Abstract:
This report deals with a real gap between music programmes in Francophone and English-
speaking tertiary institutions within selected West and Central African countries. It is
not a theoretical article, but rather a presentation of historical information with minimal
speculation.
This report was initially a response in January 2004 to a request from the Pan-African
Society for Musical Arts Education (Pasmae) to write about my involvement in music
education, especially in African Francophone countries, for an appointment as an
Ambassador-extraordinary. I have dwelt solely on my own experiences with music
curricula from West Africa, especially from Ghanaian and Nigerian universities. More
clearly, this report is not designed to offer scholarly opinions and arguments on the
adequacies/inadequacies of syllabi and course contents in African tertiary music education,
because this is definitely a different and open issue. I narrow the focus to concentrate on
the discrepancy between English-speaking and Francophone music curricula in West and
Central Africa, where Legon may validly stand for a number of other tertiary institutions
that have developed a curriculum based on Africa-driven and Western approaches. For
instance, the seeds planted in each one of the above directions in Kenya and South Africa—
representing an axis between African identities and Western curricula—will necessarily be
reflected in my present assessment.
Students from English-speaking countries would find curricula they would regard as
standard in, for instance, the 1990s handbooks of the University of Ghana, Legon or the
Legon website <University of Ghana>. On the other hand, scholars and cultural agents
from Francophone Africa may need an example of such contents for their decision-
making.
