To Pamwe or to Play: the Role of Play in Arts Education in Africa

Abstract

Based on ongoing field research into Namibian music and dance, this article deliberates on play as an important component of childhood and an important element of Namibian performance. Considering that socialization is often described as the fundamental goal of African education, and that play is central to Namibian musical performances, this article investigates traditional functions of music as a means of socialization. Because play reflects and responds to societal value systems, the meaning of play is briefly explored, and the characteristics of play in Namibia are described in detail. The paper then proposes the increased use of play in African music education and advances the proposition in terms of the construction of a musical world and identity. The construction of a person's musical world is described in terms of the mental templates formed by a specific cultural group and by the environmental rules of play, which establish the meta-communicative frame. The article concludes with a summary of general contributions play, as a means of learning, being, and expressing can make to music education.

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