The fact that Africans devote a lot of time to liturgical activities, especially Holy Mass on Sundays, has won both the admiration and reproach of non-Africans for different reasons. For some the experience of Masses in Africa is enjoyable, while others perceive it as a waste of time or an exaggeration in worship.
During my stay in Europe, I have had the opportunity to meet some clerics and lay faithful who, after having visited Africa, do not cease to comment that the Masses are long and colorful, in the sense that there is much singing and dancing. They even admit that, if in Italy ever while singing, someone tries to move their hand or shake their head, they tend to think that they are African or that they have had an African experience. In any case, I have been happy to note that these people have never condemned our practices, but rather were fascinated by them, and I even spent a lot of time trying to explain to them what we do and why we do.
This article is one of those opportunities. As we know, Africa is a continent rich in cultures and languages. These elements play a role in people's daily lives and even in their expression of worship and, although these differences are very great among the more than 50 countries of the continent, here they may not be significant, since, in Africa, we all give a particular place to God in our lives and both music and dance naturally accompany our existence.
God's Place in an African's Daily Life
The presence of the sacred is rarely absent in human culture. Worshiping God is a natural thing. In this sense, theology considers the virtue of religion as that habit that allows us to recognize the existence of God, creator and sustainer of the world, and leads us to give him due worship and adoration.
In African culture, the expression of divine worship imbues almost every aspect of life: in the African mind, no being is more important than God. To Him we owe our existence and the existence of all things. Those who practice traditional African religion, not feeling worthy to stand directly before Almighty God, turn to the lesser gods as intercessors between the Almighty and men. Of course, in Christianity this idea does not hold up: we have only one true God. However, Christians, and in particular Catholics, have that same desire to recognize and adore God at all times: everything is directed to Him and He is seen behind everything good: God saw everything that He had created and was good (cf. Gen 1:31). Moreover, unfavorable situations are seen as divine signs or punishments for the evil committed by a people or a community. This idea is no different from what we read in the history of Israel during their captivity and exile.
Of all the gifts, life is the most celebrated. Because of this, the names given to children most often coincide with an attribute of God. The "Igala" culture of Nigeriamy culture, - my culture -, has this very much in mind, especially among Christians. Names express children as gifts from God, as manifestations of his power, goodness or mercy, etc. A child, a few days after birth, is brought to church, where he or she is presented to God and to the Christian community. This presentation - distinct from Baptism - is a frequent practice among Christian communities. In addition, all material things are seen and treated as gifts from God. For this reason, it is customary to give thanks to God before using anything we acquire, be it houses, cars or other material goods. Likewise, when agricultural products are harvested, there is always a celebration to dedicate the first products of the harvest to God.
These examples show the place given to God in African culture. Consequently, the African mind holds that everything that will be dedicated to God or revolves around His name should be the best. I am referring as much to material goods, as to the gift of time or to the intellectual talents we receive. The point is that we give God everything we have, keeping in mind that we receive everything from Him and to Him we give the best.
Dancing and singing in African culture
According to Alfred Opoku, in his work Dance in Traditional African Society, "Dance is the oldest art form and from the African point of view the most complete, and satisfying of the arts…dance is a space-time art form since it employs the use of both spatial and temporal patterns in expressing ideas and emotions in time and space by the use of movements disciplined by rhythm of sound, locomotion and body-movements." Therefore, it is not a mere disordered movement of the body: it takes a lot to acquire this art and, therefore, it is not danced on every occasion.
Dance moves, especially those that are termed unique because of their techniques or their central place in the culture of a particular people, are reserved for special occasions and exceptional individuals. In Africa, there is never a shortage of dance groups: they are something natural for every African child. Dancing has become a way to express joy and gratitude: on days of great feasts before the king, his cabinet, and all the people, dancing is an excellent sign of entertainment and appreciation. It is not wrong to say that the art of dance had anything to do with the worship of kings as one of those essential ways of expressing the deep feelings of thanksgiving. Indeed, dance has a lot to do with emotions. It is not enough to learn body movement skills. Emotion – especially joy and gratitude – occupies a key place in the art of dance. Along these lines, Doris Green, in her work The Cornerstone of African Music and Dance, stated that "there are two separate categories of dances within the traditional category. Those dances associated with the life cycle, such as birth, death, naming ceremonies, initiation, and puberty, have fixed routines that each ethnic society possesses." For this reason, dances are not only occasional, but also the styles and movements of each dance are usually different according to cultures and societies. The other category is that of those dances related to "the causality of events", to borrow its expression. That is, "those dances based on an event or occurrence that the participants choose to remember and that is why they create movement and put music to it."
Types of dances
It is not wrong to assert that the art of dance had something to do with the cult of kings as one of those essential ways of expressing the deep feelings of thanksgiving. Indeed, dance has much to do with emotions. It is not enough to learn the skills of body movement. Emotion - especially joy and thanksgiving - occupies a key place in the art of dance. In this vein Doris Green, in her work "The Cornerstone of African Music and Dance," stated that "there are two separate categories of dances within traditional dance. Dances associated with the cycle of life, such as birth, death, naming ceremonies, initiation and puberty, have fixed routines that each ethnic society possesses." Therefore, dances are not only occasional, but also the styles and movements of each dance are often different from one culture and society to another.
The other category is that of those dances related to "the causality of events", to borrow its expression. That is, "those dances based on an event or occurrence that the participants choose to remember and that is why they create movement and put music to it."
Music, therefore, is the answer to dance steps; by this I do not mean that in Africa all music is intrinsically linked to dance. As much as they go together, music is a different art that can work on its own. Trying to define dance, Green states that "it is the oldest and most widespread form of African movement performed with music. There is an inseparable relationship between dance and music"; both arts developed contemporaneously. Initially, the sources of music were basically the "drum tongues, which are replicas of the languages spoken by the people".
In the Yoruba people of western Nigeria, for example, this can be easily seen: there is a percussion instrument known as the 'talking drum'. This instrument, for those who play it well, is 'notorious' for the imitation of the spoken language of the people and is even used in the recitation of adages. As a result of this power, some people are well trained to play and interpret what he says. The same can be said for the oja of the Igbo people of eastern Nigeria. This instrument is a special type of flute carved from wood.
The functions of music are not so different from the functions of dance in African culture. Music serves in the celebration of life, where it plays a very important role both in the expression of joy, and in burials, where funeral songs and panegyrics are sung. Music cannot be eliminated from ritual celebrations; It plays an essential role in accompanying the rituals that mark critical transitions in life: it conveys messages, celebrates achievements, and is always a means of collective emotional expression. Music comes naturally to every African child. It is not difficult to express our emotions in musical forms, you only need the sound of the drums, and the words begin to flow progressively, obviously in line with what you want to express. Most of the time, drums are even useless. In harmony, people raise their voices and join in chorus to praise God or to lament.
The "why" of the duration of Masses: the place of song and dance
It was not our intention to give lessons on music and dance in Africa, but we consider that only when one understands the natural place that music and dance have in the lives of Africans can one understand some of the fundamental aspects of the "African liturgy" and why they are so emphasized, consequently causing an increase in the duration of Masses.
I don't remember ever participating in a Mass without music. Of course, we know that with the liturgical reforms of the Second Vatican Council, the doors were opened to inculturation, and this did a lot of good for the Church in the sense that it caused great growth among the faithful and gave rise to a revival of native music expressing popular sentiment. The faithful could now hear the Masses and prayers in their native languages and the liturgical chants were interpreted in the local languages. Today anyone can freely express themselves to God by singing, without feeling obliged to sing what they never understood (let's be clear, I have no prejudice about Latin Gregorian chants: in fact, I love them and they are sung in many African masses, but not everyone understands them).
So what do Africans do during Mass? Masses in Africa have the same structure as in the rest of the Latin rite. What changes then? Substantially nothing changes in the structure or form of the Mass, but it does change the "mode" of the celebration. The first thing Africans have in mind is that they are not just anyone; they are before God, the supreme Being: therefore, if before my king, I dance and express joy and sing loudly and energetically, then the way in which I will address God must be exponential, because the life of my own king is also in the hands of God before whom I stand. The idea of God's presence greatly changes our attitude in the Church and even changes the way we dress. If we dance energetically before our earthly kings, why not multiply that energy in praise of the King of kings?
The music for each part of the Mass
The introductory rite is always accompanied by music. The songs used for the procession are heavily accompanied by musical instruments, and naturally prompt people to dance. From the beginning of the Mass, the people are already dancing to praise God. I have always come to see this as a resonance of the words of the Psalmist: "I was glad when they said to me, let us go to the house of the Lord" (cf. Ps 122:1).
At the end of the penitential rite, we join the voices of the angels to sing the glory of God. It may sound funny, but choosing a melody for Gloria that is only accompanied by the organist is boring for us. Favorite songs are accompanied by drums and cymbals. The reason for this is not far-fetched. As we have pointed out, songs and dances had their place in the cults of kings; as a consequence of this, when Africans go to church and have to sing Glory to God, they do so in the most joyful way possible. Thus, usually the singing of the Gloria is accompanied by clapping to the rhythm of the melody, the body moves to the rhythm of the harmonious sounds that come from musical instruments, both local and foreign.
Another practical way, part of the liturgy of the Word, which we think it appropriate to mention as well, is that of accompanying "the book of the Gospel" shortly before its proclamation with dance steps from the back of the temple. This is done chiefly on the great feasts and solemnities to honor the Word of the Lord.
The offertory
The offertory is another moment of great joy. When I arrived in Europe, one of the parts of the Mass that stood out to me was how people offered gifts to God. Although I have visited few parishes, I have seen that someone usually goes around collecting what people have to offer. Although this practice is also found in several African Churches, I would dare to say that it is a recent custom. It is common in African churches for the collection box to be carried at the foot of the altar in the central aisle or in the side aisles of the temple, and people move in an orderly fashion from their seats to offer what they have to God. This movement, of course, is accompanied by joyful songs and instruments that encourage dancing. The reason behind this is that people not only offer something suitable material to God, but they offer themselves and all that they have: the gift of the whole body, expressed with dance movements, voices to sing, joys and hopes. The songs used in this part of the Mass express thanksgiving, both for the gift of life, and for the gift of all that they have. It is an acknowledgment of the fact that all that you have and are belongs to Him and comes from Him (Psalm 24:1-2, Haggai 2:8, James 1:17). Again, the idea of God's place in our lives plays a role here as well.
I would love to conclude this section with an observation by Amos Nyaaba, a seminarian from Ghana. Amos acknowledged that, in the Ghanaian context, traditional music and dance are related to the gods or even to the ancestors who are invoked to give thanks, or make requests, etc. However, with the arrival of Christianity these customs were Christianized, but they retained their original meaning or form. Thus, for Christians, the dances that were previously performed in the name of the gods and ancestors for various reasons, from then on, were performed in the worship of Almighty God and for us Catholics, in the Mass. Thus, while a typical Ghanaian of traditional religion danced during ceremonies - such as festivals, funerals, marriages or naming ceremonies - to thank and pray to the gods; another staunch Ghanaian Catholic or a Protestant Christian performed the same dances during the celebration of similar events at Mass, or in their services, being aware however of the fact that they do everything in praise of the Almighty, One and Triune God.
The songs used in this part of the Mass express thanksgiving, both for the gift of life, and for the gift of all that they have. It is an acknowledgment of the fact that all that you have and are belongs to Him and comes from Him (Psalm 24:1-2, Haggai 2:8, James 1:17). Again, the idea of God's place in our lives plays a role here as well.
An example from Ghana
I would love to conclude this section with an observation by Amos Nyaaba, a seminarian from Ghana. Amos recognized that, in the Ghanaian context, traditional music and dance are related to gods or even ancestors who are invoked to give thanks, or make requests, etc.
However, with the arrival of Christianity these customs were Christianized, but they retained their original meaning or form. Thus, for Christians, the dances that were previously performed in the name of the gods and ancestors for various reasons, from then on, were performed in the worship of Almighty God and for us Catholics, in the Mass. Thus, while a typical Ghanaian of traditional religion danced during ceremonies - such as festivals, funerals, marriages or naming ceremonies - to thank and pray to the gods; another staunch Ghanaian Catholic or a Protestant Christian performed the same dances during the celebration of similar events at Mass, or in their services, being aware however of the fact that they do everything in praise of the Almighty, One and Triune God.
Let me quickly add – Amos said – that for the everyday Ghanaian Catholic, attending Mass, especially Sunday Mass, without dancing (or at least nodding or clapping and singing with emotion) is abnormal. People see the Mass as a way not only to pray, but to express their joy and willingness to be in God's presence. A man, for example, who one day attends Mass in Ghana and does not dance, should not be surprised if he is asked, "My brother, are you sick?" This is expressed in a Ghanaian voice, but I would not be wrong to think that this is the case in most of Africa.
The homily
In addition to all this, it should be noted the role that the homily plays in this whole discourse on the duration of the Mass. Anyone who has participated in a Mass in an African setting will agree with me if I say that homilies are usually long, especially on Sundays, holy days of obligation, feasts and ceremonies. The reason is that such opportunities are used to teach and instruct people about God's Word. Bishops, in particular, often give very long homilies, for they are the chief shepherds of God's flock. On the other hand, it should be considered that many people spend a lot of time walking to get to their local church, and would be disappointed if the priest rushed in a homily.
The last thing I would love to point out is that, for Africans, time spent in God's house is never a waste. It is His way of keeping the Sabbath holy (Deuteronomy 5:12-15). They work six days and offer the seventh day to the Lord in the best way they can express this offering. Spiritually, time is not ours; it is a gift from God, and one day in the house of God, says the psalmist, is better than a thousand anywhere else (Psalm 84:10).
director of the choir of the Sedes Sapientiae college in Rome
