Music 593R - S-African Popular Music

This course focuses on twentieth century African popular music. It examines musical genres from different parts of the continent, investigating their relationship to the historical, political and social dynamics of their respective national and regional origins. Regional examples like "highlife", "soukous", and "mbaganga" will provide the basis for assessing the significance of popular music as a creative response to the colonial and postcolonial environment in Africa. The course also discusses the growth of hip-hop music in selected African countries by exploring how indigenous cultural tropes and the social dynamics of postcolonial Africa have provided the basis for it's local appropriation. Themes explored in this course include the use of music in the construction of identity, the interaction of local and global elements, and the political significance of musical nostalgia.