Inge Brinkman | Ghent University (original) (raw)

Representing performance. Memories of music and dance in Kenyan autobiographical writing. Inge B... more Representing performance.
Memories of music and dance in Kenyan autobiographical writing.

Inge Brinkman
Prof. African Studies
Section: African Languages and Cultures
Ghent University

Key words: Performance; Representation; Kenya; Autobiographies.

The way in which oral literary traditions have entered African written literatures has received considerable scholarly attention. In most cases the focus is on contents: we learn about the insertion of proverbs, songs and narratives into writing. At times, form is also discussed, including the employment of onomatopoeias, repetition and other stylistic elements characteristic of oral genres in written literatures (there exists a vast body of literature, with Eileen Julien, 1992 as a landmark).

This paper aims at contributing to these analyses by focusing on music and dance as represented in Kenyan autobiographical writing. Life writing is the most practiced genre in Kenya, but literary analyses are mostly devoted to the novel (Peterson, 2012). If at all, the autobiography is largely discussed as historical source for the interpretation of political history (Clough 1997). Even if this theme is framed in narrative terms (Atieno-Odhiambo and Lonsdale 2003), relations between autobiography and the wider political context are regarded as the most important feature of these autobiographies. While such an approach may hold water, many authors detail the role that music, dance, songs, narratives and other oral forms played not only in their childhood, but in their lives on the whole.

These representations, reflections, and memories of performance in African literature in general, and in Kenyan autobiographical writing in particular, have been left little analysed. How do authors remember these oral performances and what meanings are attributed to them? What is said in these texts about the relations between dance and society, music and history?

These questions will obviously not lead to an analysis of performance as such, but approach music and dance from a meta-level, investigating authors’ statements about the role of music and dance in their lives. This may help us to assess performance, in this case particularly music and dance, as part of Kenya’s cultural history, both contemporary and in retrospect.

Preliminary bibliography
- Atieno Odhiambo, E.S. and John Lonsdale (eds) Mau Mau and Nationhood, Arms, authority and narration (Oxford, Nairobi, Athens James Currey, 2003).
- Clough, Marshall S., Mau Mau Memoirs: History, Memory and Politics (Boulder 1997).
- Julien, Eileen, African novels and the question of orality (1992).
- Lejeune, Philippe, Le pacte autobiographique (Paris 1975) pp. 137-159.
- Neubauer, Carol, One voice speaking for many: The Mau Mau Movement and Kenyan Autobiography, Journal of Modern African Studies 21, 1 (1983) pp. 113-131.
- Obiechina, Emmanuel, Culture, Tradition and Society in the West African Novel (Cambridge 1975), esp Chapter: Nature, music and art, 42-81.
- Olney, James, Tell me Africa: an approach to African literature (Princeton 1973).
- Peterson, Derek R., Ethnic Patriotism and the East African Revival (2012).
- Peterson, Derek R., ‘Casting Characters: Autobiography and Political Imagination in Central Kenya‘, Research in African Literatures 37, 3 (2006) 176-192.
- Pugliese, Cristiana, ‘The life-story in Kenya: a bibliography (1920-1984)’, Africa (Rome), 41, 3 (1986) 440-446.

Preliminary list of autobiographical writing
- Barnett, Don and Karari Njama, Mau Mau from within (New York, London 1966).
- Barnett, Don (ed.), The urban guerrilla: the story of Mohamed Mathu (Richmond 1974).
- Barnett, Don (ed.), Man in the middle: the story of Ngugi Kabiro (Richmond 1973).
- Barnett, Don (ed.), The hardcore: the story of Karigo Muchai (Richmond 1973).
- Gakaara wa Wanjaû, Mwandĩki wa Mau Mau ithaamĩrio-inĩ (Nairobi etc. 1983).
- Gakaara wa Wanjaû, Mau Mau author in detention (Nairobi 1988).
- Gatheru, Mugo, Child of two worlds (1964).
- Gikaru, Muga, Land of sunshine: scenes of life in Kenya before Mau Mau (1958).
- Gikoyo, G.G., We fought for freedom: tulipigania Uhuru (Nairobi 1979).
- Huttenbach, Laura Lee P., The boy is gone: conversations with a Mau Mau General (Athens: Ohio University Press 2015).
- Itote, Waruhiu Mau Mau General (Nairobi 1990 (1979)).
- Kaggia, Bildad, Roots of freedom, 1921-1963: the autobiography of Bildad Kaggia (Nairobi 1975).
- Kariuki, J.M., „Mau Mau“ Detainee (Nairobi 1963).
- Kariuki, J.M., „Mau Mau“ Kizuizini (Nairobi 1965).
- Leakey Hofmeyr, Agnes, Beyond violence (Nairobi: Jomo Kenyatta Foundation 1990).
- Likimani, Muthoni, Passbook number F. 47927. Women and Mau Mau in Kenya (1985).
- Maathai, Wangari, Unbowed: A Memoir (2006),
- Mboya, Tom, Freedom and after (Boston 1963)
- Mungai, Joseph M., From simple to complex (2002).
- Muriithi, Kiboi and P. Ndoria, War in the forest (Nairobi 1971).
- Muthee, Joseph, Kizuizini (Nairobi: Kwani: 2006).
- Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Dreams in a time of war: a childhood memoir (2011).
- Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, Detained: a writer's prison diary (London, Ibadan, Nairobi 1981 (1984)).
- Odinga, Oginga, Not yet Uhuru (1967).
- Otieno, Wambui Waiyaki, Mau Mau’s Daughter: A Life History (1998).
- Thuku, Harry, Harry Thuku: an autobiography (Oxford: Oxford University Press 1970).
- Wachanga, H.K., The swords of Kirinyaga. The fight for land and freedom (Nairobi 1975).
- Wachira, Godwin, Ordeal in the forest (Nairobi 1968).
- Waciuma, Charity, Daughter of Mumbi (Nairobi 1969).
- Wainaina, Binyavanga, One day I will write about this place (2011).
- Wamweya, Joram, Freedom fighter (Nairobi 1971).