African rhythm and African sensibility : aesthetics and social action in African musical idioms

"We have in this book a Rosetta stone for mediating, or translating, African musical behavior and aesthetics."—Andrew Tracey, __African Music__ "John Miller Chernoff, who spent 10 years studying African drumming, has a flair for descriptive writing, and his first-person narratives should be easily understood by any reader, while ringing unmistakably true for the reader who has also been to West Africa."—Roderick Knight, __Washington Post Book World__ "Ethnomusicologists must be proud that their discipline has produced a book that will, beyond doubt, rank as a classic of African studies."—Peter Fryer, __Research in Literatures__ "A marvelous book. . . . Not many scholars will ever be able to achieve the kind of synthesis of 'doing' and 'writing about' their subject matter that Chernoff has achieved, but he has given us an excellent illustration of what is possible."—Chet Creider, __Culture__ "Chernoff develops a brilliant and penetrating musicological essay that is, at the same time, an intensely personal and even touching account of musical and cultural discovery that anyone with an interest in Africa can and should read. . . . No other writing comes close to approaching Chernoff's ability to convey a feeling of how African music 'works'"—James Koetting, __Africana Journal__ "Four stars. One of the few books I know of that talks of the political, social, and spiritual meanings of music. I was moved. It was so nice I read it twice."—David Byrne of "Talking Heads" The companion cassette tape has 44 examples of the music discussed in the book. It consists of field recordings illustrating cross-rhythms, multiple meters, call and response forms, etc. "We have in this book a Rosetta stone for mediating, or translating, African musical behavior and aesthetics."—Andrew Tracey, African Music

"John Miller Chernoff, who spent 10 years studying African drumming, has a flair for descriptive writing, and his first-person narratives should be easily understood by any reader, while ringing unmistakably true for the reader who has also been to West Africa."—Roderick Knight, Washington Post Book World

"Ethnomusicologists must be proud that their discipline has produced a book that will, beyond doubt, rank as a classic of African studies."—Peter Fryer, Research in Literatures

"A marvelous book. . . . Not many scholars will ever be able to achieve the kind of synthesis of 'doing' and 'writing about' their subject matter that Chernoff has achieved, but he has given us an excellent illustration of what is possible."—Chet Creider, Culture

"Chernoff develops a brilliant and penetrating musicological essay that is, at the same time, an intensely personal and even touching account of musical and cultural discovery that anyone with an interest in Africa can and should read. . . . No other writing comes close to approaching Chernoff's ability to convey a feeling of how African music 'works'"—James Koetting, Africana Journal

"Four stars. One of the few books I know of that talks of the political, social, and spiritual meanings of music. I was moved. It was so nice I read it twice."—David Byrne of "Talking Heads"

The companion cassette tape has 44 examples of the music discussed in the book. It consists of field recordings illustrating cross-rhythms, multiple meters, call and response forms, etc.

"African travelogue with a good dose of African sociology? Or is it a sociology of Africa with a good dose of travelogue? It is hard to know how to describe this book, since it attempts to strike a balance between an engrossingly personal account of wanderings ir quest of African music and a penetrating sociological analysis of interpersonal relationships in Africa. John Miller Chernoff, who spent 10 years studying African drumming, hasaflair for descriptive writing, and his first-person narratives should be easily understood by any reader, while ringing unmistakably true for the reader who has also been to West Africa. "—Washington Post Book World "The book is a brilliant and sometimes delightful work, which uses a close analysis of Ghanaian drumming to shed light on topics as diverse as African religion, the role of art in African society, and the etiquette of social greetings. As Chernoff shares with the reader his own musical education, it becomes Wis that his learning went far deeper than playing the drums, encompassing as well spiritual and ethical principles. "—Africa News "Four stars. One of the few books I know of that talks of the political, social, and spiritual meanings of music. I was moved. It was so nice I read it twice." —David Byrne, Talking Heads "A work of unquestionable importance and considerable charm, one which significantly aids our understanding of the depths and beauty of African music. "—Parabola JOHN MILLER CHERNOFF has studied African drumming for ten years, and is currently a research fellow at Trinity College, Legon, Ghana, where he is continuing his work. African Rhythm and African Sensibility Contents List of Plates Acknowledgments Pronunciation and Transliteration Introduction: Scholarship and Participation One The Study of Music in Africa Two Music in Africa Three Style in Africa Four Values in Africa Appendix Notes Bibliography Index