Towards a Theory of Indigenosociomusicology: African Perspectives on Indigenous Knowledge, Social Meaning, and Decolonial Music Studies

Abstract

This article proposes Indigenosociomusicology as a theoretical and methodological paradigm designed to reclaim African musical thought from colonial and Eurocentric frameworks. The concept merges indigenous epistemology and sociomusicological inquiry to examine how music operates as a medium of knowledge, spirituality, and social identity within African contexts. Traditional musicology has often emphasised textual analysis, notation, and Western aesthetics, neglecting the oral, communal, and performative dimensions that characterise African musical practice. Indigenosociomusicology seeks to address this imbalance through a framework informed by Ubuntu philosophy, decolonial thought, and indigenous knowledge systems. Drawing on the contributions of scholars such as Nketia, Kofi Agawu, Mapaya, Mhlambi, Mugovhani, Yende, and Chilisa, the article situates African music as a repository of collective memory, ethical norms, and cosmological understanding. It highlights how participatory performance, storytelling, and oral traditions serve as mechanisms for transmitting cultural wisdom and social values. The paper demonstrates that this approach provides a transformative yet focused lens for research, pedagogy, and policy development in African higher education, offering practical strategies for incorporating indigenous music epistemologies into curricula and scholarly discourse. Ultimately, Indigenosociomusicology promotes epistemic sovereignty, ensuring that African musical knowledge is theorised, interpreted, and valued on its own philosophical and cultural terms. Rather than claiming a sweeping revolution, the article presents a grounded framework that enables scholars and practitioners to engage African music holistically, bridging scholarship, pedagogy, and community-based knowledge production.