African Music and Decolonial Thought: An Arrangement of Selected Igbo Folk Tunes for Violin and Ubo-aka

The paper explores the relationship between African sound archives and decolonial thought, with a specific focus on preserving and revitalizing Igbo folk music. It discusses the blending of traditional Igbo sounds with Western instruments and highlights how these practices contribute to discussions on cultural identity and power dynamics in the postcolonial era. The research addresses the marginalization of Igbo folk music in a modern, profit-driven economy and advocates for the integration of archival recordings and contemporary performance practices to preserve and propagate Igbo cultural heritage. Three Igbo folk songs were used for this paper. The songs were arranged for the violin and the Ubo-aka, an indigenous Igbo musical instrument that faces extinction. By doing this, the paper emphasizes the importance of using African sound archives in contemporary settings to reinforce cultural identity. Furthermore, it will aid the preservation and dissemination of African knowledge for the benefit of the African child.