Response to "Backcloth to Music and Healing in Traditional African Society"

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The musical arts, in the old African approach, foster a strong sense of cohesion amongst those participating in performance. Through the performance of ensemble musical arts, every participant/performer is given or intuitively designs and performs a sonic/dramatic structure that complements the overall musical arts structure.

Through engagement in the musical arts, the human personality can be healed. In particular, the maintaining a steady/unchanging musical arts structure imbues a strong sense of responsibility; creatively modelling musical arts structures facilitates development a strong sense of creativity and thereby a strong sense of self knowledge.

It is during solo performance, within ensemble structure that personal insecurities can be determined and overcome. True to indigenous African medicinal healing, an ailment is encouraged to manifest (within certain parameters) to its peak before healing (calming of symptoms) takes place. This is similar to the ‘healing crisis’ referred to by modern natural health practitioners.