Banding Together in Cape Town and Lagos: Engaging Reciprocity as Applied Ethnomusicology

Abstract

This article discusses reciprocity in research as engaged scholarship and, more specifically, applied ethnomusicology. It draws on two ethnographic studies and their associated activism in Cape Town, South Africa and Lagos, Nigeria. The article investigates the histories of engaged scholarship and applied ethnomusicology and suggests that each community requires a method of engagement based on its contextual specifics. Hence, the case studies may be seen to animate workable approaches in different socio-cultural contexts. The paper concludes that these methods may serve as frameworks for developing site-specific strategies of engaged scholarship in other parts of Africa.

Gangbe in Badagry, Nigeria: Ogu Women’s Performance Practice, Social Status, and Creative Agency

“…Among the potential collaborators mentioned, in the following text I highlight the pivotal role that academics are positioned to play. This choice is influenced by my firsthand experience within the academy and an understanding that many African institutions expect academics to actively engage with social issues through practical interventions (Bruinders and Kunnuji 2022).…”