The Ethics of Ndau Performance: Questioning Ethnomusicology's Aesthetics
Journal of Musicological Research July 1, 2011 DOI: 10.1080/01411896.2011.564056 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Citations | 6 |
| Key points | Argues that Ndau communities in southeastern Zimbabwe evaluate sacred spirit-possession drumming and secular muchongoyo performance through ethical values and social expectations rather than Kantian disinterested aesthetics. Because the good is coterminous with the beautiful in Ndau thought, the author contends aesthetics is a counterproductive tool for understanding such evaluations. |
Abstract
The examination of two contexts of Ndau performance from southeastern Zimbabwe—ceremonial drumming for spirit possession and secular muchongoyo dance/drumming—is an excellent starting point for reopening discussion about the analytical value of aesthetics in ethnomusicology. Members of these communities evaluate performances according to specific ethical values and social expectations. The parameters, values, and expectations that shape Ndau responses to sacred and secular performances can be compared to the legacy of aesthetic discourses in ethnomusicology that emerge from Immanuel Kant. Ultimately, aesthetics seems a counterproductive tool for understanding how communities such as this evaluate local performance practices. Within Ndau communities, the good is coterminous with the beautiful.