An experimental approach to developing music literacy in central Zaire
Exciting—but premature—conclusion of the project
Our plans were to continue developing pedagogical materials, incorporating feedback from the local musicians and refining the notation system so that it was as accurate, efficient, and "elegant" as possible. This would eventually lead to a complete transfer of skills to the Kasaian musicians so that they could transcribe their own music easily and teach the system to others. Unfortunately, we were unable to complete this process. On September 23, 1991, violence broke out in Kinshasa that eventually led to riots and looting by the army in most of the major cities of Zaire, including Kananga. We were evacuated to Brazzaville in the Republic of the Congo by means of a C-130 Hercules military transport under the watchful eye of heavily armed Belgian paratroopers. This was an aspect of fieldwork that my field methods class entirely failed to prepare me for. Many of my tapes and documentation had to be left behind, as well as a complete collection of traditional Kasaian instruments.
Later, however, a colleague was able to go back to Kananga and retrieve most of my tapes and documentation. We were then able to go ahead and publish the songbook and cassette, and they are now being sold in Kananga. In fact, recent reports indicate that the songbook and cassette have been very well received. However, the situation in Zaire is becoming increasingly unstable, and the project has been put on hold indefinitely.