Aran Mupe: A Study in Yorùbá Vocal Expression, Tonal Organisation, and Pedagogical Design

Author: OMOTOSHO, Dorcas Adedoyin

Abstract

Aran Mupe is a solo voice and piano composition that integrates African tonal organisation with the rhythmic and declamatory qualities of Yorùbá vocal expression. Centred in F major and cast in compound duple metre at a dotted-quarter pulse of 65, the work unfolds through a five-measure piano introduction, a principal vocal section built on related five-measure phrases, a rhythmically insistent pedagogical passage, a lyrical bridge, and a refrain-driven close. Through diatonic harmony, motivic variation, changing textures, and a controlled dynamic trajectory culminating in fortississimo, the composition balances expressive song with vocal study. Its diction-focused writing foregrounds vowel clarity, consonantal precision, and breath control, contributing to the Nigerian art song repertoire and to pedagogical approaches in Yorùbá vocal music.

Keywords: African Tonal Organisation, Diction and Vocal Technique, Nigerian Art
Song, Text Setting, Yorùbá Vocal Music

Copyright © 2026 The author retains the copyright of this article. This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.

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Author

OMOTOSHO, Dorcas Adedoyin