| Course Title: African Opera in Theory and Practice |
| Start Date: 01/23/2023 End Date: 05/08/2023 |
| Term: Spring Semester 2023 |
| Description: In this course, African opera will provide the framework for exploring salient features of African music. The course will begin by examining African performance practices, including the organization of ensembles, the role of dance, musical storytelling, and operatic forms. The course will then feature rehearsals and class visits by professional vocalists and African drummers, followed by an ethnographic reflection. The course will culminate in a public performance of an African opera by students and professional musicians at Chapin Auditorium, Mount Holyoke College. The opera to be performed this semester is a newly composed work titled Funmilayo. It focuses on the life of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (1900-1978), a Nigerian pioneer activist who, in the 1940s, campaigned against British colonial rule and resisted the marginalization of women in local government administration. The practical sessions will allow students to reflect on the theoretical and cultural issues examined earlier in the semester and gain practical knowledge of the African operatic tradition. |
| Distribution(s): I - Humanities , MP - Multicultural Perspectives |
| Academic Level Of Course: Undergraduate | Credits:4.00 |
| Faculty | Phone | Email address |
| Olabode Omojola | 413-538-2407 | bomojola@mtholyoke.edu |
| Meeting Dates | Method | Meeting days | Meeting times | Building name | Room | Frequency |
| 01/23/2023 - 05/08/2023 | Seminar | Monday and Wednesday | 01:45PM - 03:00PM | PRAT - Pratt Memorial Music Bldg | 109 | Weekly |
| Requisite Courses | ||
| None |
| Comments |
| Additional Comments |
| The performance will be accompanied by the Mount Holyoke Symphony Orchestra conducted by Professor Ng Tian Hui. |
| Course Tags | ||
| AFCNA0001 | AFCNA: Africana Studies major | This course has been approved to count towards the Africana Studies major and/or minor. |
| AFCNA0001 | AFCNA: Africana Studies minor | This course has been approved to count towards the Africana Studies major and/or minor. |
| Cross-listed Sections |
| MUSIC-228-01 African Opera |
| FMT-230PR-01 African Opera |
| Course Availability | ||||
| Section status: Closed | Capacity: 28 | Enrollment: 29 | Available: 0 | Waitlist: 0 |
BOOK INFORMATION
| Book List | Required | Publisher Full Price |
| To be determined. |
| Additional Book Comments |
| This is NOT the complete book list for this class. |