British Forum for Ethnomusicology

Review: [untitled]
Author(s): Lara Allen
Reviewed work(s):
The Garland Encyclopaedia of World Music, Vol.1: Africa by Ruth M. Stone
Source: British Journal of Ethnomusicology, Vol. 9, No. 1, Brazilian Musics, Brazilian
Identities (2000), pp. 165-166
Published by: British Forum for Ethnomusicology
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3060798
Accessed: 06/01/2009 20:06
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BRITISH JOURNAL OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY VOL.91i 2000 165 BRITISH JOURNAL OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY VOL.91i 2000 165
permeate
the text. We feel none of fado's
passion
or
pain,
and are no closer to
understanding why
the music and
lyrics
of fado are so
important
to its
singers,
or
why
fado is such an
important
form. A
most
fascinating
area of
study,
which
perhaps
could
only
be culled from oral
histories, would be to
explore
how fado's
saudade, mythologized by contemporary
young singers (such
as Cristina
Branco)
as
"destiny"
or as music that "runs in
their
veins",
is "inherited": that is, how
the "DNA" of fado
perpetuates
itself.
Vernon
begins
to move
tentatively
into
this rich area in his
personal
account of
meeting
the amateur
fadistas
in the
Tavema do Barato.
Perhaps
this will be
the
subject
of his next book. Meanwhile
he has done essential
groundwork
for
those who love this
passionate
music.
JAN FAIRLEY
University of Edinburgh
jan@,chile. demon. co. uk
permeate
the text. We feel none of fado's
passion
or
pain,
and are no closer to
understanding why
the music and
lyrics
of fado are so
important
to its
singers,
or
why
fado is such an
important
form. A
most
fascinating
area of
study,
which
perhaps
could
only
be culled from oral
histories, would be to
explore
how fado's
saudade, mythologized by contemporary
young singers (such
as Cristina
Branco)
as
"destiny"
or as music that "runs in
their
veins",
is "inherited": that is, how
the "DNA" of fado
perpetuates
itself.
Vernon
begins
to move
tentatively
into
this rich area in his
personal
account of
meeting
the amateur
fadistas
in the
Tavema do Barato.
Perhaps
this will be
the
subject
of his next book. Meanwhile
he has done essential
groundwork
for
those who love this
passionate
music.
JAN FAIRLEY
University of Edinburgh
jan@,chile. demon. co. uk
RUTH M. STONE
(ed.)
The Garland
encyclopaedia of
world music,
vol. :
Africa.
New York and
London: Garland
Publishing,
1998.
850pp., illustrations, photographs,
maps,
musical exx.,
CD. ISBN 0-
8240-6035-0.
This volume dedicated to music in Africa
is
part
of an
encyclopaedia
of world
music
designed
for a wide audience. It is
not a
comprehensive acknowledgement
of all African music,
but rather a
special
collection of
writings providing
a sense of
regional
musical trends and intra-
continental
exchanges; outlining
principles
of musical structure and issues
raised
by
the
impact
of social and
political
contexts on
music-making.
The material is
arranged
in three
parts:
an introduction;
issues and
processes;
and
regional
case-studies. Part I consists of
introductory
articles
by
the
editor,
Ruth
RUTH M. STONE
(ed.)
The Garland
encyclopaedia of
world music,
vol. :
Africa.
New York and
London: Garland
Publishing,
1998.
850pp., illustrations, photographs,
maps,
musical exx.,
CD. ISBN 0-
8240-6035-0.
This volume dedicated to music in Africa
is
part
of an
encyclopaedia
of world
music
designed
for a wide audience. It is
not a
comprehensive acknowledgement
of all African music,
but rather a
special
collection of
writings providing
a sense of
regional
musical trends and intra-
continental
exchanges; outlining
principles
of musical structure and issues
raised
by
the
impact
of social and
political
contexts on
music-making.
The material is
arranged
in three
parts:
an introduction;
issues and
processes;
and
regional
case-studies. Part I consists of
introductory
articles
by
the
editor,
Ruth
M. Stone,
and Part II
analyses
of the
ways
in which African music has been
researched
historically.
John McCall
examines the
representation
of African
music in
pre-twentieth-century
documents;
and J.H. Kwabena Nketia
outlines the contributions of African
musicologists
to the
study
of the
continent's musics, offering comparisons
with contributions
by
Western scholars.
The editor has
bravely attempted
to
avoid the short, dry
and often
only
superficially
informative
encyclopaedia
entry by juxtaposing longer general
overviews with
specific,
localized case-
studies
along
the lines of a
journal
article.
Overviews risk
being
criticized
by
specialists
as
simplistic,
even inaccurate,
and the choice of case-studies
may
be
questioned: why
focus on this
particular
ethnic
group
when there are so
many
others
equally deserving?
While such
criticisms
may
be
fairly
levelled
against
some contributions to this volume, many
other articles demonstrate how the best of
both
approaches may
be
successfully
combined. Part
III, case-studies
presented
by region (West, North,
East Central and
Southern
Africa),
contains several
particularly
good
examples.
The
overviews of Yoruba
popular
music
(Christopher Waterman)
and
Zimbabwean Shona music
(John
E.
Kaemmer),
for instance, provide clear,
succinct resumes that contextualize
music
historically
and
geographically,
highlight
influential social, cultural and
political issues,
outline musical and
textual structures, and indicate useful
written and recorded material for further
enquiry
in reference lists.
A
variety
of issues and
processes
are
addressed in Part II. Consideration of the
construction and aesthetics of African
music is
represented by
articles on time
(Ruth
M.
Stone),
timbre
(Cornelia Fales)
and
compositional practice (Atta
Annan
Mensah).
Similar
contributions,
such as
M. Stone,
and Part II
analyses
of the
ways
in which African music has been
researched
historically.
John McCall
examines the
representation
of African
music in
pre-twentieth-century
documents;
and J.H. Kwabena Nketia
outlines the contributions of African
musicologists
to the
study
of the
continent's musics, offering comparisons
with contributions
by
Western scholars.
The editor has
bravely attempted
to
avoid the short, dry
and often
only
superficially
informative
encyclopaedia
entry by juxtaposing longer general
overviews with
specific,
localized case-
studies
along
the lines of a
journal
article.
Overviews risk
being
criticized
by
specialists
as
simplistic,
even inaccurate,
and the choice of case-studies
may
be
questioned: why
focus on this
particular
ethnic
group
when there are so
many
others
equally deserving?
While such
criticisms
may
be
fairly
levelled
against
some contributions to this volume, many
other articles demonstrate how the best of
both
approaches may
be
successfully
combined. Part
III, case-studies
presented
by region (West, North,
East Central and
Southern
Africa),
contains several
particularly
good
examples.
The
overviews of Yoruba
popular
music
(Christopher Waterman)
and
Zimbabwean Shona music
(John
E.
Kaemmer),
for instance, provide clear,
succinct resumes that contextualize
music
historically
and
geographically,
highlight
influential social, cultural and
political issues,
outline musical and
textual structures, and indicate useful
written and recorded material for further
enquiry
in reference lists.
A
variety
of issues and
processes
are
addressed in Part II. Consideration of the
construction and aesthetics of African
music is
represented by
articles on time
(Ruth
M.
Stone),
timbre
(Cornelia Fales)
and
compositional practice (Atta
Annan
Mensah).
Similar
contributions,
such as
BRITISH JOURNAL OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY VOL.91i 2000 BRITISH JOURNAL OF ETHNOMUSICOLOGY VOL.91i 2000
those on
theory
and
technology (Simha
Arom and Frederic
Voisin)
and notation
and oral tradition
(Kay
Kaufman
Shelemay),
examine the
particular
challenges
and
opportunities
raised
by
the interactions between African musics
and the media
through
which
they
are
represented.
In
many cases, authors base
examination of a broader issue within
their own
regional
area of
expertise:
the
flow of musical ideas as a result of
migrancy
is
exemplified by
studies
focusing
on the West African coast
(Cynthia Schmidt)
and Ghana
(Danield
Avorbedor); interplay
between non-
African music and
indigenous styles
is
discussed in relation to the
Congo
(Kazadi
wa
Mukuna)
and
Nigeria
(Christopher Brooks).
On occasion, the
volume
might
have benefited from
additional overviews
placing
localized
case-studies in
perspective.
A broader
discussion of
relationships
between
pre-
colonial African
religions, healing
practices
and music would, for instance,
have contextualized Steven Friedson's
article on Tumbuka
healing. Similarly,
a
discussion of the
impact
of
imported
religions, particularly Christianity
and
Islam, would have
provided
a framework
through
which to understand the
significance
of Islam in Liberia
(Lester
P.
Monts).
Such
regional specificity is,
however, offset
by
several contributions
that examine musical practices
throughout
the continent. Articles on art-
composed
music
(Johnston
Akuma-Kalu
Njoku),
popular
music
(Angela Impey),
dance
(Patience
A.
Kwakwa),
the use of
the
guitar (Andrew
L.
Kaye),
and
Gerhard Kubik's seminal
analysis
of
intra-African streams of influence,
track
continuities and differences in various
forms of
music-making, demonstrating
the
mobility
of musical ideas
throughout
Africa over the
past century.
The series editors are to be
congratulated
for
moving away
from the
those on
theory
and
technology (Simha
Arom and Frederic
Voisin)
and notation
and oral tradition
(Kay
Kaufman
Shelemay),
examine the
particular
challenges
and
opportunities
raised
by
the interactions between African musics
and the media
through
which
they
are
represented.
In
many cases, authors base
examination of a broader issue within
their own
regional
area of
expertise:
the
flow of musical ideas as a result of
migrancy
is
exemplified by
studies
focusing
on the West African coast
(Cynthia Schmidt)
and Ghana
(Danield
Avorbedor); interplay
between non-
African music and
indigenous styles
is
discussed in relation to the
Congo
(Kazadi
wa
Mukuna)
and
Nigeria
(Christopher Brooks).
On occasion, the
volume
might
have benefited from
additional overviews
placing
localized
case-studies in
perspective.
A broader
discussion of
relationships
between
pre-
colonial African
religions, healing
practices
and music would, for instance,
have contextualized Steven Friedson's
article on Tumbuka
healing. Similarly,
a
discussion of the
impact
of
imported
religions, particularly Christianity
and
Islam, would have
provided
a framework
through
which to understand the
significance
of Islam in Liberia
(Lester
P.
Monts).
Such
regional specificity is,
however, offset
by
several contributions
that examine musical practices
throughout
the continent. Articles on art-
composed
music
(Johnston
Akuma-Kalu
Njoku),
popular
music
(Angela Impey),
dance
(Patience
A.
Kwakwa),
the use of
the
guitar (Andrew
L.
Kaye),
and
Gerhard Kubik's seminal
analysis
of
intra-African streams of influence,
track
continuities and differences in various
forms of
music-making, demonstrating
the
mobility
of musical ideas
throughout
Africa over the
past century.
The series editors are to be
congratulated
for
moving away
from the
expanded dictionary layout
of the classic
encyclopaedia
-
typically short, broad
overviews, presented
in
visually cramped
small
print
and
arranged
in
alphabetical
order
by subject.
This volume is
likely
to
be
experienced
as more
"user-friendly"
and
up-to-date by
a generation
accustomed to
layout
on the Internet.
Quotations
are
periodically highlighted
and set
apart magazine-style
from the
text, and
figure captions
are
placed
in
extra wide
margins.
A less
spacious
layout may
have facilitated the
filling
of
some of the more obvious lacunae in
content. However, given
that the volume
does not aim to be
entirely
comprehensive, perhaps slightly
less
.information is a small
price
to
pay
for
visual
clarity
and
accessibility.
This
encyclopaedia
is an invaluable resource
for scholars, students and world music
enthusiasts and an
important
asset in
any
music
library.
LARA ALLEN
Girton
College, Cambridge
lva20(a),cam. ac. uk
expanded dictionary layout
of the classic
encyclopaedia
-
typically short, broad
overviews, presented
in
visually cramped
small
print
and
arranged
in
alphabetical
order
by subject.
This volume is
likely
to
be
experienced
as more
"user-friendly"
and
up-to-date by
a generation
accustomed to
layout
on the Internet.
Quotations
are
periodically highlighted
and set
apart magazine-style
from the
text, and
figure captions
are
placed
in
extra wide
margins.
A less
spacious
layout may
have facilitated the
filling
of
some of the more obvious lacunae in
content. However, given
that the volume
does not aim to be
entirely
comprehensive, perhaps slightly
less
.information is a small
price
to
pay
for
visual
clarity
and
accessibility.
This
encyclopaedia
is an invaluable resource
for scholars, students and world music
enthusiasts and an
important
asset in
any
music
library.
LARA ALLEN
Girton
College, Cambridge
lva20(a),cam. ac. uk
Recordings
Inde du sud:
l'integrale
du
Bharatandtyam
/ South India: the
complete Bharatandtyam.
2
CDs,
VDE-Gallo,
VDE CD-1004-5 /
AIMP LXI-LXII, 1999. 139 mins.
Booklet
(43pp.) by Manjula
Lusti-
Narasimhan in
French, English.
This
interesting recording
sets out to
present,
in
performance order, examples
of all the individual items of
repertory
that make
up
what
orthodoxy
considers a
traditional performance of
bharatana.yam,
from slokam to
mangalam.
The 13
pieces
fall well on to
two CDs,
with the division
coming
after
the central dance,
the varnam. The
laudable aim of the
recording
is to
Recordings
Inde du sud:
l'integrale
du
Bharatandtyam
/ South India: the
complete Bharatandtyam.
2
CDs,
VDE-Gallo,
VDE CD-1004-5 /
AIMP LXI-LXII, 1999. 139 mins.
Booklet
(43pp.) by Manjula
Lusti-
Narasimhan in
French, English.
This
interesting recording
sets out to
present,
in
performance order, examples
of all the individual items of
repertory
that make
up
what
orthodoxy
considers a
traditional performance of
bharatana.yam,
from slokam to
mangalam.
The 13
pieces
fall well on to
two CDs,
with the division
coming
after
the central dance,
the varnam. The
laudable aim of the
recording
is to
166 166