Effutu Asafo: Its organization and music
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v6i2.1113Abstract
Asafo is an ancient warrior organization that exists in all Akan societies of Ghana. When asafo came into existence can only be speculated on since there are no records to consult. One thing that is certain about it is the reason for its existence: it started as a force to initiate or combat aggression in time of war. The musical study of a people ought to be accompanied by a study of the culture of that people, for music involves culture and may be said to be culture bound. Such a study will provide an in depth understanding of the behaviour patterns of the people in music. The function of music in a society is a most fascinating subject and deserves thorough research. Effutu asafo certainly has a significant function in the society. The role of their music is many fold. The song texts and drum texts serve as a source of inspiration to the society and may also refer to historical facts about the society. The value of asafo song text as an indicator of historical events cannot be disputed;but its value depends on the reliability of oral tradition.References
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Johnson, J.C. de Graft 1932 "The Fanti Asafu", Africa, V/3, July.
Meredith, Henry 1812 An account of the Gold Coast of Africa, London.
Murdock, G.P. 1959 Africa: its peoples and their culture history, New York.
Nketia, J.H. 1954 "The role of the drummer in Akan society", African Music, 1/1.
1963 Drumming in A kan communities of Ghana, Legon, Univ. of Ghana Press.
Reindorf, Carl 1966 History of the Gold Coast and Asan te, Accra, Ghana Universities Press.
Sarbah, John Mensah 1968 Fan ti national constitution, London, Cass.
Turkson, A. Traditional instrumental music of Ghana: a study of early travellers' accounts (unpublished manuscript).
Ward, W.E.F. 1958 A history of Ghana, London, Oxford University Press.
Aning, Ben A. 1968 "Factors that shape and maintain folk music in Ghana", Journal of the International Folk Music Council, Copenhagen.
d'Azevedo, Warren L. "The artist archetype in Gola culture", (unpubl. manuscript).
Azu, Enoch 1929 Adangme historical and proverbial songs, Accra, Government Printer.
Balmer, Rev. W.T. 1969 A history of the Akan peoples of the Gold Coast, New York, Negro Univ- ersities Press.
Barbot, John 1746 A description of the coasts of North and Sou th Guinea, London.
Bell, H.J. 1893 History, trade, resources and present conditions of the Gold Coast settlement, Liverpool.
Birmingham, David 1966 "A note on the kingdom of Fetu", Ghana Notes and Queries, November.
Boahen, Adu A. 1966 "The origins of the Akan", Ghana Notes and Queries, November.
Bossman, William 1705 A new and accurate description of the coast of Guinea, London.
Bright, William 1963 "Language and music: areas of co-operation", Ethnomusicology, Vol. 7.
Busia, K.A. 1949 The position of the chief in the modern political system of Ashanti, London, Oxford University Press.
Cruickshank, Brodie 1853 Eighteen years on the Gold Coast of Africa, London, 2 vols.
Dickson, K.B. 1965 "Evolution of seaports in Ghana: 1800-1928", Annals of the Association of American Geographers, LV, 1, March.
1969 Historical Geography of Ghana, London, Cambridge University Press.
Ellis, A.B. 1969 A history of the Gold Coast, New York.
Finnegan, Ruth 1970 Oral tradition in Africa, London, Oxford University Press.
Hagan, George P. 1968 "An analytical study of Fanti kinship", Research Review, 5/ 1, Legon, Institute of African Studies.
Herskovits, Melville J. 1967 Dahomey, Evanston, Northwestern University Press, 2 vols.
Herzog, George 1934 "Speech melody and primitive music", Musical Quarterly, XX.
Hornbostel, Erich M. and Sachs, Curt 1961 "Classification of musical instruments", trans. A.Baines and K.P.Wachsmann, Galpin Society Journal, XIV.
Johnson, J.C. de Graft 1932 "The Fanti Asafu", Africa, V/3, July.
Meredith, Henry 1812 An account of the Gold Coast of Africa, London.
Murdock, G.P. 1959 Africa: its peoples and their culture history, New York.
Nketia, J.H. 1954 "The role of the drummer in Akan society", African Music, 1/1.
1963 Drumming in A kan communities of Ghana, Legon, Univ. of Ghana Press.
Reindorf, Carl 1966 History of the Gold Coast and Asan te, Accra, Ghana Universities Press.
Sarbah, John Mensah 1968 Fan ti national constitution, London, Cass.
Turkson, A. Traditional instrumental music of Ghana: a study of early travellers' accounts (unpublished manuscript).
Ward, W.E.F. 1958 A history of Ghana, London, Oxford University Press.
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Published
1982-07-07
How to Cite
Turkson, A. A. 1982. “Effutu Asafo: Its Organization and Music”. African Music : Journal of the International Library of African Music 6 (2):4-16. https://doi.org/10.21504/amj.v6i2.1113.
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