NAME: DIMKA PHILIP

MATRICULATION NUMBER UJ/2007/SS/0671

DEPARTMENT: GENERAL AND APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
COURSE: INTRODUCTION TO AFRICAN
TRADITIONAL RELIGION
COURSE CODE: C. R. S 104

TOPIC: TRADITIONAL MUSIC AS IT INFLUENCES THE NGAS CULTURE

INTRODUCTION:
Music is said to be food to the soul. But traditional music in the context of the
Ngas culture is more encompassing. In the Ngas land music is an integral and inseparable
part of the peoples’ life. Excluding it {music} from their customs and/ or tradition, ‘lays
the Ngas man bear’ and ‘incomplete’.
Traditional music {kim, as it is known in the Ngas land} is an art that has been handed
down by the Ngas forefathers from time past and it has been part and parcel of the
peoples’ life; it gives them the highest joy in their lifetime. The people treasure and
cherish every moment spent in it.
For our understanding of this topic it is pertinent for us to define certain key terms in our
‘school of thought’. Say, Traditional, Music, Influence, and the Ngas people.
Traditional can be defined ‘as being part of the belief, customs or way of life of a
particular group of people that have not changed over a long time’ or ‘following older
methods and ideas rather than modern or different ones’. {Oxford Advanced learners’
Dictionary, 6th edition}. According to Mallam Dawood Abubakar {2008}, Traditional can
also be defined as a thing handed down from one generation to the other. This can be
beliefs, customs, music, Art, etc.
Music can be defined as ‘sounds that are arranged in a way that is pleasant or exciting to
listen to’. {Oxford Advanced learners’ Dictionary, 6th edition}
Influence is ‘the effect that some body or something has on somebody or something’.
{Oxford Advanced learners’ Dictionary, 6th edition}. It is also ‘the capacity or power of
persons or things to produce effect on others by tangible or indirect means’. {Webster’s
Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of English Language, 1996}.
The Ngas people are one of over thirty ethnic groups or tribes in Nigeria, Kanke local
government Area. It is located in Plateau state of Nigeria. Nigeria, which is in West
Africa.
Therefore, from the above explanations it can be drawn that traditional music is an
organized pattern of sounds {which may be vocal words} that have been transferred from
one generation to the other, this with the tradition ‘in question’ in mind.
In the Ngas land, music can hardly be discussed without considering farming, festivals,
dancing, paying respect to and mourning the dead, leisure/ recreation, etc, because they
are essential aspect of music that cannot be out rightly ignored.
Ngas traditional music {kim Ngas} has greatly and utterly influence the lives, customs
and traditions of the people.
The fact that traditional music in the Ngas land is part of their farming activity is
true. The Ngas people are known to be great farmers. They cultivate mostly cereals and
vegetables and a little of root and tuber crops; crops like guinea corn known as shwe or
naza , millet{mor}, cassava{bwaryom}, maize{nbalwo}, etc. Usually, when it is time for
farming {sowing} or harvesting, the whole villagers go to the chief’s farm to work on a
particular set date. On the set day, drums known as Kadi are brought out. These drums
will be beaten to alert the people that it is time to go to work on the king’s farm. On their
way, music is been made with the drums and the people sing along till every body is on
the farmland. When the work begins the music will still be on- while the men farm
women will be singing, others help with some other work.
The importance of the music here is that it makes the work move faster and smoothly and
tiredness is not easily experienced. And also, to make people happy and the environment
of work- conducive. This activity has existed from time past and can still be traced today.
Also, festive periods in the Ngas land are wonderfully graced with good music that
suits its kind. All of the Ngas festivals will not and never make sense if there is no music
to accompany it. Examples of such festivals are the Arkheim festival, mustar, muskwat,
and muslun.
The Arkheim festival is always celebrated in the month of December. The word Arkheim
means a way of life, something that has been in place and will be continued. During this
festival, a lot of music is made alongside dancing. The Kadi {drum} would be beaten
while songs and dancing are going on. During this time a masquerade name Agwasa form
kapkal will com out to also dance. This masquerade was formerly for the Hausas who
settled in Amper in Kanke L. G. A. it was bought from by the Ngas forefathers in kapkal.
The importance of the festivals and the music made is for the people to sing, dance and
celebrate.
The mustar festival takes place in October. It is done in respect of the moon when it is
full. If the moon is not full, it is said that it was not done correctly. On the day of the
festival, traditional drinks (mus) are made in every house and will be drunk free. Nobody
buys ‘mus’ on that day. ‘Mus’ will be taken from house to house till evening then
everyone settles in an open field to dance. Music will be made in praise of the moon and
the mus, it is believed in the Ngas land that the moon governs the growth of crops and
schedules all important human events.
Mustar may not be celebrated in different villages at the same time.
Then the Muskwat festival, Muslun, etc. all this festival are graced by a lot of dancing,
singing and merriment. Music is the essential that makes these festivals real.
 Besides, music in the Ngas land is used to remember or pay respect to the departed.
The songs are composed in a certain way that anyone who hears them must feel a wave
of sorrow. These songs stimulate awful and nostalgic feelings in individuals. They may
be sung crying while greeting/ paying respect to the departed.
When great men die, songs are sung calling their names and achievements in life. The y
is praised for work well done and are wished safe journey on their paths. These songs are
sung from time to time in their memory. The importance of music here is that it is the
most suitable way for consoling the briefed.
More so, music has been observed to be part of the Ngas people, even during their
recreational or leisure time. Young men on their way for walk or to the market make
music with an instrument called Ndeng-ndeng known as the finger piano. The piano can
be tuned by adjusting the strings while the seeds inside add a rattle effect. It can be
played during leisure time or recreation. The importance is that it relaxes the mind and
increase expertise.
Furthermore, music is been used by the Ngas people to described the effect of
natural phenomena. Dantala, an Ngas musician, in his music, illustrates how flood waters
covered the river in Wukari that he could not pass. This may be literal or fiction, in all
cases, it is a representation.
Moreover it is important to know that dancing is an inseparable part aspect of Ngas
music. They are both performed together. There can hardly be any Ngas music without
dancing. Dancers wear uniform shirts with shorts and animal skins, tired metals on the
leg to produce rhythms. Some part of the Ngas people also sing with cow horns.
In conclusion, music in the Ngas tradition is invaluable, without which the way of
life of the people is meaningless and void. It has greatly influenced the people, beginning
from an individual’s life to the whole society. According to Mbiti {1999}, “religion is
found in the African peoples. Their different cultures have been influenced very strongly
by religion as it is found in each people”. The same is true of music in the Ngas land.

REFERENCE
• J. S Mbiti (1999) introduction to African Religion, second Edition
• Kandim, 1981, 3-8
• http://www.lib.uchicago.edu/ecuip/diglib/science/cultural_astronomy/cultures_ngas-
1.html
• Webster’s Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of English Language, 1996.
• Oxford Advanced learners’ Dictionary, 6th edition.
• Mama Magdalene Danladi, 2008, {Grandmother}.
• Mallam Dawood Abubakar, 2008, lectures.