JOURNAL OF AFRICAN ARTS AND CULTURE

AESTHETICS OF THE RAMPAGEOUS BODY: INVESTIGATING BODY IDOLISATION AMONG GHANAIAN YOUTH

2025-09-30T20:02:25+00:00

This study investigates the phenomenon of body idolisation among Ghanaian youth, exploring its underlying motivations, cultural influences, and broader societal implications. Adopting a phenomenological approach, the research examines how young people perceive their bodies as instruments of empowerment, self-expression, and social validation. The analysis highlights the growing dominance of visual-centric paradigms, the loosening of traditional cultural norms, and the impact of global influences in shaping contemporary body aesthetics. These evolving practices generate tensions between individual self-expression and societal expectations, reflecting a broader negotiation between tradition and modernity. The findings contribute to the global discourse on body image and aesthetics, offering valuable insights for educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders. The study underscores the need for a balanced approach that acknowledges youth agency while fostering informed aesthetic considerations. It advocates for a deeper societal understanding of body idolisation, enabling constructive engagement with the trend and guiding young people in navigating the complexities of bodily self-presentation.

BEYOND VANDALISM: ANALYSING GRAFFITI AS VISUAL COMMUNICATION AND CULTURAL COMMENTARY AT KNUST

2025-09-30T20:11:14+00:00

This study examines graffiti as a form of visual communication and cultural commentary on the campus of Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), focusing on its aesthetic, philosophical, and symbolic dimensions. Often dismissed as vandalism, graffiti is here repositioned as a legitimate art form that bridges traditional African visual languages with contemporary global narratives. Using a qualitative research approach that combines semiotic and content analysis, the study analyses four selected graffiti artworks created by KNUST students, uncovering their embedded meanings related to identity, social critique and philosophical inquiry. The Semiotic Theory of Communication, in conjunction with Empirical Aesthetics, serves as the study's theoretical foundation. The sampled works transform public spaces into arenas for dialogue, creative resistance and self-expression. The findings highlight graffiti’s role in shaping cultural discourse and amplifying marginalised voices. The study concludes by advocating for the recognition of graffiti within academic frameworks, its preservation through archival practices, and the establishment of designated spaces for artistic engagement and cultural exchange.

ANALYTICAL PRESENTATION OF SAMUEL DOWAANA MENSAH’S “TOONDAN JILMA LANA NAA OSEI TUTU II” (OTUMFUO OSEI TUTU II – A GLORIOUS LEADER)

2025-09-30T20:19:55+00:00

This paper sought to introduce and analyse Samuel Dowaana Mensah’s “Toondan Jilma Lana Naa Osei Tutu II (Otumfuo Osei Tutu II - A Glorious Leader), a multilingual choral composition depicting code switching and written for SATB in honor of his royal majesty Otumfuo Osei Tutu II, on the occasion of his silver jubilee celebration. Using interculturalism as the underpinning theoretical framework, the aim is to expose the reader to the biography of Samuel Dowaana Mensah and through the formalist approach, the compositional features embedded in the work are unknown, using musical analytical parameters. The paper uses purposive sampling method with interviews as instrument for data collection. “Toondan Jilma Lana Naa Osei Tutu II (Otumfuo Osei Tutu II – A Glorious Leader) depicts Mensah’s conscious usage of multiple languages to express his identity and the awareness of his thematic intercultural activities. The conclusion offers an analytical presentation of a choral composition that serves as a foundation for the study and creation of choral works by utilising a variety of indigenous compositional features.

THE INFLUENCE OF SELF-EFFICACY ON CHILDREN’S DRAWING IN GHANA

2025-09-30T20:24:34+00:00

This study explores the role of self-efficacy in shaping children’s drawing practices across Ghana’s rural, peri-urban, urban, and metropolitan contexts. Guided by the social cognitive theory by Bandura (1977), the research investigates how mastery experiences, observational learning, and supportive feedback from teachers and parents influence children’s artistic confidence and expression. Employing a qualitative, multiple-case study design within a social constructivist framework, data were collected through spontaneous and directed drawings, semi-structured interviews, and field observations involving pupils aged 7-10, their parents, and teachers. Findings reveal that children with high drawing self-efficacy frequently choose familiar and culturally resonant subjects, reflecting lived experiences and environmental familiarity. Repetition, guided practice, and positive reinforcement significantly enhanced artistic performance and emotional engagement. Feedback from teachers and parents, when constructive and affirming, was found to foster motivation, resilience, and willingness to experiment with key traits of creative growth. Conversely, environments lacking in encouragement or cultural relevance diminished artistic confidence. The study enriches existing literature by expanding the focus beyond urban settings and highlighting the socio-cultural dynamics that mediate self efficacy in artmaking. It concludes that cultivating children’s drawing self efficacy requires not only pedagogical skill but also culturally responsive strategies and active parental involvement. Recommendations include practice based and observational learning tasks, training in feedback delivery, and policies that integrate culturally grounded art education into early childhood curricula.

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

2025-09-30T20:32:35+00:00

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.

THE LINGUISTIC AND POETIC ANALYSIS OF GA TRADITIONAL MUSIC

2025-09-30T20:40:48+00:00

Traditional music practices and idioms continue to shape the creative processes of Ghanaian composers, serving as foundational materials for new compositions and performance styles. However, despite the rich linguistic and poetic qualities of Ga traditional music, limited scholarly attention has been given to how lyrics are structured, rhythmically organised, and integrated into melodic compositions. The absence of comprehensive studies on these elements creates a gap in understanding the techniques that influence text-setting in Ga traditional vocal music. In this regard, the study examines the lyrical content of selected Ga traditional songs, focusing on their linguistic and poetic elements. Data collection involved recordings and musical transcriptions of Ga traditional songs, which were analysed to explore how composers set text to melody, the impact of rhythm on lyrics, the structural and formal characteristics of the lyrics and the cultural imagery they convey. Findings reveal that Ga composers employ intricate rhythmic patterns that influence textual phrasing, and their lyrical structures often reflect oral traditions, storytelling, and cultural symbolism. The study also highlights poetic devices and linguistic techniques that enhance meaning, emotional expression, and cultural identity in traditional music. This research provides insights into how traditional text-setting techniques can inform modern compositional and arrangement practices.

GENDERED TRAJECTORIES IN GRAPHIC DESIGN AND ANIMATION: REASSESSING THE ROLE AND REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN THE CREATIVE INDUSTRY IN GHANA

2025-09-30T20:45:09+00:00

Despite increasing female participation in creative disciplines globally, gender disparity remains entrenched within Ghana’s graphic design and animation industries. This study examines the socio-cultural, institutional, and professional barriers that limit women’s advancement in these fields, focusing on practitioners in Accra and Winneba. Drawing on qualitative interviews and ethnographic reflections, the research analyses how women navigate structural and cultural constraints and the strategies they employ to assert creative agency. Findings highlight systemic underrepresentation, workplace discrimination and a lack of mentorship as persistent obstacles to gender equity. The study argues for inclusive policies, gender-sensitive leadership development and mentorship initiatives as critical pathways toward a more equitable and representative design ecosystem in Ghana.

FROM RESISTANCE TO RENEWAL: FRAMING THE NEW GENERATION OF AFRICAN INDIGENOUS LANGUAGE FILMS AS SIXTH CINEMA

2025-09-30T20:54:52+00:00

This paper proposes Sixth Cinema as a critical theoretical framework for understanding a new wave of Indigenous African filmmaking that transcends existing cinematic categories (First through Fifth Cinema). Drawing on two case studies, Gonda Sheje and Seven Doors, the paper argues that these films are grounded in African cosmology, ritual structure and spiritual ontology, which does not only centre on conflict or realism but also on healing, ancestral justice and land-based sacredness. Through analysis, the study highlights how these films employ symbolism, indigenous language as epistemology, cyclical temporality, and spiritual narrative logic to reclaim sovereignty over African cultural representation. By this, the paper contributes to decolonial film discourse and expands the intellectual vocabulary for analysing African cinematic expressions rooted in cosmological continuity and intergenerational memory. Ultimately, the study affirms that Sixth Cinema is not merely a new aesthetic movement but a paradigm of indigenous imagination and epistemic renewal.

ON SUPPRESSION AND COUNTER-ACCUSATIONS: THE VENERATION OF TRADITIONAL GHANAIAN MONUMENTS FROM THE CREATIVE ARTIST'S VIEW

2025-09-30T20:59:57+00:00

Every nation, society or community has individuals who played pivotal role in their history, and in that regard, their efforts or contributions are considered worthy of emulation. In the Ghanaian setting, to make the legacies and achievements of these national or traditional heroes or heroines indelible until perpetuity, they are sometimes immortalised by naming facilities, amenities and structures after them. In other cases, they are honoured by the designing or construction of monumental statues in their likeness. Citizens, indigenes and inhabitants of various geographical locations who are conversant with the historical or cultural symbolism of these traditional monuments revere them passionately. This act on the other hand has over the years sparked controversy between sympathisers of these statues or traditional monuments and others who deem these artistic elements as the woes behind Ghana’s retarded socio economic growth. This study through a library search from secondary data as well as primary sources through observation from fieldwork, aims to analyse the allegation and diverse opinions on the role or effect the veneration of these traditional Ghanaian statues have on Ghana’s economic growth.

“MISE GLI LOO”: ILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE MUSICAL FABLE SELF-SERVING, PREDICATED ON THE MUSICO-DRAMATIC GENRE OF STORYTELLING

2025-09-30T21:17:46+00:00

This paper examines Mise Gli Loo, the opening chorus of Self-Serving: A Musical Fable, as a creative embodiment of E?e storytelling traditions within contemporary African art music. Grounded in Acquah’s (2019) Anansegorndwom compositional model and informed by indigenous performance structures, the study analyses how traditional narrative practices such as call-and-response, antiphonal texture, and tonal language inflections are transformed into a modern musico-dramatic form. Drawing on practice-based research methodology, the work explores how African oral tradition can inform compositional processes, musical structure, and community engagement in performance. Through detailed analysis of rhythm, melody, texture, and harmony, the paper reveals how Mise Gli Loo functions not only as a musical invocation but also as a vessel for cultural memory and moral reflection. The findings contribute to ongoing conversations around the integration of indigenous African aesthetics into formal art music composition and pedagogy.

MY DANCING REFLECTS YOUR TEACHING: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL EXPLORATION OF AFRICAN DANCE PEDAGOGY

2025-09-30T21:26:13+00:00

This paper delves into the intricate relationship between personal dance experience and pedagogical practice, asserting that "my dancing reflects your teaching." Employing an autobiographical approach, it meticulously describes and analyses diverse teaching methods and techniques prevalent in dance pedagogy, particularly within an African context. Drawing from childhood encounters, formal student training, and current experiences as a dance educator, this paper explores the profound influences of master teachers and communal learning environments. It concludes by proposing culturally resonant and practically applicable teaching methods, emphasising the holistic transmission of indigenous knowledge, values, and contemporary expressions in African dance education.

EXPLORING THE INFLUENCES OF INDIGENOUS CULTURAL PRACTICES ON TRADITIONAL NIGERIAN THEATRE DESIGN

2025-09-30T21:34:06+00:00

The design of traditional Nigerian theatre has undergone a notable evolution, serving as a mirror of the nation’s rich and diverse cultural heritage. Rooted in indigenous values, beliefs, and communal practices, Nigerian theatre has historically extended beyond mere performance to embody social, spiritual, and architectural expressions of identity. This research article examines the significant impact of indigenous cultural practices on the development of Nigerian theatre design, staging methods, and performance locations. It further investigates how local traditions, rituals, and community-centered performance modes have shaped both the physical and symbolic dimensions of theatrical spaces. This way, the study highlights the adaptability and resilience of Nigerian theatre in the face of colonial influences and modern innovations. Drawing from literature and contextual review, this paper highlights the distinctive nature and flexibility of Nigerian theatre architecture while also exploring its role as a living repository of cultural memory.

CONTEMPORARY ART SONGS FOR SELECTED GHANAIAN LANGUAGES: COMPOSITION AND ANALYSIS

2025-09-30T21:40:14+00:00

One of the significant musical artefacts that emerged from Ghanaian–European socio-cultural encounters in the nineteenth century was the art song; a composition for solo voice and piano typically set to poetry or narrative text. Art songs provide a platform for individual performers to demonstrate vocal artistry and interpretive skill. In contemporary Ghana, however, art song composition and performance have received limited attention, overshadowed by the proliferation of choral music. Existing scholarship suggests that, apart from the pioneering works of Ephraim Amu and J.H. Kwabena Nketia, relatively few Ghanaian composers have created contemporary art songs suited to the audiences of the twenty-first century. This article presents new art song compositions in different Ghanaian languages and for varied vocal ranges, with the aim of fostering accessibility and appreciation within the Ghanaian context. The study further provides formal analyses of the works to illuminate the compositional techniques and stylistic approaches employed. Using purposive sampling and document analysis of the compositions and related texts, the study highlights creative possibilities in Ghanaian art music. In this regard, it seeks to encourage solo vocal performance, stimulate compositional exploration, and expand research into art song as a vital dimension of Ghana’s contemporary art music practice.

SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN LIVE THEATRE AND THE OTHER MEDIA: A METAPHOR OF THE EPIPHYTE

2025-10-01T00:09:40+00:00

The relationship between live and mediated has evolved to become a subject of increasing scholarly interest, particularly in the digital era, where access to theatre performance can be provided by media technology such as film, television, video, internet and handheld devices. Whereas live theatre relies on spatial compresence and temporal simultaneity, mediated theatre depends on technology to reach remote audiences. However, how such a relationship manifests in terms of positive and negative effects has remained largely underexplored. This study seeks to explore the symbiotic relationship between the two forms, using the botanical concepts of metamorphosis and the epiphyte. The main objective is to establish whether the relationship between live and mediated theatre in the Ghanaian context is parasitic, mutualistic and communalistic. Using a qualitative research approach, the study employs semi-structured interviews with theatre practitioners, digital media practitioners, as well as live and remote theatre audiences to establish how the rapid growth and development of media technology has impacted the fortunes of live theatre in Ghana. The research is anchored on the concept of the epiphyte to provide a deeper understanding of how the rapid development of media transmission technology affects audience choices, theatrical authenticity and artistic integrity of theatre. The study aims to contribute to scholarly discourse on the future of live theatre in the digital era. The findings inform theatre practitioners, scholars and policy makers on strategies to sustain theatre in Ghana.