Western Africa
The ASU Music Library has a good selection of materials about western Africa. Try a subject search on "music africa west" for CDs, LPs, and books. For some countries (marked * and in green on the map), we have enough materials for a more in-depth study. Other listed countries (yellow on the map) have at least one recording or text.
- Benin
- Burkina Faso
- *Cape Verde
- Chad
- Gambia
- *Ghana
- *Guinea
- Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
- Liberia
- *Mali
- Mauritania
- Niger
- *Nigeria
- *Senegal
- Sierra Leone
- Togo
General Sources:
The best general reference book on African music is Africa , volume one from the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music (Music Reference ML 100 .G16 1998 v.1). Pages 441-530 deal specifically with the music of western Africa. A CD is included with the volume.
Related Topics:
Western African Peoples: Instruments: Musical Genres:Benin
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music benin"
- Read about the music of Benin in the New Grove II online
- Also search for: Yoruba (African people) - music; there is also an article on "Yoruba Popular Music" by Christopher A. Waterman in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music , v. 1 pp. 471-487 (Music Reference ML 100 .G16 1998).
Burkina Faso
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music burkina faso"
- Read about the music of Burkina Faso in the New Grove II online
*Cape Verde
The Cape Verde islands are in the Atlantic Ocean just off the coast of Northwest Africa. The islands were a Portuguese colony until 1975 and have cultural ties to both Portugal and West Africa. ASU has an excellent two CD anthology, Cap Vert: anthologie 1959-1992 , from the Musique du monde series that reflects both influences. The islands most popular singer, Cesaria Évora, is represented with a CD entitled Miss Perfumado .
- Search the WNCLN catalog for other CDs: "music cape verde" or "popular music cape verde "
- Background sources:
Lobban, Richard. Historical Dictionary of the Republic of Cape Verde , 3rd ed. (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1995). ASU REFERENCE DT671.C25 L63 1995
Lobban, Richard. Cape Verde: Crioulo Colony to Independent Nation (Boulder: Westview Press, 1995). ASU MAIN STACKS DT671.C25 L62 1995
- Read about the music of Cape Verde in the New Grove II online
- Also, search the WNCLN catalog for more general books about Cape Verde .
Chad
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music chad"
- Read about the music of Chad in the New Grove II online
Gambia
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music gambia"
- Read about the music of Gambia in the New Grove II online
- Also search for: Mandingo (African people) - music
*Ghana
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music ghana," "folk music ghana," or "popular music ghana"
- Read about the music of Ghana in the New Grove II online
- Also search for: Akan (African People), Ashanti (African People), Dagbani (African People), Ewe (African People), Gonja (African People) and Sisala (African people).
*Guinea
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music guinea"
- Read about the music of Guinea in the New Grove II online
Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire)
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music cote d'ivoire"
- Read about the music of the Ivory Coast in the New Grove II online
Liberia
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music liberia"
- Read about the music of Liberia in the New Grove II online
*Mali
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music mali", "popular music mali" or "folk music mali"
- Read about the music of Mali in the New Grove II online
Mauritania
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "folk music mauritanian"
- Read about the music of Mauritania in the New Grove II online
Niger
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music niger"
- Read about the music of Niger in the New Grove II online
*Nigeria
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music nigeria" or "popular music nigeria"
- Read about the music of Nigeria in the New Grove II online
- Also search for: Yoruba (African people) - music; there is also an article on "Yoruba Popular Music" by Christopher A. Waterman in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music , v. 1 pp. 471-487 (Music Reference ML 100 .G16 1998).
*Senegal
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music senegal"
- Read about the music of Senegal in the New Grove II online
Sierra Leone
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "music sierra leone"
- Read about the music of Sierra Leone in the New Grove II online
- Also search for: Mandingo (African people) - music
- See also the article entitled "Praise Singing in Northern Sierra Leone" by Laura Arntson in the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music , v. 1 pp. 488-513 (Music Reference ML 100 .G16 1998).
Togo
- Search the WNCLN catalog for books and recordings: "folk music togo"
- Read about the music of Togo in the New Grove II online