Description:
This article examines the musical enculturation and early education of Wagogo children
of the Dodoma region in central Tanzania. In support of the enculturation premise, longstanding practices in musical enculturation among the Wagogo are described, most of which are continuing today. The Wagogo hold to the belief that the behaviours of both
mother and father affect the proper development of the young child prior to birth and this
sense of joint child-raising responsibilities continues even as they enter into their school
years. The intent of the article is to argue that the facilitation of musical experiences for
young children and teachers through music and dance is a vital component of their holistic development, and to offer an understanding of how teachers and parents might incorporate daily singing, dancing and drumming experiences into the lives of children. By providing occasions for music in the lives of young children, and by nurturing their natural musical proclivities, the traditional music of the Wagogo of Tanzania remains a living tradition, a critical component of the identity of young Wagogo children, and an important means of human expression.