Musicology Commons^™

The Invention Of "African Rhythm", Kofi Agawu

Publications and Research

"African ryhthm" was invented in the 1950s when, thanks to pioneering research by the Reverend A. M. Jones, Alan Merriam, Gilbert Rouget, Erich von Hornbostel, and John Blacking, among others, "African music" was construed as an essentially rhythmic phenomenon. Three decades and a sizable body of empirical research later, it is easy to see that an overriding ideology of difference (between "Africa" and the "West") motivated these early efforts. This essay reinvents "African rhythm" not by denying its own ideological construction but by engaging in an imaginary dialogue with earlier researchers in an effort to concretize that which was missing …

Carnegie Hall, Weill Recital Hall, New York City. June 16, 1995, Oscar E. Macchioni

Oscar Macchioni

Columbia University, Teachers College, New York City. June 4, 1995, Oscar E. Macchioni

Oscar Macchioni

Scottish And Irish Elements Of Appalachian Fiddle Music, Matthew S. Emmick

Undergraduate Honors Thesis Collection

This paper is designed to serve as a general introduction to the topic and is not meant to be a definitive resource. The ideas presented here deal with general characteristics which serve as a basis for comparison of the three fiddle styles. A more in-depth study which examines stylistic traits peculiar to small geographic regions within Scotland, Ireland, and Appalachia is needed to give a more complete picture of the Celtic influence on the fiddle traditions of the Southern mountains.

Steinway Hall, New York City. January 29, 1995, Oscar E. Macchioni

Oscar Macchioni