Socio-Cultural Dimensions of Dugu Music of the Waala People of the Upper West Region of Ghana

doi:10.7176/rhss/12-2-03

Abstract

The article is a documentation of the authors’ research into the Duori dugu music of the Waala people in the Wa municipality of Upper West Region of Ghana. It underscored the socio-cultural dimensions of the dugu genre and also touched on the contexts of performance and the use of instruments. Grounded on the theory of cultural context, the authors addressed the interplay between musical performance and the rich culture that portrayed the musical identity of the Wa people and the Waala in general. Data was gathered through interviews and participant observation. It was found that apart from its contextual performance at the in-laws’ programmes, the dugu group also performs at Damba festival as well as other programmes that are connected to the members. The write-up concludes that dugu music gives the people of Wa a solid sense of cultural identity through instrumental organization and the contexts in which it is performed. Keywords: Socio-cultural, Dugu, cultural context, In-laws, Damba festival, Wa DOI: 10.7176/RHSS/12-2-03 Publication date: January 31 st 2022

Highlights

The indispensable nature of African traditional music to an Africa cannot be overemphasized
Discussion of Findings 4.1 Dugu Musical types and Instrumental Organization As part of a long-established custom, the dugu dance ensemble has two types of music. These are baaluu and sokodae Baaluu Baaluu is the dugu musical type that comes with a slow tempo due to the dance type that accompanies it
The paper has ventured to demonstrate that dugu dance is active among the people of Wa like any custom of the Waalas

Summary

Introduction

The indispensable nature of African traditional music to an Africa cannot be overemphasized. From dawn to dusk music pervades every activity of the African and serves as a medium through which they express their sentiment, accompany work and the other activities. Africans are blessed with a variety of traditional dances and Ghana is no exception. In the southern part of Ghana otofo, gahu, zigi and kundum are some of the dances performed and in the northern section bamaya, takai, bina, anle and dugu are among the traditional ensembles. Dugu is one of the traditional dances performed by the people of Wa, in the Upper West region of Ghana. The name dugu depicts the sound produced by the two talking drums (tumpaani), the male and the female. The male produces “du” sound and the female sounds “gu”

Methods

Discussion

Conclusion