In his stage notes, Soyinka describes the European music (like a tango or waltz) that plays at points throughout the production as being weak and of poor quality. With this, the play suggests that the music itself is representative of British colonialism in Nigeria—in that the English themselves are out of place, weak, and inappropriate in Nigeria. The vitality of the Yoruba drumming and singing, in contrast, suggests that the native music—and by extension, the native culture—is correct and appropriate for the locale, lending it its natural strength.
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European Music Symbol Timeline in Death and the King’s Horseman
The timeline below shows where the symbol European Music appears in Death and the King’s Horseman. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Act 2
At the district officer Simon Pilkings's home, Pilkings and his wife, Jane, are tangoing through their living room, dressed in egungun costumes. As they dance, a native policeman, Amusa,...
(full context)
Act 4
...around the room wait for the prince's arrival. The band begins to play, but their music is bad. The prince and the resident enter the room, the band laboriously plays a...
(full context)
