Tribal Traditions Inspire Modern Community ...1

In African traditions, it is said, exceptional talents begin to manifest themselves during childhood. In such traditional societies children are exposed to the tribe's shamanic traditions, first and foremost through the sound of the lullabye, (pentatonic sonogram and magic formulae wrapped into an ideal unity). The tribe's talented children are then directed into music or healing, and if they possess talent on the level of genius, they might learn both skills. In most such societies artistic talent is believed to be a primary and innate quality of the person. Its development is necessary because art fulfills an essential healing, transformative and community-building function in those tribal societies.Tribal culture expresses a perennial value-system: every person possesses an artistic kernal. How does a community come to realize its own natural multiplicity of artistic virtues? Is not the coalition of master and apprentice musicians, dancers, writers, artists, and craftpersons still the primary multi-media of civilization and its first, second, and third world tribes? Mosh pits, rap culture, and 'fandom' are the sociological (tribal?) stock of the current entertainment industry. Yet, existing at the fringes of this monolithic industry are genres such as children's music, world beat, blues, folkloric music(s) and jazz which continue to regard both art's higher concerns and music's tribal foundation. [NEXT]

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