Christian music in contemporary Africa: a re-examination of its essentials

Abstract

Christian music in contemporary Africa: a re-examination of its essentials Christian music all over Africa (be it liturgical church music or gospel), in contemporary times has become so popular and well grown howbeit in divergent dimensions. As a result, there have been questions, debates and confusions both by insiders and outsiders of the Christian faith on what exactly constitutes Christian music. There then arises the need to theorise the fundamentals of Christian music, exhuming the Biblical, musical and socio-cultural basis for its performance practices. This article examines various principles that should guide contemporary Christian musicianship, especially as contained in the Scriptures; arguing that the practice of Christian music cannot be divorced from Bible even when the principles of musical sound organisation and the socio-cultural needs of the society have to be observed. The tension created by the superim-position of the three is also resolved. This article is therefore theoretical and prescriptive in focus and depth as it offers to the African audience the paradigms for understanding the art, gives guidance to the practitioners, and supplies scholarly information to the scholars and observers of Christian studies in general. The article concludes by recommending the indispensability of Biblical standards and skilful originality/artistry in contemporary Christian musicianship. Christian music in contemporary Africa: a re-examination of its essentials Opsomming Christelike musiek in kontemporêre Afrika: 'n herevaluering van sy kern Christelike musiek regoor Afrika (dus liturgiese kerkmusiek én gospel), het tans uiters gewild geraak ten spyte van die uiteen-lopendheid van die dissiplines. As gevolg hiervan het daar vele vrae, debatte en onsekerhede ontstaan by sowel Christene as nie-Christene oor wat nou eintlik as Christelike musiek beskou kan word. Hieruit het die noodsaaklikheid ontstaan om die ware kern van Christelike musiek te teoretiseer, en om die Bybelse, musikale en sosio-kulturele fondament van die hedendaagse beoefening daarvan te ondersoek. Hierdie artikel ondersoek verskeie beginsels, veral Skriftuurlik, wat as riglyne kan dien in die beoordeling van kontemporêre Christelike musiek. Hierdie beginsels stel dat daar 'n direkte verband is tussen Christelike musiek en die Bybel, ten spyte daarvan dat die beginsels van hedendaagse musiek en die sosio-kulturele behoefte van die gemeenskap ook in ag geneem moet word. Die spanning wat ontstaan deur die eise van bogenoemde drie agente, word ook opgelos. Die artikel is daarom teoreties en voorskriftelik in fokus en diepte deur die voorsiening van 'n paradigma aan die Afrika-gehoor waardeur hulle kuns kan verstaan, deur leiding aan uit-voerders en musikante te gee en deur wetenskaplike inligting aan navorsers en studente van Christelike studie te verskaf. Die artikel sluit af deur die aanbeveling dat Bybelse standaarde sowel as oorspronklikheid en kunssinnigheid onontbeerlik is in kontemporêre Christelike musiek.