RETHINKING THE DYNAMICS OF YORà™Bà Dà™NDàšN MUSIC RESOURCE MATERIALS IN THE CONTEXT OF CLAUDIUS OLAYEMI OLANIYAN’S SCHOLARSHIP

Abstract

Beyond the rhetoric and an intentional tribute to a retired teacher (professor), senior colleague and mentor, Claudius Olayemi Olaniyan, this essay re-examines how Yorà¹bà¡ dà¹ndàºn drummers across different generations utilize music resource materials for composition and performance. The article is premised on Cultural Dynamism and relies on data generated from Yorà¹bà¡ dà¹ndàºn practitioners using the ethnographic techniques. Drawing on Olaniyan’s scholarly contributions, the ingenuity of dà¹ndàºn practitioners in adopting orà­kଠ(praise chant/music), à²we (proverbs), à¬tà n à¬bà­lẹ/orin à bà¡là¡yé (folk history/folk song), à fojàºinàºwಠ(imagination) and à¬ÅŸáº¹lẹ ojຠeré (contextual occurrence) to craft their musical art and their contextual appropriateness was analyzed. Findings showed that there is a decline in performance dexterity, less opportunities for knowledge and skill acquisition on resource materials, as well as lower required discipline level and diligence for distinctiveness in modern dà¹ndàºn performance. The argument is that a gradual shift from the normative Yorà¹bà¡ music aesthetic assessment and the challenge of absolute meanings on and at different levels has implications for the promotion of dà¹ndàºn music making now and in the future.