Exploring African Music ― Unity, Diversity, Diaspora

Exploring African Music: Unity, Diversity, Diaspora is designed as a core textbook on the cultural and historical diversity of music on the African continent – comparing and contrasting the regions of North, Eastern, Western Central and Southern Africa. It also examines issues pertaining to the musics of the greater African diaspora, in general, and the African diaspora of North America in particular. It has a broad utility, with numerous pedagogical features. Through this textbook, students will be able to recognize and identify musical styles from a diverse sampling of areas of the continent, and understand the significance of these musical traditions to those who make them. The textbook is written from an ethnomusicological perspective, and maintains an organological and cultural focus, but covers other necessary factors as well, such as the history of popular music on the continent. It presents African music by geographical region (East, South, West, North, Central) and also according to major African language groupings (Bantu, Khoisan, Pygmy, Nilotic).

Although music is its primary focus, Exploring African Music: Unity, Diversity, Diaspora carries over to Anthropology and History, for courses in African Studies and African History. It includes useful interdisciplinary connections to literature, film, poetry, gender issues, politics, and religion. The book is supplemented by an audio CD of 50 tracks representing various styles and regions of African Music, and companion web site with numerous related resources.