Artists in Traditional Africa-Unwritten But Honored Contracts With Their Communities
Posted by: afrowrite on: July 6, 2008
By Muli wa Kyendo
This week, we have been discussing the roles of artists and community obligations to them in a traditional African society. We looked further afield and then we concentrated on the Akamba, a large artist community in eastern Kenya. The community is known all over the world for its carvings and colorful traditional baskets known as kyondo, but it is also very creative in other forms of art. Our point of departure was a book, Barking, You will be eaten, released recently showing how poets from the community stood up against colonialism. The poems detail almost every significant activity across the country.
But how did the poets start off their careers as artists? Who paid them? And what was their role in the community? Those are the questions that interested us. (The “us” and “we” here refer to members of the Syokimau Cultural Centre, a not-for- profit organization of writers whose purpose is to encourage the use and modernization of African traditions, myths and mythology in writing and other creative works).
Determining Talent
Of course, to become an artist, you had to have the talent. You were also apprenticed to an accomplished artist. The Akamba, in deciding whether to support an individual in an occupation, put much emphasis on an individual’s “gift by God.” In the case of an artist, this gift would sometimes show itself in forms of “strange behavior,” for example, where an individual could not sleep without a poem being recited to him. Such a person would often be taken to a diviner who would perform the necessary rituals to “uncover” the young artist’s talent.
Community Test
That was, however not the end of the journey. The artist had to create and pass the community test to become a community artist.
The Akamba land lies in what are called lowlands and it’s therefore semi-dry. The interesting thing for the artist is that the whether pattern is very predictable. Rain comes in March, April and May and again in October, November and December. Hot weather comes in August and September. And that is the time when art flourishes. Community activities such as dances, initiation ceremonies and other forms of feasting where confined to these two months when there wasn’t much work in the fields.
Ceremonies
All these ceremonies offered the artist the opportunity to show-case his talent. A beginning poet would compose his poems, wake up before everyone else, climb a tree or stand on any other vantage point and recite his poems. The entire village, still in bed, would be listening. If the poet was impressive, they would adopt him as community poet and from thence henceforth, his upkeep would become a community affair.
But what did the community expect out of him? They expected him to support the community values, hopes and expectations and to fight against all invasions.
Repaying the Community
A good example was when the Whiteman came to Kenya. The poets sharpened their art against the invaders and many of them were imprisoned for their critical poetry. One of them coded the Akamba philosophy credo, that even today, every Mukamba child knows
“I am a Mukamba, Kivindyo (complete)
Who knows that ng’ondu (ritual) can bring a child
And who knows how to sacrifice so rain can fall.
Who knows the things that can bring misfortune (to a family or community).
To be sure I am a Mukamba Kivindyo
I know and believe that a barren woman
When treated with purifying ritual medicine
Will bring forth a child.
I know right from wrong
And that worshiping Mulungu (God)
Restores blessings to Man.
(Translation after Prof. Kivuto Ndeti in Elements of Akamba Life, page 94)
How to they ensure that their ideas remained theirs? In the case of poetry and songs, every artist mentioned his or her name someone in their work. Other poets refereeing to the work would be obliged to start with the words, “As the poet so and so said…”
This was quite effective. For example, we know that the artist who created the “credo” was called Kivindyo. Over the years, until it was written down, no one has changed or removed the poet’s name.
That’s our life. If you would like to participate in any way leave your comments.
Afrowrite's Weblog 
Leave a comment