Children's Play Songs A Means Of Education In Akan Culture

52 Pages·2013·0.82 MB·English

by  Ama Terra Pearson

SIT Graduate Institute/SIT Study Abroad
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African Diaspora ISPs African Diaspora Collection
4-1-1994
Children's Play Songs A Means Of Education In
Akan Culture
Ama Terra Pearson
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CHILDREN’S PLAY SONGS

A MEANS OF EDUCATION IN AKAN CULTURE

AMA TERRA PEARSON

COLLEGE SEMESTER ABROAD, GHANA
SPRING 1994
DR. DANIEL AMPONSAH (KO NIMO)
UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, KUMASI
AND KORDZO WILLIE
MOZANO SCHOOL OF MUSIC, MOZANO
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgements … … ii

Abstract … … iii

Methodology … … iv

Introduction … … 1

Physical Activities of the Play … … 2

Song Texts … … 7

Conclusion … … 19

Appendix I: Photographs .. … 20

Appendix II: Song Texts and Movements … 28

Appendix III: Musical Notation of Songs … 47

Bibliography … … 56
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I wish to extend my sincere thanks to my two advisors, Kordzo Willie and Dr.
Daniel Amponsah (Ko Nimo), for their tremendous help throughout my project. My
gratitude goes out to the organizers of the children’s activities, Madam Abena Tanoa of
Adonkrono, Margaret Acquah, Rebecca Acquah, and Hannah Mensah of Ashim. I wish
to thank of of the children of Adankrono, Ashim, and Mozano who so enthusiastically
shared their songs and plays with me, and Joana Afful, Adwoa Edua, Janet Annoful,
Adzo Atta Aidoo, Doris Aidoo, and Nana Jeesa-Maica Forson for so patiently helping me
learn and translate the songs. I also extend my gratitude to Kwabena Omane Agyekum
for his devoted assistance, Daniel Kodwo Okai and his wife Abena Julie for so
generously taking me into their homes. I also wish to thank Opanin Kwabena Anane and
Kwame Wisdom Agbetsiafa and to all the people of Adankrono, Ashim, and Mozano for
their warm receptions.
ABSTACT

In this study I examine the play songs of children in several Akan communities. I
have collected and transcribed songs from Adonkrono in the East region and
Ashim/Mozano from the Central region and described the actions which accompany the
songs.

In the text of this paper, I discuss the movements and the texts of the songs. I
discuss the ways in which they reflect the culture and their educational value to the
children who take part in these activities. Through this analysis I hope to show some of
the ways in which the play songs both reflect the culture and educate the children in this
culture. Thus, I hope to convince my readers that these songs play an important role in
the Akan culture are essential for this community.
METHODOLOGY

The two sides in which I chose to conduct my research were chosen in part as a
result of personal contacts. I was first introduced to Mozano through our academic
program. I chose to return to this site after making several connections there with
students from the music school as well as a teacher at the music school who became one
of my advisors, Kodzo Willie. Mozano seemed to be an appropriate site given that there
was both a music school where I could observe formal instruction of music as well as a
rural setting in which to observe and take part in spontaneous music in its natural setting.

I chose to split my research between two sites so that I would have variety of
contexts and thus acquire a better idea of what aspect of the songs and their setting were
specific to that area and which were common to other villages. When I discussed my
intentions with Kordzo Willie he suggested that I spend time at Adankrono as my second
site. One of his friends, Kodwo Okai, was both form Adankrono and had just last year
studied children’s songs there. Thus, Adankrono could offer me both personal
connections that would allow me more access to the culture, and the assurance that there
would be children ready to share their play songs with me.

To collect and record may data I took photographs, recorded on cassette,
participated in the activities, and transcribed, translated and learned the songs with help
form some of the children and members of the community. I have also supplemented
these activities with formal and informal interviews to give me a more solid foundation to
direct and hold up my own analysis.

Due to my lack of a video recorder, photographs and audio cassette recordings
were the next closest forms of representation to allow me to share my experiences with
others. I wanted to take part in the activities so that I could experience them for myself
as best I could, while also realizing that my experiences of them was inherently different
from that of the children who had grown up with them and among the culture of which
they were a part. I wanted to avoid the tendency to observe these activities from afar and
without actually experiencing them. I also wanted to be able to actively take my
experiences with me into the rest of my life so that I am able to share my experiences
with others.

While I was able to learn some songs by heart, it was different to remember the
words given my lack of fluency in both Twi and Fanti. Another difficulty was the lack of
time which I was allotted, especially after the already short time I had planned was
reduced even more due to my sickness. I would have liked to have time to go back to the
sites for follow-up questions which arose as I experienced and faced new issues later in
my research.

For my analysis of the data I referred in part to the pieces of analysis which I
picked up from people at the sites, both in formal and informal interviews. I also spent
several days after my site experiences talking with and searching for more clues of
analysis from Ko Nimo, my other advisor. I also used observations and knowledge I had
gained through the semester in Ghana as well as several books and articles.
INTRODUCTION

Every culture has some form of education for its youth. Through this educational
process the children acquire skills which will help them function in their society. In
many societies, especially those with a strong oral tradition, music plays an important
role in this process. It is an effective vehicle through which to impart knowledge on the
children and help in their overall development. A common form that this takes is that of
song and especially songs of play and games.

The traditional culture of the Akan people is one which is abundant with
children’s play songs. In many Akan villages where these songs are still plentiful they
serve an important role in the educational process of the children. However, many of
these communities are drifting from these traditional activities with the arrival of western
influences. Some of the strongest distractions away from these traditional activities come
from the installation of electricity and with it television, films, and music from cassettes.
As children are lured by these attractions, the traditional play songs are placed in
jeopardy.

My interest in these songs comes from my desire to lean, first-hand, the role that
they play in the educational process of the children. I hope that as a result of my research
is not only satisfy my own desires to learn, but also encourage the continuity of this
wonderful tradition of play and thus of the culture of which they are a part.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE PLAY

The lessons of the physical activities which accompany these children’s songs
play an important role in the child’s development. They teach the children skills which
are useful in their successful functioning in society. Given that so much of their work
throughout their life involves physical exercise and labor, a fit body is an essential aspect
of their overall development. Through the activities of these play songs the children
exercise their bodies in such a way that stimulates growth both physically and mentally.
They learn skills of coordination, physical endurance, flexibility and skills which directly
prepare them for specific activities in their lives.

Some of the activities are not physically strenuous, but still play an important role
in the children’s training. The following games involve activities which tech the child
skills of coordination. One such game is that of rock passing (fig fig.1 in Appendix I, and
songs 1 and 2 in Appendix II). The passing of the rock is a steady rhythm teaches the
children both hand-eye coordination and tests their flexes and grabbing skills. As the
pace quick end, the reflexes must be especially alert so as not to disrupt the rhythm and
end in a crushed hand. Both “Kuturuku” (song 11) and “Atatratui” (song 13) and test the
children’s coordination skills and alertness. These are both games of piling hands on top
of each other. In “Kuturuku” the hand must be properly folded into a fist with the thumb
under the fingers. The children must not be too hasty to put their fist on the pile or they
might forget to properly fold their hand. During “Atatratui” the hand must match palm to
palm and back to back. The participants must pay close attention to the pile of hands and
to the people around them who may also be rushing to place their hand in the pile at the
same time, thus causing the other child to place his/her hand in the wrong position. This
tests their alertness and ability to quickly change the direction of their hand.

Other songs that involve skills of coordination are those songs that are
accompanied by slapping their hands together, such as “Ayii bam” (song 4), “Pra pra”
(song 14), and “Hena ne Bontoni” (song 15). Rather than the competitive games
mentioned above where children are either eliminated or beaten if they do not perform
correctly, the coordination involved in these songs is purely for their pleasure. However,
it is still important that their movements are correct or it will disrupt the song. The
motions of “Ayii Bam” are very similar to many such games in other parts of the world.
There was a similar game in Darko which sung about Robert Mensah, the football
goalkeeper and there are many such hand-clapping games in the United States. Girls
seem to find great pleasure in these plays. Such games allow the children to show off
their speed of coordination. It also allows for individual connections with their friends as
they work together to race through the game without fault. “Pra Pra” and “Hena ne
Bontoni” both share the same accompaniment of clapping and hand-slapping. The hand
rhythms serve as accompaniment to the songs whose words are more important and
complex than those of “Ayii Bam.” Thus, it is important that the rhythm stays steady and
without mistakes.

The rhythm her consists of triplets and duplets which often contrast with the
rhythm of the song. Thus, this syncopated rhythm is also learned and tested. In this
activity the children practice coordinating a rhythm with the hands that contrasts with the
rhythm which the sing, and are thus trained in the rhythmic practice of triplets against
duplets that is so common in African music.

The “Apatampa” dance (see fig. 9) also involves complex coordination of body
movements with the singing. Not only do the hands and feet move to separate rhythms,
the rhythms of the songs often contrast with both of the body movements. Thus, the
complex rhythms of African music are implanted in the children early and they learn to
coordinate their body to keep the contrasting rhythms with different limbs.

“Apatampa” and other plays with rigorous activity also help to build the children
physical endurance and stamina. These plays include “Me koo me jolly” (song 5) where
the children throw someone in the air who then rushes back to her or his friends’ arms
(see fig. 4-6). When the children take par in these activities for hours at a time they go
through extensive physical exercise. The strain of it, however, becomes disguised by the
enjoyment of the play and singing.