Music 229 - African Popular Music

This course examines selected genres and their relationships to the political and social dynamics of their respective national origins. Regional examples like highlife, soukous, chimurenga, and Fela Anikulapo-Kuti's Afro-beat will provide the basis for assessing the significance of popular music as a creative response to the African colonial and postcolonial environment. The course also discusses African hip-hop music by exploring how indigenous cultural tropes have provided the basis for its local appropriation. Themes explored include music and identity; music, politics, and resistance; interaction of local and global elements; and political significance of musical nostalgia. Students' final projects for this class could be in form of live performances or paper presentations focusing on any genre or aspect of African popular music.