INDIGENOUS AFRICAN MUSICIANS AND THEIR CONTRIBUTIONS TO CULTURAL TOURISM IN NIGERIA, TANZANIA AND SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

African music was a tradition mainly performed at meetings and social events. Given the vastness of the continent, traditional music is historically ancient, rich and complex, with many distinct musical styles in different regions and African countries. In Africa, music is very important in all things, including religious practices. Songs and music are used to express stories from generation to generation by way of cultural transmission. Even to rituals and religious ceremonies, songs, dance and drama are crucial. Oral transmission of culture without written evidence is a dominant paradigm for the transmission of ancient tales, legends, and life forms among the African peoples. This study, therefore, examines the past and present state of Traditional African Music in Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa and the contributions of the selected African musicians to cultural tourism. It highlights some of the factors responsible for the decline in Traditional African Music and recommends ways by which both government and individuals
can help to revive the dying culture of traditional music in Africa.