DISCOnnections

Michael Stasik

Description

This book offers an intriguing account of the complex and often contradictory relations between music and society in Freetown's past and present. Blending anthropological thought with ethnographic and historical research, it explores the conjunctures of music practices and social affiliations and the diverse patterns of social dis/connections that music helps to shape, to (re)create, and to defy in Sierra Leone's capital Freetown. The first half of the book traces back the changing social relationships and the concurrent changes in the city's music life from the first days of the colony in the late 18th century up to the turbulent and thriving music scenes in the first decade of the 21st century. Grounded in this comprehensive historiography of Freetown's socio-musical palimpsest, the second half of the book puts forth a detailed ethnography of social dynamics in the realms of music, calibrating contemporary Freetown's social polyphony with its musical counterpart.

Sujets

• Anthropology

Informations

• Publié par: Langaa RPCIG
• Date de parution: 19 octobre 2012
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9789956728572
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 12 Mo

Extrait

DISCOnnections Popular Music Audiences in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Michael Stasik

DISCOnnections

Langaa & African Studies Centre

DISCOnnections

Popular music audiences in Freetown, Sierra Leone

Michael Stasik

At the Old Skool night club, Freetown, 2009(courtesy of John Alie)

Langaa Research and Publishing Common Initiative Group PO Box 902 Mankon Bamenda North West Region Cameroon Phone [phone] [e-mail] www.africanbookscollective.com/publishers/langaa-rpcig

African Studies Centre P.O. Box 9555 2300 RB Leiden The Netherlands [e-mail] www.ascleiden.nl

Photos: Michael Stasik, unless stated otherwise Cover photo: At the Aces night club, Freetown, 2009(courtesy of Samory Kabba)

ISBN: 9956-728-51-9

Preface

This book is the winner of the ASC’s Africa Thesis Award 2011. The jury’s re- port included the following conclusion:

Michael Stasik has written a highly original thesis in terms of subject choice, theoretical interpretation and methodological approach. Beautifully written, this thesis brings the reader to an unexpected social reality in Freetown that does not fit the common media and Western stereotypes of the capital of a war-torn country. The thesis never suggests any romantic and simple message such as ‘music is a universal and unifying language that bridges people across any divide’. Music is rather an expression and vehicle of society and social relations with all their contradictions and paradoxical tendencies. This fascinating complexity is superbly captured.

For my lovely Elisabeth & To the memory of Michael “Dr Daddy” Loco 1939-2009 “when things change, it is a good thing”