African and European musical culture in the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland

Abstract

As a result of the emergence of Africa from its long isolation from the rest of the world and of the growing impact of Western civilization on the indigenous inhabitants of this continent, a considerable body of enlightened opinion is concerning itself with efforts to ensure that the worthwhile elements of African culture are not submerged in a flood of “culture”, manufactured—-often for purely commercial reasons—-in other parts of the world. In those countries of Africa where the white man, if present at all, is a temporary resident, there is much to be said for encouraging Africans to develop their music along purely indigenous lines, avoiding, as far as possible, any external influences that might be foreign to a society of their own making. In countries like the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland and, particularly, in Southern Rhodesia, the permanent presence of a large white population makes it virtually impossible to keep the cultures in water-tight compartments and efforts to do so are likely to be doomed to failure. Indeed, it is questionable whether such efforts should be made, even if there was any hope of success, since the whole motive underlying the enormous political and sociological experiment which is beginning to gain momentum in the Federation, is one that visualises rapprochement between the races rather than the maintenance of rigid separation.