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Christopher Small

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Music of the Common Tongue: Survival and Celebration in African American Music (Music / Culture) Kindle Edition

by Christopher Small (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.7 6 ratings

Part of: Music/Culture (49 books)

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In clear and elegant prose, Music of the Common Tongue, first published in 1987, argues that by any reasonable reckoning of the function of music in human life the African American tradition, that which stems from the collision between African and European ways of doing music which occurred in the Americas and the Caribbean during and after slavery, is the major western music of the twentieth century. In showing why this is so, the author presents not only an account of African American music from its origins but also a more general consideration of the nature of the music act and of its function in human life. The two streams of discussion occupy alternate chapters so that each casts light on the other. The author offers also an answer to what the Musical Times called the "seldom posed though glaringly obtrusive" question: "why is it that the music of an alienated, oppressed, often persecuted black minority should have made so powerful an impact on the entire industrialized world, whatever the color of its skin or economic status?"

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Essential for anyone interested in obtaining another perspective on the aesthetics of African-American music and hot it relates to culture."--The Black Perspective in Music

From the Publisher

5 1/2 x 8 1/2 trim. LC 98-23578

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00519B75M
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Wesleyan University Press; Revised ed. edition (January 1, 2012)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 1, 2012
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 4071 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 512 pages