Understanding African Music

Understanding African Music introduces important African musical concepts to musicians and the general public alike. It is a splendid volume of musical treasures from cultures and countries of sub-Saharan Africa. The book successfully accomplishes its aim to orient readers to the vast expanse of music and musicians, to ways of thinking and behaving musically and to the human capacity for cultural-artistic-social expression. There are critical lessons to be learned about African music and culture through the activities carefully framed by the author in the reading and listening that leads to them. There is nothing like it in the field. It is a textbook, a guide to deep listening, a study of the innovative musical ways of the human mind and body. The book is a shining realization of ILAM’s hope to fulfil Hugh Tracey’s 1960s vision for repatriating the music he recorded to its communities of origin by creating textbooks designed to teach African music in the schools.