Preservation of Oral Literature through Music: The Philosophy of Tɔgbui Sri II in Perspective

Abstract

Philosophies of traditional chiefs in some particular perspectives usually give rise to a study of those philosophies to ascertain how they express propositions about things within the framework of specific discipline. One of these legends is Tɔgbui Sri II of Anlo of Ghana whose philosophical statements were captivating that even after his death, the Anlo people decided to immortalize him by preserving a poetic collection of some of his statements which became known as the philosophy of Tɔgbui Sri II. Through a case study, the philosophy of Tɔgbui Sri II is documented, how it was preserved through music, its impact on the lives of the people and implication for formal music educational practice. Interview, observation and focus group discussions were employed to collect the data for the study. Analysis of three songs emanating from the philosophy was done to determine their suitability or otherwise for music instruction in the classroom. The study confirms Tɔgbui Sri II as a statesman and a generation thinker whose sayings are good materials for musical composition for educational use.