It seems both dangerous and absurd to separate
an object from the thought of the person who created it.
Marcel Griaule,
"Arts de l'Afrique noire", in S. M. Eno Belinga,
Littérature et musique populaire en Afrique noire
(Paris: Éditions Cujas, 1965), p. 12, translation.
« "Music is much more than music." It is not just a set of
humanly organized sounds; it becomes a device that produces meaning.
A musical instrument is more than a combination of materials assembled in a
given form. It embodies certain figures, symbolizes certain acts of life,
serves as an accessory in sacred rituals, and helps establish communication
between the human world and the Divine.
Date Created: May 8, 2001 | Last Updated: August 19, 2009