The Triangle of Res: A Trinary Model of Best Practices for the Performance of African Choral Music in the United States

Abstract

The religious and educational components of the European colonial enterprise in Africa resulted in the initial manifestations of Western-influenced African music, which is now part of what is considered world music. The United States occupies a distinctive position within world music because of the continuous infusion of global traditions and genres that have influenced its musical environment. Among the many categories of world music, African music's pop genre (Afrobeats) is known globally due to the rise of streaming services, social media, technological advancements, and creative partnerships with worldwide celebrities. Following the model of Afrobeat's popularity, African music's choral genre may attain mainstream recognition through collaborative access to the works of indigenous African composers for performances by American choral directors. Therefore, within this discourse, African music refers to choral music from sub-Saharan Africa rooted in folk tradition and culturally indigenous: created by composers who understand their native African cultures and traditions. A framework of best practices for promoting and ensuring authentic cultural portrayals of African music on the American stage is the Triangle of Res (ToRes). It addresses several performance considerations, such as publishing notated sheet music of indigenous works, production of audio-visual aids, text-pitch negotiations/IPA pronunciation guide, and collaborative interest from American choral conductors. The preparation and performance of two Igbo choral pieces at the University of Oklahoma between 2022 and 2023 will be discussed to evaluate the effectiveness of the ToRes model.