Music video as a constituency for research in contemporary African music

Music video as a phenomenon has been with us since the inauguration of MTV as a music channel in the 1980s. African contemporary music has also come a long way and incorporated the technology into the production and consumption mechanisms of tis music. This paper examines a case for the utilization of music video as a ready ground for music education research. The study investigated and critiqued four selected African-centred music programmes on SABC (South African Broadcasting Corporation) public televisions. Observations were carried out over a period of time and the results analysed through statistical, descriptive and comparative analysis in addition to heuristic parameters. The programmes were critiqued in terms of their declared situation as 'African-centred' in relation to African traditions and popular culture and against the background and of the influences of globalisation in contemporary popular music.