25 - Encountering African music in history and modernity

Summary

The ethnomusicological glance at the musics of sub-Saharan Africa historically wrestled with the issues of change and adaptation, especially in regard to the roles of traditional culture in tandem with modernity. This chapter provides an overview of African music within a history of discourse. It focuses on literature about African music as adaptive and responsive. In addition to the continent's indigenous musical traditions there have been Arab-influenced traditions, as there are varieties of Asian traditions commingling with local traditions today in a variety of contexts. More recent efforts by African and European ethnomusicologists and musicians provide substantial analytical reflection on contemporary issues that are critical to the current generation's glance across the African continent. Ethnomusicologists working in contemporary Africa on highly charged topics are often requested to advocate for their colleagues, often to intervene with local and governmental authorities. Research on medical and healthcare issues is often characterized by such activist interventions.