An Appraisal of Igbo Choral Music in the Light of Akin Euba’s Concept of African Traditional Music

Abstract

Akin Euba identified traditional music as the most widespread and most popular of all the various types of music existing in Africa today. This study attempts an exposition of his idea of traditional music, by highlighting the various elements that identify a piece in this light. This achieved, it proceeds to an analysis of selected Igbo Choral Music excerpts, with the aim of accentuating the prevalent features that mirror the above-stated position. This study employs the following tools: exposition, description and analysis. It makes recourse to archival and library materials. The findings herein reflect a fine balance between change and continuity in the present day Igbo choral music. The study therefore recommends to the modern composers, painstaking studies and rigour, to equip them with the wealth of compositional elements at the African's disposal, which can be adequately harnessed to produce works that can stand the test of time.