The African blackwood tree, music cultures and carving traditions.
A plea for a telecoupled cultural-ecological transformation.

Abstract

African blackwood (Dalbergia melanoxylon Guill. & Perr.) is the preferred raw material for woodwind instruments, such as clarinets, oboes, and bagpipes, as well as for East African traditional carvings. This cultural flagship species grows to commercially viable tree sizes only in East Africa, mainly in the fragmented East African coastal forests, a global biodiversity hotspot, and in the Miombo woodlands. International trade regulations and the threat of the species have led to cross-arching challenges in the biophysical, socioeconomic and cultural dimensions. This cross-continental interconnection between European and African intangible cultural heritage and the African blackwood with its natural habitat requires a holistic perspective. Applying a complex telecoupled cultural-ecological system’s approach enables the analysis of a case study focusing on the role of African blackwood for local livelihoods in five communities in Tanzania and on missing linkages to telecoupled music cultures.