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SCHOLARS SWALLOW YOUR PRIDE!
By Roy Kausa
I have a bone to pick with art writers and scholars who most of the time want to pretend to understand African culture, and yet not!
The worst 'criminals' are academicians I have no kind words for these fellows, both Africans themselves and those who attempt to study African culture from outside.
The second group is the African media, who regard cultural activities as entertainment confined to weekend pages in their magazines and newspapers.
This is a serious area of study which requires those who want to learn to undergo an initiation operation. It is not for the weak, it is for the humble hearted men and women who respect African culture.
For instance at this time and age, most art writers on the continent have failed to interpret the African culture because they want to write it from an outsider's point of view, or imitate "His Master's Voice".
The culture of this continent is uncomplicated, however, the African tradition requires that those who want to learnt it walk at a snail pace, in order to appreciate its values.
And as a result, very few Africans want to study a distorted culture, misunderstood by scholars and the media.
For instance, a masquerade dancer in Africa can only be described by those who fully understand the dos and don'ts of a particular culture.
Not everything in the African culture is for the public consumption. And in many cases because of lack understanding some the African traditions, African art objects have been mistaken or labelled as witchcraft, by the so called experts of African culture.
This notion can only changed if the scholars can respect and abide by the rules of African culture.
Let me give this example, football or soccer was not popular in Zambia after independence in 1964 for the simple fact that the early commenters of this game in Zambia laboured to imitate and interpret this game in an English style.
It was not until the 70s that saw Zambian commenter Dennis Liwewe introduce a Zambian fashion of commentary that the game of football became popular.
Dennis Liwewe transformed the way to interpret football in a typical Zambian football language using local terminology even understood by local villagers in the remotest parts of Zambia
In the same vein I urge the organisers of international conferences in Europe and other parts of the world invite different stake holders such as Chiefs,Village Headmen and women, craftspeople who can explain at such gatherings exactly how certain traditions of African culture may be appreciated without distorting facts.
And I would like to see conferences on African culture to be addressed by a cross section of people, especially those regarded as "Un educated" Africans.
For these are the custodians of the African rich culture.
African scholars must swallow their pride and go back to the drawing board to to study African knowledge in its totality.
Ends.
* I have been writing on art and culture in Zambia for over 30 years. I am a member of the Royal Lubinda family, chief Mumena, North Western Province.Zambia
