Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-26


w of music in America are fond of the
ton that when our composers have
achieved Enthusiastically American style in must
cal expression, the foundation thereof will be the
melodies of the Southern negro. The hypothesis is
interesting, and l was among the many inclined to
subscribe to it. until concert tour through South
Africa gave me a splendid opportunity for close
study Of the musical susceptibilities of the semi
savage brothers of our Southern darby The expert
taught me that Our musical theorists right
only in part
The term Kafr is applied generally to the semi
civilized black in Africa. whether Zulu, Basuto
Fingo. | found this people virginia. i'll music but
the point of being corrupted through contact with
the ever encroachng horde of whites Thus to
in contact with the primitive music of almost
primitive people not only delight but in
SplratiOn. l learned from them how those who live
close Nature conscious of the universal law of
harmony and seek to bring it into expression in their
affairs by making music the most important
element in the ritual of their daily lives 1t meant
much to me to learn that music had far higher
significance to the savage than to civilized man,
who regards it as mere diversion or accomplish
ment.
The savage appealed to me in light when
discovered that these superbly built kafrs, with
ebony skin and docile doglike eyes, had souls at
tuned to something higher than mere animal appe
titles for eating drinking, and fighting. Shakes
peares oft quoted line, Music hath charms to
soothe the savage breast, revealed to a
universal truth when, frequently occurred during
my travels, found half-nude native standing for
hours without my easement window listening to
the sound of my violin. His knowledge of English
speech amounted doubtless to a vague understand
ing of called Kitchen afr adapted to his limi
ted perceptions): but the language of music spoke
to him in direct and ineligible terms.
Intimate observation soon revealed that these
blacks keeny responsive not only to beauty of
sound but also to beauty of color and beauty of
line This esthetc susceptibility to color contour and
melody amounts, in my opinion, to racial instinct
among the blacks These the things in Nature
that appeal most strongly to primitive peoples; but
how different has been the response in the various
races! Malay and Mongo for example,
ceptible to sound as the Ethiopian but in neither the
perception of the beautiful in sound nor IN the
refinement of their initiative expression of it.
they on the same esthetic plane as the black man.
Nature the Great Teacher
FOR the color scheme of his marvellous beadwork
and straw plating, the Kair bOrrows inspiration
from the heavens or the myriad hued wild flowers
that deck the great treeless karoos And from the
songbds of the forbiddng hills he steals the secret
of soft persuasive music. Nature is his only book,
and to her he turns for instruments when his lml
tativeness prompts him to reproduce the melodies of
the birds the softer music of the whispering winds
ripping water His musical instruments, there
FORE mellow toned and sweet, being made Of
wood, bamboo, gourd Especially calabash), and of
soft tinking strips of horn; while his melodies like
those of the eathered creation, acquire compelling
charm from monotonous iteration and reitera-
ton. Even the intervals of his barbaric scale,
if scale it can be called, of such indefinite .
and elusive character that they may justly be 7
thought to have their prototype in the throat
of the SOngbird. =
So much do sounds of a gentle nature ravish
the of the native African that he dons
dancing belt Of large dried shells filled with
pebbles, which he strings together like beads
and winds about his waist. The lovable rick
shaw boys, curously and gaudly costumed
OK horns and feathers on their heads. imaginary
stockings of amazing pattern painted on their
bare legs weave these dancing belts for anklets
and as they lope along in imitation of the native
sprngbok dragging their human load after