| Abstract |
The author asks: What is music? If the question is simple, the answers are not. In this fascinating introduction to the remarkable diversity of world music--from Swiss yodeling to pilgrims' chants, Yiddish folk songs to 'Art-Song' from Tunis--the author explores the interpretation and, sometimes, misinterpretation of world music by the West. Musical first encounters can be traced back to the biblical account of Abraham's attempt to sacrifice Isaac in Genesis, and to Krishna playing the flute to cowherds in Hindu mythology. More recent encounters in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, such as international festivals and world fairs, anthologies on recording cylinders, and compendia of Native American music, reveal the enduring fascination with ethnic diversity. World music's invention and growth, as well as concerns for its 'authenticity' and 'universality', are explored through scrutinizing a selection of music cultures and events such as the Grammy Awards and the Eurovision Song Contest, as well as through examining such musicians as Bob Marley, Manu Dibango, Bela Bartok, the Chieftains, and Leadbelly. |
