Fiddling in West Africa: Touching the Spirit in Fulbe, Hausa, and Dagbamba Cultures

Notes

Notes Introduction 1. The term gondze (singular and plural) refers to the Dagbamba one-stringed fiddle, which in performance is held horizontally with the resonator placed near the performer’s waist (when standing) and in the lap (when sitting). The term is also used as a designation for Dagbamba fiddler(s) and for fiddling (the act of playing the instrument). 2. The king of the Dagbamba monarchy is the Ya Naa, who resides in Yendi. In precolonial times, several hierarchies of rulers and a complex network of dynastic polities lay under the monarch. The kingdom was divided into three provinces: Karaga, Mion, and Savelugu, each of which was ruled by a royal “duke,” known respectively as the Karaga Naa, Mionlana, and Yo Naa. Under them were other smaller polities with rulers (Staniland 1975:16–17). The head fiddler in service to the Ya Naa is known as the Yamba Naa. 3. Songs averaged about one to two minutes in length. The longest was three minutes, forty seconds (3:40), while the shortest was about forty seconds (:40). Part 1 consisted of twelve songs (23:20); part 2, twelve songs (24:52); part 3, thirteen songs (23:00); part 4, four songs (10:25); part 5, seventeen songs (27:00); and part 6, eleven songs (16:38). 4. Many terms are used for the fiddle in West Africa (see appendix). Therefore, it is difficult and, I believe, inappropriate to choose one over the other. For this reason, I employ “fiddle,” the generic term for a bowed string instrument having a neck (Marcuse 1975:180).“Fiddle” is also better known in English than “bowed lute,” the more technical term. In using this terminology, I am not suggesting that the fiddle is of less value or has a lower status than the “violin,” a term often identified with Western classical (or art) music; nor am I trying to create a dialectic or opposition between so-called folk and high culture. I am also cognizant of the danger in using “fiddle,” which as a verb in English implies spending time in aimless or fruitless activity (Webster’s New Collegiate Dictionary 1974:426). In spite of possible negative connotations, I find “fiddle” to be less problematic than “violin.” It is important for the instrument not to be identified with Europe, for fiddling in West Africa predates contact with Western cultures. 5. Much research on Africa has been conducted solely to address questions or issues (i.e.,“missing links”) related to cultures in other parts of the world. Comparative musicologists of the early twentieth century conducted research on non-Western cultures such as those in Africa because of their interests in determining the antecedents of European art music traditions (Myers 1992). Also, many investigations on music in the African diaspora use Africa as a springboard for discussing developments elsewhere. This study is Africacentered ; my interest is in the development of West African fiddling from its earliest beginnings to the present, not in how it serves as a precursor to developments outside Africa. 6. The few print publications that focus solely on West African fiddling include Borel (1989, 1991), Cogdell (1973, 1974), DjeDje (1978b, 1980, 1982, 1984a, 1992b, 1999), Gourlay (1980, 1982b), Sulley (1971), Wendt (1994), and Yakubu (1981). Works by Ames and King (1971), Bebey (1969, 1975), Kawada (2001), Mack (2004), Nikiprowetzky (1963, 1964b, 1966a, 1966b), Nketia (1974), Schlottner (2004), and Wegner (1984) include references to fiddling. The number of fiddle recordings on West Africa is large when compared to print sources, but small relative to drumming. Of the three audio recordings that focus on fiddling, two are devoted to the Hausa (Alhaji G∂rbo Le∂o 1976; Niger 1999), while the other concerns the Dagbamba (Master Fiddlers 2001). Juldeh Camara, a Fulbe fiddler from Senegambia, made a CD in which six of the eleven pieces are devoted to his fiddling while the other selections are performed by Mande musicians playing other instruments (Ancient Heart 1990). Fulbe musicians from Futa Jalon in Guinea include four selections with fiddling (Guinée 1992). Laura Boulton collected four fiddle songs when she participated in the 1934 Straus expedition: one was from Senegal (Fatick), two were from Mali (Timbuktu), and one was from Niger (Niamey) (Music and Culture 2002). François Borel has helped to produced two recordings that contain several selections of fiddle music by the Tuareg (Niger: Musique des Touaregs. Vol. 1. Azawagh, 2002; Niger: Musique des Touaregs. Vol. 2. In Gall, 2002).When Arthur S. and Lois...