Toward a model for the evaluation of the cultural strength of various musics
Application of the model (cont.)
Step 3: Evaluate the cultural strength of each music
Results of the informal interviews representing the basis of this preliminary inquiry suggested the usefulness of defining two populations and relating them separately to the cultural strengths for the various church musics. The two groups have not been statistically verified, but proved to be useful handles during our discussions. Group 1 can be described as those people who have strong urban experience and ideals. This group has a high level of Lingala comprehension, much exposure to music in Western modalities, and greater involvement in the state educational system. They may also have a longer history of involvement in the church. It includes a higher percentage of men and young people than the second group.
Group 2 consists of people who have strong village experience and ideals. They have lower Lingala comprehension than group one, less exposure to music in Western modalities, and lower involvement in the state educational system. There are more women and older people in this group. In the following discussion of the cultural strength of various church musics, I will note differences which are characterized by these two groups. Figure I below displays projections of the values of the four criteria for the four types of music in the church. The findings have not been tested; rather, they represent hypotheses gleaned from initial investigations.
Choral and animation music show the greatest overall cultural strength for people in Group 1, the urbanized group. Emotional involvement was evidenced by vocal and physical participation by both choirs and members of congregations. A high level of musical integrity was also indicated by the physical and emotional response of participants as well as verbal descriptions of their aesthetic pleasure. Also, new songs are continuously being composed and learned. That these songs have been further integrated into the lives of Group I people is also evidenced by the fact that they are often sung outside the church, during work or rest. Linguistic interaction with participants correlates with sociolinguistic data that the meanings of the words of songs are well understood. Finally, these songs' association with the urban ideals of Kinshasa and the West support a sense of belonging and predictability for people in Group 1.
These two categories of music show a lower cultural strength for people in Group 2. Group 2 participants have less exposure to Western influences music and culture and have less comprehension of Lingala. Thus, they understand a lower proportion of the verbal content, enjoy the music less, do not compose new songs in these categories, and do not associate these songs with social functions integral to their lives.
Book music shows moderate cultural strength for Group 1, and low and moderate cultural strength for Group 2. Many of these songs have been part of the experience of churches in the Ubangi for three, four, or five decades, so they have built a niche in the lives of churchgoers. However, when they were first learned they were in a quite foreign music system, used sometimes poorly translated or idiomatic Lingala, and were associated only with the church. (See Aning for discussion of some differences between Western and African traditional music.) Thus, it is only over time that emotional involvement, communicational clarity, and perhaps musical integrity have become moderately strong. Even now, the Lingala used in the songs uses archaic words and structures that are difficult for outsiders to understand or appreciate.
Traditional songs show varied levels of strength for Group 1, and consistently high levels for Group 2. The lower levels for Group 1 are an obvious result of its members' acculturation into the urban life; they now identify more with the "new Africa." It may be that the low emotional involvement rating reflects interviewees' removal from the life cycle events and patterns of a traditional life; the emotional content of traditional music is more closely tied to the patterns of village life. Even so, these songs evoke a strong sense of identity with their tribal history. Traditional songs clearly show a high cultural strength for Group 2.