THE IMPACTS OF THE BROADCASTING MEDIA IN GLOBALIZING AFRICAN TRADITIONAL MUSIC

Abstract

The world is currently shaped in both positive and negative dimensions by network communication factor called “globalizationâ€. This has in no small measure affected all facets of human endeavours, which include: commercial business, education, sports, tourism, the entertainment industry (music and films), the broadcasting media, etc. The African societal affairs are no exceptional cases. Some Africans appear to perceive globalization as a favour to only developed nations, which diffuse their cultures to the so-called third world countries with the aid of their powerful communication media. These act as threats to African musicultural heritage in the global music making media scene. The media broadcast, an offshoot of technological advancement, has played a crucial role in globalizing traditional and contemporary music of any society, due to its world-wide coverage. This paper therefore examines the place of the broadcasting media in globalizing African traditional music among the comity of nations. Apart from participant/observation method employed in this study, the researcher also consulted relevant literatures to support the information gathered from personal observations. Through empirical research, this paper highlighted how the broadcasting media globalize African traditional music. The end result proved that if African music globalization is tailored towards the renaissance of African traditional music, it can be used to preserve and project its rich cultural heritage, thereby attracting tourists and researchers‟ attention.