The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial Rites
African societies have always used traditional music and dance to celebrate events, interface, and connect with divinity, especially during communal ceremonies. The central thesis of this paper is that traditional music and dance are transforming agents used by Xhosa traditional healers during cerem...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Noyam Journals
2022-01-01
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| Series: | E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/EHASS20223136.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797725042515116032 |
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| author | Benjamin Obeghare Izu Alethea de Villiers |
| author_facet | Benjamin Obeghare Izu Alethea de Villiers |
| author_sort | Benjamin Obeghare Izu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | African societies have always used traditional music and dance to celebrate events, interface, and connect with divinity, especially during communal ceremonies. The central thesis of this paper is that traditional music and dance are transforming agents used by Xhosa traditional healers during ceremonies to gain insights into the nature of a society’s experiences and to connect with supernatural beings. This study, therefore, investigates the functional role of traditional music and dance used during Xhosa traditional healer’s ceremonies, employing direct observation, video recordings, and interviews, as well as a descriptive qualitative research design. The findings revealed that traditional music and dance provide a safe environment for divinity practices and healing. Furthermore, traditional music and dance bring traditional healers closer to their ancestors, increasing acceptance and self-discovery during ritual proceedings. Even though music and dance are vital parts of various aspects of Xhosa cultural life, they have received limited scholarly attention. This paper, therefore, provides commentary on the functional role of traditional music and dance during Xhosa traditional healer’s ceremonies and offers reflections on the functionality of traditional music and dance in contemporary Xhosa culture. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:25:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-46a3baa7cfe14add9479a0924309b4b8 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2720-7722 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-12T10:25:30Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Noyam Journals |
| record_format | Article |
| series | E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-46a3baa7cfe14add9479a0924309b4b82023-09-02T09:43:11ZengNoyam JournalsE-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences2720-77222022-01-01313716729https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.20223136The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial RitesBenjamin Obeghare Izu0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5314-7215Alethea de Villiers1https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7452-5083Music and Performing Arts Department, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa.Music and Performing Arts Department, Nelson Mandela University, Gqeberha, South Africa.African societies have always used traditional music and dance to celebrate events, interface, and connect with divinity, especially during communal ceremonies. The central thesis of this paper is that traditional music and dance are transforming agents used by Xhosa traditional healers during ceremonies to gain insights into the nature of a society’s experiences and to connect with supernatural beings. This study, therefore, investigates the functional role of traditional music and dance used during Xhosa traditional healer’s ceremonies, employing direct observation, video recordings, and interviews, as well as a descriptive qualitative research design. The findings revealed that traditional music and dance provide a safe environment for divinity practices and healing. Furthermore, traditional music and dance bring traditional healers closer to their ancestors, increasing acceptance and self-discovery during ritual proceedings. Even though music and dance are vital parts of various aspects of Xhosa cultural life, they have received limited scholarly attention. This paper, therefore, provides commentary on the functional role of traditional music and dance during Xhosa traditional healer’s ceremonies and offers reflections on the functionality of traditional music and dance in contemporary Xhosa culture.https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/EHASS20223136.pdfxhosatraditional music and dancetraditional healers |
| spellingShingle | Benjamin Obeghare Izu Alethea de Villiers The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial Rites E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences xhosa traditional music and dance traditional healers |
| title | The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial Rites |
| title_full | The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial Rites |
| title_fullStr | The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial Rites |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial Rites |
| title_short | The Functional Role of Traditional Music and Dance in Xhosa Traditional Healers’ Ceremonial Rites |
| title_sort | functional role of traditional music and dance in xhosa traditional healers ceremonial rites |
| topic | xhosa traditional music and dance traditional healers |
| url | https://noyam.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/EHASS20223136.pdf |
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