Reflections Without Mirror : What is Music and What is Complete Music
What is music, and what is a complete Music
Music can be defined as vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion. That is the generic definition of music.
The definition of what complete music is, in my submission, is rather objective than generic. The objective test is ‘ ‘what a reasonable man will consider complete music’. An elderly friend of mine and I sat down together many years ago in Germany one cold night and ruminated on this subject about what constituted or what should constitute good music after listening to what we considered complete music. We agreed to what a complete music should contain, the 3Ms. I will come to that later.
The oldest music that was discovered was written on a clay tablet in Ugarit in modern-day syria, which was over 3400 years ago. Of course, music has existed as long as the creation of man and more than 20 thousand years ago. Music is an art. It can be vocal alone or with an instrument. Music play significant roles in our lives and may be therapeutics or a powerful force that can transport people into another realm, music brings emotion out of human beings and that is why you will see people dancing ferociously or gently, some may sit down and just nodding their heads, some may even cry whilst some would spend their last penny to the praise singers who knows how to praise them very well. Music can be used as a motivation, and it can be used to boost the morale of workers or soldiers to go to war without thinking of the consequences.
In my younger days i succeded in using music to woo a fine young innocent lady to myself. “Mi believe/ Summer Holiday” by Yellowman. ” We are going on a summer holiday, do you want to go with me, we are going in to London and New York City, do you want to go with me baby” the lady loved the song and genuinely fell in love. At that time, I had no penny with me and was not going anywhere then but music did it for me.
So it depends on the kind of music one listens to. Bob Marley, a reggae musician said in one of his songs ‘ Trenchtown rock’ that one good thing about music is that when it hit you, you feel no pain’ ( physical pain). But it can be deadly and have far reaching effects. Peter Tosh, a late reggae Musician said that “my music is for the living”. It made sense and I agree that all the religious songs at the burial grounds are a reminder to the living and can not benefit the dead in any event. It is only those who are alive who enjoy the benefit of music. Music has varities and forms, we all have choices and taste of the kinds of music that we listen to, our taste of music is different from person to person. In Yoruba land, we have different kinds of music, Dundun music, sakara music, Ijala Ode, Rara sisun, Bolojo and when the European came to our land , more music stlyes evolved, we talk of Highlife, Afro beat, Juju and fuji music etc. The difference between juju and fuji music is fragmenting in terms of the instrument used in the two. The Americans with their country music, hiphop, soul, jazz, blues, etc. dominate the world with their music and so become a threat to the world cultural music. The Jamaicans of the carribean penetrated the world with their Reggae music. It evolved as a rebel music against oppression and the domination of the whites. India, have their own different music, classical (Carnatic), and Hindustanic music. Almost every nation and all tribes of the world have their own peculiar music. It can, therefore, be summarised that culture, tradition and religion have a significant influence on the evolution of music. The kind of music one listens to defines one personality to a larger extent or people’s personality defines the kind of music they listen to.
The socialite would enjoy social music while the poor, the oppressed,and freedom fighters will prefer revolutionary music and music of hope. Age also determines the kind of music people enjoy. Young people prefer music in vogue while the old prefers the old and evergreen music
Complete music, irrespective of age and social status, irrespective of gender or race, regardless of culture and tradition, must therefore contain (1) Melody (2) Message and (3) Meaning. There are many music without melody, and some music is melodious but meanigless. Some music contains meaning but no apparent or ostensible message. If music is melodious and meaningful and passes a message across, it will stand the test of time. No wonder some music is referred to as ‘evergreen’ and some are not.
I have chosen to write on this subject because of the benefits that humans derive from music. Whilst i accept that our taste of music is different, it is important to listen to good music but again due to different in taste of music, it is difficult to say what a good music is, but in my opinion , a good and complete music is the one that contains the 3Ms. Melody, Meaning and Message . listening to complete music can change our views and ways of life and change Nigeria for better. Therefore, Nigerians should listen to complete music
Niyi Aborisade is a lawyer, a Human Rights Activist and a Historian
