In this article, the history and significance of the Agebekor, a traditional type of singing and drumming that originated as a war dance among the Ewe people, is discussed and the musical components of it are analyzed.
Something that stood out to me in the article was how the author conveyed Agbekor and the importance of lineage among the Ewe as sacrosanct. Yet on pg. 94 it seems that the tradition has been lost in many villages and has become a source of national sponsorship in Ghana as a professional performing-art troupe to attempt to maintain its significance. Has Agbekor, and other nationally sponsored performing-art troupes, lost touch with its cultural importance by becoming more formalized? In reference to the Agawu and Merriam articles, is it possible to convey the significance and uniqueness of Agbekor if the author continually makes use of an "Etic" ("outsider") viewpoint and "prescriptive notation" when he is analyzing/describing Ewe culture and Agbekor music?
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