Evoked emotional responses in the performance practices of selected Yorùbá dùndún ensembles

The study aims to investigate and describe the communication of emotion through dùndún music of the Yorùbá ethnic group of Nigeria. The two-pronged focus is on (a) the strategies that dùndún performers employ to potentially arouse emotions in their listeners, and (b) the responses elicited in the listeners. The study is situated in the field of music psychology, while taking into consideration the socio-cultural background and belief systems of the Yorùbá. A mixed methodology combining primarily qualitative with an element of a quantitative approach (QUAL→quan) is adopted within a convergent design. Data from dùndún musicians and listeners were collected through observation, semi-structured interviews as well as a short questionnaire-based survey that consisted of open and closed-ended questions. Two field trips were undertaken to six towns: Igbó-Ọrà, Ìlọra, Ẹdẹ, Òṣogbo, Ìpetumodù and Òỵ ó ̣located within south-west Nigeria. Qualitative analysis consisting of thick description in addition to a grounded theory approach was used to generate themes from the data, and the findings were also derived from a small-scale quantitative component. Concepts and theories around emotions from relevant literature are combined with the findings of the study to explain emotional communication in dùndún music. Data collected were used to answer the research questions in particular and contribute to the broad body of knowledge of music perception and evoked responses to music. The study reveals in general that, for the most part, ‘successful' communication of emotion through dundun music occurred as the dùndún musician employs culture-specific as well as universal cues in arousing emotions. The listeners reacted accordingly, using the same cues as a result of the communication of shared cues in the Yorùbá sub-culture and the performer. Hence, communication of emotion in the world of dùndún consists of an interaction between the performer, the listener, the music and the culture, which also encompasses the context of performance. The findings of the study could be beneficial for further understanding of non-Western indigenous music from music cognitive perspectives

Reviews: CDs

Wonder, Pasuma (Wasiu Alabi Ajibola Odetola) (2015). My World. Lagos, Nigeria: Wasbar Records. <www.highkaydancent.com> $3.0