Product Description

"We have in this book a Rosetta stone for mediating, or translating, African musical behavior and aesthetics."--Andrew Tracey, African Music

"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

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #244478 in Books
• Published on: 1981-10-15
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 261 pages

Customer Reviews

A masterpiece in analytical cultural exploration
What begins as a primer in African polyrhythm becomes a spiritual quest to understand culture and humanity. Don't skip the endnotes in this impassioned examination of musical tonality and rhythm. Forging a tentative balance between scholarship and interpretation, Chernoff's book addresses the subconscious dynamics of culture, and unwittingly explains "race" more convincingly than the agitprop self-promoters whose explicit goal is to deconstruct the historical consciences of Africans and Europeans.

One of the Classics
This is a remarkable work that fits African music into its cultural context and is consistently provocative and enlightening. It's a world music classic, along with such studies as "The Latin Tinge," "The Brazilian Sound" and "Catch a Fire."

The heart beats ...
This book's sweetness, modesty, humor and graceful scholarship honors one of the world's greatest achievements. It's about drumming, and life.