The Music of Africa

The study of African music is a study at once of unity and diversity. The range of indigenous musical resources and practices found on the vast continent is as wide and varied as its topography.

In this informative and highly readable book, Project Nketia provides an overview of the musical traditions of Africa with respect to their historical, cultural, and social backgrounds, their organization and practice, and delineates the most significant aspects of musical styles.

The book is organized into four sections. The first deals in non-technical terms with African musical traditions, music in community life, performing groups and their place in the social structure, and discusses the recruiting and training of performers. The second sections provide illuminating descriptions of the musical instruments indigenous to the various cultures, while the third gives detailed analyses of the vocal and instrumental music-melody, polyphony, rhythm, structure, etc. Finally, a description of music in relation to its neighbor arts rounds out this comprehensive examination of a little-known and much-misunderstood subject.

The book is richly illuminated with music examples and photographs; maps are provided to help the reader unfamiliar with the societies, ethnic groups and countries of Africa.