Kofi Agawu Livres

Of all the repertories of Western Art music, none is as explicitly listener-oriented as that of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Yet few attempts to analyze the so-called Classic Style have embraced the semiotic implications of this condition. Playing with Signs proposes a listener-oriented theory of Classic instrumental music that encompasses its two most fundamental communicative dimensions: expression and structure. Units of expression, defined in reference to topoi, are shown here to interact with, confront, and merge into units of structure, defined in terms of the rhetorical conventions of beginning, continuing, and ending. The book draws on examples from works by Mozart, Haydn, and Beethoven to show that the explicitly referential, even theatrical, surface of Classic music derives from a play with signs. Although addressed primarily to readers interested in musical analysis, the book opens up fruitful avenues for further research into musical semiotics, aesthetics, and Classicism [Publisher description]

Written by one of the best-known academic writers on African music, On African Music is a collection of seven essays offering a wide-ranging discussion of the animating structures of African music while reflecting on the scholarship they have elicited.

The African Imagination in Music offers a fresh introduction to the vast and complex world of Sub-Saharan African music. Through close readings of traditional music and references to popular music, Agawu considers topics including the place of music in society, musical instruments, language and music, and appropriations of African music.

Challenging conventional narratives, this book critiques the discourse surrounding African music, questioning who writes about it and the biases that shape their perspectives. It explores the complexities of defining "African music" and emphasizes the need for an Afro-centric understanding that diverges from Western frameworks. By examining ethical considerations and authority in scholarship, Agawu aims to inspire debate and fresh insights among ethnomusicologists, cultural theorists, and post-colonial scholars, complemented by 15 musical examples.