams, cocoa, etc. Because many economic cultural and religious elements influence a womans role and status, descent and ancestry are very vital; as the matrilineal descent is the fundamental to Ashanti social and political organizations. Even though women might have a very symbolic attributes in political world, like the Queen mother who is also known as the “stool mother”, gender discrimination becomes one obstacle African women faced as “all chiefs… [were] male with queen mothers playing advisory and ceremonial roles”( Azevedo 447). This can be connected to the video “A girl who demanded school”, Kekenya Ntaiya when granted a scholarship to attend school in America the old men in her community stated “what a lost opportunity? This should’ve been given to a boy”. These two examples are a form of gender discrimination as African women whiles playing an important role in the society as advisory mothers and seeking education are limited to societal norms—in other words the knowledge of African men are much greater than that of an African women.

Socially, women become noticed in a community when they marry and reproduce children—the marriage role and reproductive role. Marriage and the family become or are the foundations of society, and it is the establishment which highlights the important role of women. In the family, “again” the father is the head of the family and the decisive authority and controller of properties; and mothers on the other hand, after the reproductive role becomes of no use, “they have no legal identity in the strict sense of word and they can and do inherit a property in the absence of the male heirs” (Azevedo 451). In similar connection to the video “A girl who demanded school”, Kekenya stated that “because my mother was a woman, she wasn’t allowed to own any property”. This is another form of obstacles as traditional African women responsibilities are to marry and produce children; limitations are being imposed on women—limiting their intelligence and lifestyle based on what a man wants.

As many opportunities shifts in the ways of women, modern Africa’s economic and social status is prospering with the full time, effort and contribution of women. African women have left the dark side of life and have now emerged as the backbone of the present society. Rural women contributes largely as they maintain grueling schedules working in the fields and at home; at home, they care for children, cook, fetch water and fire wood, whiles on the fields they cultivate food, plant, care for livestock, etc. “Rural agriculture is the most important economic activity in Africa and it involves more than 80% of rural women as farmers (compared to about 65% of men who farm)” (Azevedo 455). African women are becoming more and more active on their own behalf, and are looking for solutions; educated urban-dwelling women every so often clear concerns for other women who are not able to speak on their own behalf. For example, hunger and malnutrition have attracted the concerns of high status and high visibility women such as Maryam Babangida, former first lady of Nigeria and Kenenyan environmentalists Wangari Muta Maathai who received $100,000 African prize from the Hunger project—annually awarded by the New York based international non-profit organization(Azevedo 456,457). In connection to this transformation of African women is Kekenya Ntaiya from the video “A girl who demanded school”, who also faced an obstacle where she had to trade in a part of her body—female genital mutilation—in order to obtain education; she too in return have gone back to Africa and transformed the lives of 125 girls by building a school and admitting these girls. These girls, Kekenya said are the few so far who will avoid female genital mutilation—a performance that kills many of the 3 million girls who are victims.             

MUSIC

Africa is a very large continent with the existence of nearly one thousand languages. With such a large continent, their music can be characterized in many different ways taking into an account all of the diversity of cultures and terrain; there are common features that links the continent. Incorporated in their traditional music are playing styles, instrument styles, song continent, stylistic features, etc. Particularly speaking, I will be focusing on four specific artists and how they each represent stylistic continuum, improvisation, and ethnomusicology.

            Nigerian artist King sunny Ade was one of the artists that influenced of inspired what would become Afro Pop. He makes incredible beats when he combines all the traditional instruments. His band consisted of ten members and the propulsive polyrhythm of traditional drums mixed with sophisticated guitar arrangements and redal steel represented stylistic continuum; because the band uses instruments invented in the olden days to put their beats together. To mention a few, Gangan, talking drum that is use to call names and it’s the first communication equipment. This same artists can represent improvisation because he takes old music and makes it his own by making changes to them as he goes—omits and substitutes, thus creating his signature. For example, in one of his interviews, he said, “And for me to introduce accordion—instead of accordion, I introduced keyboard…so he introduced the Samba drum. I use emileh instead. With these omissions and substitutions makes his version different. In addition, he reflects ethnomusicology as he is always planning and studying how to approach music to make it better and fit culturally. When making his juju songs for instance, he studies what the ancestors introduced and tries not to deviate from it; so if the juju music is missing a violin, he would fix in a guitar sound, thus holding onto the culture part of the music.   

Takfaivias is an Algerian musician; she reflects style of continuum as she incorporates the 1940’s instrument mandol which was first passed on by Greece, the Italian, it was Greek. In another ways, she represents continuity of style when she sings to demonstrate “Yal” music which is a morse code—the idir melody. Yal, is what they referred to as the music of the language before there were instruments. She reflects improvisation when she changes mandol instruments and attaches her signature; her mandol has two necks—she made hers’ “elecrocoustique” mandol instead of the original acoustic mandol. With her changes, her tunes will have high sounds, seriousness, energetic, and it additionally makes love music soft.   

DIASPORA ART

           Contemporary art in Africa still holds on especially in Nigeria as they incorporate art in their academic studies. Some Factors that serves as the compounds for motivating new trends in present-day Nigerian artistic growth is the Nigerian heritage and western training. Workshop programs in Nigeria compromises possibilities in art training which enables artists who are unable to afford or lack suitable credentials to enroll in the university program to better their talent. Oshogbo workshop for example invites mentors from abroad who come and critique the artist and make suggestions through which they can make an improvement. Unfortunately in the late 60’s, Oshogbo workshop lacked funds to support work leaving them hanging; but this workshop still produced prominent artists—Jacob Afolabi, Rufus Ogundele, Twins seven, etc.

            African American arts are more rampant in music, drama, dance, and literature than pictorial art. Slaves in the Americas offered some artistic links to the Africa’s traditional custom as it occurred in textiles, wood designs, musical instruments, etc. Being forced into a new land—the Americas—Africans adopted the Americas slave codes; this caused the absence of African American traditional in their lifestyle. They soon gained gratitude from white abolitionists who supported their profession. Today, they have grown within this profession and they continue to produce good work. For example, “Lawrence style has maintained it basic components’ but has become more sophisticated. His painting style reflects background of artistic exposure which is varied, including experiences such as: teaching, during the summer of 1964 at Black Mountain College where he was the African American teacher…”( Azevedo 318). Currently, African American artists cover a range of styles; they incorporate reality, intellectual, etc. Some artists produce their work and make it available for purchase whiles others make it for enjoyment and for the fun of it; either way contemporary African American artists are ample and need to be acknowledged for years to come.

            Caribbean art is filled of liveliness and potency. Each region may have different art based on their surroundings and environment. Taking Haiti for example they have their religion, oral history, etc. therefore their art is concomitant into the belief system of vodum which reflects their religion. Haitian art dominates within the region; but even so few periodicals depict the life of an individual Caribbean artist, particularly those who are not from Haiti.          

LUMUMBA

Before the European contact on the African continent, their intentions were strictly free trade through Africa’s rich land resources. They went there to rule the whole  African continent and nothing less. But when they met freedom fighters like Patrice Lumumba, their ruling and control was shattered because independence was the symbolized freedom for Lumumba and he never exchanged it for nothing more or less. Patrice Lumumba became the first National Prime minister of Democratic Republic of Congo. But prior to his appointment, he went to Stanleyville as a third class postal worker and there he spread the word of independence. He made the people believe in themselves so much. Lumumba escaped the obstacles set before him and was soon invited to the round table conference in Brussels.

            In the round table conference, Lumumba requested Congo’s declaration of independence to be finalized in June 30^th. Lumumba achieved his goal and this goal came with more obstacles. The Belgians were not ready to let Congo be an independent country but the freedom fighter Lumumba made sure it happened. After Congo gained their independence, the Belgians felt the Congo government wasn’t very experienced to handle its people because the Congolese were raping and killing compatriots therefore they were going to render aid to the Congo government by giving them a solution to regulate and control its people; but Lumumba refused. This was a form of contradiction because the Belgian government still wanted to some way somehow control the Congolese; in other words the people of Congo they felt must remain under their rule. An example was established when the Belgian ambassador visited Lumumba and offered him solutions to use to control his people; when Lumumba made it clear that he didn’t need their assistance, the ambassador stated, “If you decline my offer, we will consult our Atlantic partners” (Lumumba part 5). This was a clarification that the Belgians contradicted themselves when they granted Congo their independence.

EUROPEAN TAKE OVER AFRICA

Being dominant and the thought of bring peace to the Africans was one thing whiles governing and transmuting them to the Europeans liking was another. Prior to 1884, the European colonies had limited themselves in the involvement in the traditional land of Africa. They took cautious steps in securing the power to rule. The colonies as a whole believed Africa was a “no man land” therefore they took measures in building new sates and implementing their own laws and regulations through which the Africans were going to have to follow. Their idea and goal was to take over the economy of the African continent going through their political leaders.

            The Britain started off with their official policy formulated by Lord Fredrick Lugard, a Nigeria High commissioner; this was they referred to as “indirect rule”. With the tradition of the of the African culture being incompatible to the Britain’s, they planned to change the political system to gain power over the people but they couldn’t wipe out the leaders right away; they therefore decided unless they partially maintain Africans political structure and other institutions and instead act as their advisors, their intention to rule the continent will be unsuccessful. For example, they kept traditional kings and chiefs in power as well as the ethnic loyalties and traditions governing marriage and land. In addition, they allowed the continuation of the African languages to be spoken in couple of western schools in the colonies which in return they believe “would guarantee their success of the colonial experiment, ensure everlasting peace, and require the use of fewer financial resources” (Azevedo, 116); in other words, if the Britain’s shared political power with the African leaders (kings, chiefs, etc.), they will feel as important and that could possibly prevent them from rebellion against the Britain’s. In addition, the Britain will also get cheap labor by recruiting or better yet forcing the Africans, which will evidently fairly less cost.

With the colonies main target being power and wealth, the African economy was definitely going to suffer as a consequence. The European began disturbing the peace of Africa’s economy when they forced African authorities and gave them additional power through which their main responsibility was to collect taxes, conscript manpower for involuntary labor and the military; as well as controlling the harvest of certain cash crops in their region—these mistreatment led to African authorities susceptibility because they were seen as tools of colonialism. Note, the taxes that were impose on the African continent weren’t beneficiary to them in any kind of way and “the cash crops made the newly carved territories dependent on one or two commodities that, following independence, became a source of problem when Africans made an attempt to diversify the economy. Furthermore, international fluctuation of consumer needs and resulting prices made Africans economies vulnerable to external forces, and the emphasis on exports overlooked the real needs of the Africans” (Azevedo, 118). Also, from the movie The History of Racism, King Leopold II; who was full of greed sent somebody to Congo to secure that country for him; on that part of the continent, he created a scene as though he was willing to educate what he called the “savage people”. He formed ninety-thousand strong army some of which were Africans to go to village after village; there they seized women from their husbands and forced men to go to the farms to collect a monthly quota of wild robber. This continued for 20 years therefore there weren’t people in the village to do what a normal community will do to feed itself such as fishing, harvesting, farming, etc.—Congo as a result died from over labor and starvation.   African’s primarily relying on one or two agricultural goods were pretty disturbing with the simple fact that they basically didn’t have anybody to sell these goods internationally.

As it has been briefly elaborated above, the exports were strictly in favor of the processing of products overseas, consequently divesting the Africans of industrial plants. Everything and anything the colonies touched on the continent politically, economically, (taxes, railways, harbors), and other amenities that were built to sternly expedite the exports of merchandises from industrious areas to European markets and plants. Africans as being told through history remained the major tank of economical labor for the European government, companies, and enterprises until they gained individuality.