Includes bibliographical references (pages 345-363), discography (pa ges 335-342), videography (pages 343-344), and index.

Music and/in society -- Musical instruments -- Language and/in music -- The rhythmic imagination -- The melodic imagination -- The formal i magination -- Harmony, or simultaneous doing -- Appropriating African m usic.

In The African Imagination in Music, noted music scholar Kofi Agawy offers a fresh introduction to the vast, immensely rich and diverse set of repertoires that comprise the sound worlds of Sub-Saharan African m usic. Agawu introduces readers to the basic elements of African music a nd to the values upon which they are built. He then explores the key di mensions and resources of African music, including the place of music i n society, musical instruments, the relationship between language and m usic, rhythm, melody, form, harmony and finally, appropriations of Afri can music by musicians around the world. Written in an accessible style s, The African Imagination in Music is poised to renew interest in Blac k African music, and to engender discussion of its creative underpinnin gs by Africanists, ethnomusicologists, music theorists and musicologist s. -- from back cover.