The aim of this book is to stimulate debate by offering a critique of discourse about African music. Who writes about African music, how, and why? What assumptions and prejudices influence the presentation of ethnographic data? Even the term "African music" suggests there is an agreed-upon meaning, but African music signifies differently to different people. This book also poses the question then, "What is African music?" Agawu offers a new and provocative look at the history of African music scholarship that will resonate with students of ethnomusicology and post-colonial studies. He offers an alternative "Afro-centric" means of understanding African music, and in doing so, illuminates a different mode of creativity beyond the usual provenance of Western criticism. This book will undoubtedly inspire heated debate--and new thinking--among musicologists, cultural theorists, and post-colonial thinkers. Also includes 15 musical examples.

Ralph Bunche, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1950, traveled to South Africa for three months in 1937. His notes, which have been skillfully compiled and annotated by historian Robert R. Edgar, provide unique insights on a segregated society.

In February 1999 the tragic New York City police shooting of Amadou Diallo, an unarmed street vendor from Guinea, brought into focus the existence of West African merchants in urban America. In Money Has No Smell, Paul Stoller offers us a more complete portrait of the complex lives of West African immigrants like Diallo, a portrait based on years of research Stoller conducted on the streets of New York City during the 1990s. Blending fascinating ethnographic description with incisive social analysis, Stoller shows how these savvy West African entrepreneurs have built cohesive and effective multinational trading networks, in part through selling a simulated Africa to African Americans. These and other networks set up by the traders, along with their faith as devout Muslims, help them cope with the formidable state regulations and personal challenges they face in America. As Stoller demonstrates, the stories of these West African traders illustrate and illuminate ongoing debates about globalization, the informal economy, and the changing nature of American communities.

Embark on a captivating adventure through the African savannah with "Tales from the Savannah: Frederick Courteney Selous' African Memoirs" by Frederick Courteney Selous. Delve into Selous' thrilling memoirs as he shares his firsthand experiences and encounters with the diverse wildlife, landscapes, and cultures of Africa. As you journey through the pages of this captivating book, prepare to be transported to the untamed beauty and wonder of the African wilderness. Through vivid storytelling and vivid descriptions, Selous offers readers a glimpse into the extraordinary world of the savannah and the remarkable creatures that inhabit it. But amidst the tales of adventure and exploration, one question arises: What timeless lessons can we learn from Selous' experiences in the African wilderness, and how do they illuminate our understanding of nature and humanity? Explore the depths of the African savannah with Selous as your guide, as he shares his insights into the natural world and the bonds that connect all living beings. Are you ready to embark on a journey of discovery and wonder through the heart of Africa? Engage with Selous' captivating memoirs, allowing yourself to be swept away by the beauty, excitement, and majesty of the African savannah. Don't miss the opportunity to experience the thrill of the hunt and the awe-inspiring beauty of nature in "Tales from the Savannah" by Frederick Courteney Selous. Dive into this remarkable memoir now, and embark on an unforgettable adventure through the heart of Africa. Seize the chance to explore the wonders of the African wilderness. Purchase your copy of "Tales from the Savannah" today and immerse yourself in the timeless beauty and excitement of the African savannah.

The transatlantic slave trade brought individuals from diverse African regions and cultures to a common destiny in the American South. In this comprehensive study, Michael Gomez establishes tangible links between the African American community and its African origins and traces the process by which African populations exchanged their distinct ethnic identities for one defined primarily by the conception of race. He examines transformations in the politics, social structures, and religions of slave populations through 1830, by which time the contours of a new African American identity had begun to emerge. After discussing specific ethnic groups in Africa, Gomez follows their movement to North America, where they tended to be amassed in recognizable concentrations within individual colonies (and, later, states). For this reason, he argues, it is possible to identify particular ethnic cultural influences and ensuing social formations that heretofore have been considered unrecoverable. Using sources pertaining to the African continent as well as runaway slave advertisements, ex-slave narratives, and folklore, Gomez reveals concrete and specific links between particular African populations and their North American progeny, thereby shedding new light on subsequent African American social formation.