Reclaiming the African voice beyond Eurocentric instrumental taxonomies

This article critically reassesses the entrenched belief in Western musicology that regards the human voice as merely a musical instrument. It posits an alternative perspective rooted in African epistemology, wherein the voice is understood to hold a distinctly different ontological and cultural significance. In various African societies, vocal expression is intricately linked to language, spirituality, social identity, and communal engagement, rendering any consideration of the voice as merely an externalized ‘instrument’ fundamentally insufficient. This study engages with African scholarship, referencing the contributions of Nketia, Nzewi, Agawu, and a wider array of contemporary Africanist theorists (Addaquay). It juxtaposes Western organological classifications with various African internal logics that are rooted in communicative function, performance context, ritual significance, and embodied aesthetics. By employing a comparative taxonomy and analysing the shifts in vocal practice during colonial and postcolonial periods, the article illustrates the ways in which Western classification systems fail to accurately represent African vocal epistemologies, thereby leading to a distortion of knowledge. By focussing on indigenous conceptual frameworks and recognizing the variety of African approaches to vocality, the paper puts forth a decolonial argument for understanding the African voice as a unique analytical category rather than merely an instrument. The conclusion delineates the implications for music education, performance, intercultural analysis, and global music scholarship, advocating for an Afro-centric taxonomy that reinstates sovereignty to African musical thought.