ABSTRACT

The focus throughout is on the intersections between lived experience, music, and values, and the author refers to a variety of musical examples drawn from court ceremonies, rituals, and festivals, as well as from intimate performances elicited in the course of fieldwork. Due to disciplinary focus and space limitations, the author limits his inquiry to court music and verbal arts, and occasionally makes reference to visual arts and dance gestures when necessary for a fuller appreciation and understanding. As the official residence of the Asante king and the Asantehemaa, Manhyia Palace in Kumase has the largest collection of Asante visual and performing arts, and thus provides rich resources in a single space for scholarly engagement. Despite the ubiquity of court music and poetry, and the variety of musical instruments and ensembles at Manhyia Palace, it was not until the early twentieth century that aspects of Asante arts appeared in R.S. Rattary’s trilogy.