African musical arts on the continent are as vibrant and diverse as the societies and communities whose creativity and performances enliven life in both temporal and non-temporal domains. As a form of communication, African musical arts operate within a larger framework of orality where musical sounds and expressions constitute symbolic and living curricula, which consistently generate knowledge systems about the African worldview. Orality, however, does not imply lack of literacy, as songs, instrumental accompaniment, storytelling, epic poems, instrumental music, and the physical body of musical instruments indexes literacy in subtle and intricate ways. Ultimately, the ISMAA will foster crucial dialogues on critical issues, including: the imbalanced power dynamics between researchers and African communities, the persistent challenge for African societies to access scholarship produced in the West, and “research fatigue” among African communities, which occurs when Africans become uncomfortable and less receptive toward Western academics.
The Center for the Humanities at Tufts and the Tufts Department of Music are collaborating to bring this conference to Tufts on March 28 and 29. March 28 will focus on communities of learning in African music, including researchers in the fields of ethnomusicology/African musicology, literary studies, environmental and urban studies, art history, history, and anthropology. Day 2 will focus on communities of practice, featuring a royal convocation of ahene (chiefs) and ahemaa (queens—i.e., female rulers, not the wives of chiefs) from the Asante Kingdom in Ghana. Oheneba Akwasi Abayie, the Otumfuo Asantehene’s Akomforehene and distinguished Royal Oral Historian, will deliver the 2025 Coit-Phelps Keynote Lecture.
This event is free and open to the community, but your registration is appreciated.
