Music Spirituality and Religion

I had the great fortune to play guitar in an Pentecostal African church in Atlanta for a year or so. The church was called "the City of David" part of the Redeemed Christian Church of God .

The people of the church were primarily Nigerian and Yoruba. Yoruba is a language and a religion as well as an ethnic group. What was really interesting is that out of a three hour church service on Sunday we spent a least two hours playing music. The ensemble consisted of the choir, western hit drums, bass guitar, keyboard, guitar (me), Latin congas, sometimes trumpet, and on special occasions the talking drum called an Igba by the Yoruba. We started each service with 45 minutes of high energy jamming as the parishioners filed in. The music was mostly contemporary christian songs like "Lord We lift Your Name On High" or "Open the Eyes of My Heart" and "How Great is Our God" but with a decidedly juju or reggae tilt. After the energy has reached a zenith the pastor comes to the front and after a few words he may signal for the music to begin again. After another 15 minutes the sermon would begin. Even during the sermon the musicians would enter in quietly to underpin the pastors story or to add an emphatic swell which he would feed off of and signal us to wane softly or rise with his passionate words. Then the band played again during the offering and finally at the end of the service we played as the parishioners left. One of the ideas that was prevalent in the church was that noise and praise would scare away Satan and other demonic influences. These were very devout Christians but from time to time they would refer to witch craft and demonic possession as if it was a real and plausible reason for illness and misfortune. Sounds to me like a perfect example of syncretism! Our singing, dancing, drumming, and shouting were protection from evil, praises to God, and a unifier the church consciousness. All of this was very new to me as I grew up in the Episcopal Church and we were not regularly involved in shouting and dancing. Unless you consider standing up, sitting down, and kneeling in succession over and over a dance of some kind. The experience did change my approach to music and religion as well as how I look at other cultures. I loved these peoples boisterous and friendly way and I appreciated their belief in the power of music to create joy and healing. Here is a video of me at City of David.

I have included below an excerpt about Yoruba culture because it illuminates the point of view and practices of the people of City of David to a degree. The melding of Christian beliefs and western lifestyles with the Yoruba sensibility creates a sub group of Africans that can be found throughout the world.
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From: Yoruba Art and Culture
hearstmuseum.berkeley.edu/outreach/pdfs/yoruba_teaching_kit.pdf
PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY

Music and dance have always been an important
part of Yoruba culture for those living in Nigeria
as well as in the diaspora. Yoruba music and
dance are used for many different occasions in life
such as religious festivals, royal occasions, and
entertainment.
Yoruba traditional music focuses on Yoruba
deities. Drums and singing are the main elements
of Yoruba music. Instruments such as metal bells
and wind instruments are sometimes used.
Yoruba is a tonal language. Words must be
pronounced in the appropriate tone (pitch) in
order to understand speech in its correct mean-
ing. There are three major tones: high, mid, and
low. Most of Yoruba music is based on these
tonal patterns of speech.
Juju emerged in the 1920’s and is the most well
known form of Yoruba popular music in Nigeria.
Juju has its roots in traditional Yoruba drum-
based music. Juju is dance music played by large
ensembles centered around guitars and drum-
ming. Singing is a major part of Juju music and is
inspired by Yoruba poetry, proverbs, praise songs,
and the musical character of the language.
Music and Dance



Yoruba Art and Culture
PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Written and Designed by Nicole Mullen
Editors
Liberty Marie Winn
Ira Jacknis
Special thanks to Tokunbo Adeniji Aare, Oduduwa Heritage Organization.
COPYRIGHT © 2004 PHOEBE A. HEARST MUSEUM OF ANTHROPOLOGY AND THE
REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
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