POPULAR EMOTIONS IN POPULAR MUSIC: THE HIGHLIFE EXPERIENCE

Authors

  • Eric Debrah Otchere PhD, Department of Music and Dance, University of Cape Coast, Ghana
  • John-Doe Dordzro PhD, Department of Music and Dance, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v0i0.2999

Keywords:

emotions, highlife music, lyrics, popular music, structure

Abstract

While the intimate connection between music and emotion has been variously studied, the focus has predominantly been on Western classical music. Different musical features have often been linked to particular emotions (e.g. Major mode = happy, Minor mode = sad). Comparably fewer studies have investigated the link between Popular Musical forms and the expression of emotion focusing on distinctive features. In this paper, we examine the nature of expressiveness in highlife music in relation to how listeners consciously use it for emotional reasons. We look at the place of lyrics as against other distinctive musical features in the identification of the two commonest basic emotions (happiness and sadness). Analysis of the data reveals that whereas specific musical features in highlife may play a role in the communication of happy and sad emotions, the greater emphasis lies in the lyrics.

 

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Author Biographies

  • Eric Debrah Otchere, PhD, Department of Music and Dance, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

    Eric Debrah Otchere is a fellow of the African Humanities Program (of the American Council of Learned Societies), a fellow of Rhodes University (South Africa) and a Presidential Fellow of the African Studies Association (Rutgers University). He is a lecturer in the Department of Music and Dance, University of Cape Coast. His research interests lie mostly in the intersections between music and such variables as emotions, emotional intelligence, health and wellbeing, curriculum, psychology and assessment.

  • John-Doe Dordzro, PhD, Department of Music and Dance, University of Cape Coast, Ghana

    John-Doe Dordzro is an AHP Fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies, and University of Michigan Presidential Scholar. He is the instructor for Applied Music (Brass and woodwinds), the director of the University of Cape Coast Wind Ensemble, and also in charge of many Wind bands and Choral groups across Ghana. His research interests are in instrumental music pedagogy (Wind Instruments), brass band music in Ghana (community music), and general issues in music Education. His publications include influences on basic school band pupils’ instrument choices, Basic school head teachers’ perceptions on the role of school Music and brass band music in Ghana.

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Published

2020-04-14

Issue

Vol 7, No 3 (2020)

Section

Articles

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