Efficacy of cultural policy on appropriation of music and dance idioms: A case of Kamabeka music and dance of the Bukusu

Abstract

This study focuses on the interplay between a cultural policy and its efficacy in the regulation of the appropriation process of music and dance idioms. With a specific focus on Kamabeka music and dance of the Bukusu Community of Kenya, available scholarly investigations attest to the fact that previous studies focused on other aspects of the dance and less on the aspect of appropriation, hence resulting in a paucity of literature. The study was guided by a qualitative research design. The results revealed that appropriation is still ongoing, and its effects continue to undermine the socio-economic and cultural identity fabric of the Bukusu community. A lot of crucial cultural elements embedded in music and dance are fading away gradually and being replaced by others, some of which are from alien cultures. This threatens the traditional cultural embodiment of the Bukusu people. In conclusion, the current policy in its form is not capable of addressing the dynamics of appropriation underpinning Kamabeka music and dance. As a matter of societal interest, this study recommends that policymakers develop robust clauses to be included in the current policy to expand its scope and address matters of appropriation. In the absence of this, traditional Kamabeka music and dance will soon be extinct.