MUSIC, DANCE AND LANGUAGE AS THE PRIMARY ELEMENTS OF FUNERARY RITES FOR CHIEFS: A CASE STUDY OF THE CHIEF OF NEW JUABEN

Abstract

This study examines the crucial role of music, dance, and language in Akan royal funerals, focusing on ‘Daasebr?’ Oti Boateng, the late Omanhene of New Juaben. Oral traditions, performing arts, and rituals honour the deceased, reinforce social hierarchies, and sustain community identity and cultural heritage. This multidisciplinary study used ethnomusicology, semiotics, and linguistic analysis to evaluate funeral music, dance movements, panegyrics, eulogies, and poetry. Drumming and dirges serve as emotional and political tools, while dance maintains rank, authority, and continuity in the chieftaincy system. Oratory and praise songs preserve historical narratives and the deceased's legacy. This study explains African funerary rituals and cultural resilience by recording these traditions, showing how royal funerals preserved Akan tradition, strengthened leadership, and connected humans and ancestors. It presents a paradigm for assessing African performance traditions and their cultural importance. Data gathering included participant observations, interviews with Akan royals and cultural specialists, audio-visual recordings, and archive research on traditional funerals.