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|Class Code |SCA-UA 9120 |

|Instructor Details | |

| |Professor John Collins |

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| |newbapmaf@ |

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| |233(0) 24-3239488 |

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|Class Details | |

| |African Popular Music |

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| |Thursday 10:00am to 1:00pm |

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| |NYU Accra Academic Centre, Classroom 2 |

|Prerequisites | |

| |Although this is a musical course and includes some basic practical drumming, the student does not need to be a proficient in |

| |any musical instruments or the reading of music scores. |

|Class Description | |

| |The lectures (illustrated with numerous slides and musical examples) covers 200 years of African and Ghanaian popular music |

| |and examines parallels and actual links between the music of Africa and that of the Americas such as jazz, the blues, calypsos,|

| |Latin music, reggae, rock, soul, salsa and right up to today’s hiphop, ragga and ‘world music’. The course also examines how |

| |African popular music uses traditional performance resources, how it played an active role in the African independence and |

| |anti-apartheid struggle and how music relates to urbanization, social protest, generational identity and changing gender |

| |roles. |

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| |After these lectures the remaining half of each class will involve video/DVD films, group discussions, presentations, tests and|

| |also at least four practical classes on local traditional and highlife drumming. As Professor Collins co-runs the Local |

| |Dimension highlife band and is a patron of the Ghana Musicians Union (MUSIGA) and other local cultural bodies he will also |

| |suggest music programs that might be of interest to the students. |

| |Films for classes will include commercial DVD’s on Southern African & Sahelian music, on the Afro-jazz pioneer Kofi Ghanaba, |

| |the Afrobeat exponent Fela Kuti and the 1971 Ghana Soul to Soul Festival. Also snippets of film will be shown on traditional |

| |Ghanaian drum-dances from the BAPMAF music archives and also film productions that John Collins has been involved with: namely:|

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| |‘Repercussions’ (on Ghanaian popular music). BBC Channel 4/Third Eye Production, 50 mins, 1983. |

| |‘Rhythms of the World: Highlife in Ghana.’ Huschert Realfiln, Germany, 1993. |

| |‘African Cross Rhythms’ (social context of music). Loki Films Denmark, 52 min, 1994. |

| |‘When The Moment Sings’ (African musical philosophy). Visions TV, Norway, 1995. |

| |'Brass Unbound' (on brass-band music in Ghana) ID TV, Holland, 45 minutes. 1993 |

| |‘Stage Shakers: Ghana’s Concert Party Theatre’. Kwame Braun, Indiana Univ. Press, 103 mins, 2001. |

| |‘Living The Hiplife’ by Jessie Shipley and Coltan Media 62 minutes, USA, 2007. |

| |‘Who is Highlife’ on burger ‘disco’ highlife. Deiter Matzka et al Germany, 2010 |

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|Desired Outcomes | |

| |A knowledge of the popular music of Africa (including traditional music making) with particular reference to Ghana, and the |

| |long-term trans-Atlantic connections between the music of Africa and the Americas. |

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| |An understanding of the relationship between music and the socio-history of Africa - from the trans-Saharan trading roots and |

| |the Bantu migrations to the contemporary role of music in the independence and anti-apartheid movements and the creation of |

| |national, Pan African and generational identities |

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| |To get students to be think critically and be able to make comparisons (similarities, differences, etc) between the music and |

| |‘musiking’ they are already familiar with and that of Ghana. |

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| |Students will learn to conceive, investigate, plan and write up/document a specific proposal |

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| |All the students – even the non-musical – should obtain the basics of playing percussion instruments and syncopated and |

| |polyrhythmic music. This practical experience will be linked to a more theoretical approach to African music discussed in the |

| |class. |

| | |

| |As this course involves references to Ghanaian history, geography, social life and belief systems, it will also complement |

| |other NYU in Ghana courses that introduce students to Ghana. For this music course has an inter-disciplinary aspect that |

| |touches on urbanisation, politics, literature, psychology, African Arts, Pan-Africanism – as well as generational, gender and |

| |globalization studies. |

| |Nb. The 15 lecture sessions in this course should be treated as 15 modules, rather |

| |than an exact week to week sequence - so their order may sometimes slightly |

| |change |

|Assessment Components | |

| |10% class participation, 20% two class papers, 30% tests/exams (1 mid and 1 end-of-semester) and 40% for a written 12-15 page|

| |end-of-semester seminar paper. This long paper can include photos and video documentation and students will present it in |

| |class. For this paper they will be encouraged to work with Ghanaian artists and bands, local music associations, unions and |

| |copyright bodies, performance venues or local music archives. Prof. Collins can put students in touch with some of these. In |

| |some circumstances Prof. Collins will allow a joint end of semester paper |

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|Assessment | |

|Expectations |Usual grading system for A to F |

|Grad conversion | |

| |A 94- 100 Excellent |

| |A- 90-93 Very Good |

| |B+ 87-89 Good |

| |B 84-86 Above Average |

| |B- 80-83 Average |

| |C+ 77-79 Pass |

| |C 74-76 Pass |

| |C- 70-73 Pass |

| |D 65-69 Concessionary Pass |

| |F. Below 65 Fail |

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|Grading Policy |In general, An A indicates excellent work, B indicates good work, C indicates passable work and D is the lowest passing grade. |

| |F indicates failure. The following grades may be awarded: A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, F (Fail), I (Incomplete) and W |

| |(Withdrawal) |

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| |Grading will be based on the three components mentioned above. In the case of the end of semester paper, Prof Collins |

| |assessment will be based on the substantive information covered, innovative ideas, literature review - as well as grammar and |

| |proper drafting and referencing techniques. |

|Late Submission of | |

|Work |End of semester papers have to be given to Prof Collins before the student leaves the country. Electronic copies sent later |

| |from the States will not be accepted |

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|Attendance Policy: |Study abroad at Global Academic Centers is an academically intensive and immersive experience, in which students from a wide |

| |range of backgrounds exchange ideas in discussion based seminars. Learning in such an environment depends on the active |

| |participation of all students. And since classes typically meet once or twice a week, even a single absence can cause a student|

| |to miss a significant portion of a course. To ensure the integrity of this academic experience, class attendance at the center |

| |is mandatory, and unexcused absences will affect students' semester grades. Students are responsible for making up any work |

| |missed due to absence. Repeated absences will result in harsher penalties, including failure. Absences are only excused if they|

| |are due to illness, religious observance or family emergencies. For courses that meet once a week, one unexcused absence will |

| |be penalized by a two percent deduction from the student’s final course grade. For courses that meet two or more times a week, |

| |the same penalty will apply to two unexcused absences. |

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| |Students observing a religious holiday during regularly scheduled class time are entitled to miss class without any penalty to |

| |their grade. This is for the holiday only and does not include the days of travel that may come before and/or after the |

| |holiday. Students must notify their professor and the Office of Academic Support in writing via email one week in advance |

| |before being absent for this purpose. Accommodations would be made to allow students who have been absent for religious reasons|

| |to make up any missed work. |

| |Requests to be excused from a class on medical grounds should go to the Student Life Coordinator. All non-medical requests must|

| |go to the Site Director and should be made in person (not by email) BEFORE the day of class. |

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|Plagiarism Policy |As the University's policy on "Academic Integrity for Students at NYU" states: "At NYU, a commitment to excellence, fairness, |

| |honesty, and respect within and outside the classroom is essential to maintaining the integrity of our community. By accepting |

| |membership in this community, students take responsibility for demonstrating these values in their own conduct and for |

| |recognizing and supporting these values in others." Students at Global Academic Centers must follow the University and school |

| |policies. |

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|Required Text(s) | |

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| |Africa Oh Ye: A Celebration of African Music BY G. Ewens (Guinness Books, UK, 1991) [ISBN 0-88112-977-3] PHOTOSTAT COPIES. |

| |African Music A Peoples Art. Francis Bebey. (Lawrence Hill, N. York, 1974) [1-55652-128-6] PHOTOSTAT |

| |African Music & African Sensibility, J. Chernoff (Chicago Univ. Press 1979) [0-226-10344-7]) PHOTOSTAT |

| |African Musical Symbolism in Contemporary Perspective, by John Collins. (Pro Business Germany 2004) [3-938262-15-X] |

| |E. T. Mensah the King of Highlife by John Collins (Anansesem Press, Accra, 1996) [9988-552-17-3] |

| |Fela: An African Musical Icon by Michael Veal (Temple Univ. Press, 2000). [1-56639-764-2] |

| |Fela: From West Africa to West Broadway ed. Trevor Schoonmaker (Palgrave/MacMillan 2003). [1-4039-6209-3] |

| |Fela: Kalakuta Notes. John Collins (Royal Tropical Institute Amsterdam, 2009). [978-9068327489] |

| |Updated expanded version published by Wesleyan University Press in 2015 [ISBN 978-8195-75339-5] |

| |Highlife Time by John Collins (Anansesem Press, Accra, 1996). [9988-522-03-3] |

| |Highlife and Nkrumah’s Independence Ethos by John Collins. Univ. of Ghana Journal of Performing Arts, Vol. 4, No. 1, pp. |

| |93-104, 2009/2010. [0855-2606] |

| |Hip Hop Africa: New African Music in a Contemporary World, ed. Eric Charry. (Indiana Univ. Press 2012) [978-0253-00575-5] |

| |Hiplife in Ghana by Halifu Osumare (Palgrave Macmillan 2012). [978-1-137-02164-9] |

| |In Griot Time, Banning Eyre (Temple University Press, US, 2000). [1-56639-758-8] |

| |In Township Tonight (S. African) David Coplan. (University of Chicago Press 2008). [13:978-0-226-11555-5] |

| |Makeba: My Story. Miriam Makeba & James Hall J. 1987. New African Library, New York. |

| |Mande Music by Eric Charry (University of Chicago Press, 2000. [0-226-10161-2] |

| |Music Makers of West Africa by John Collins (3 Continents Press/Passeggiata Press, Colorado, USA, 1985) [0-89410-076-9]. |

| |Sweet Mother by Wolfgang Bender (Trickster Verlag, 1985). [3-923804-10-5] |

| |West African Pop Roots John Collins (Temple University Press, US, 1992). [0-87722-916-3] |

| |West African Popular Theatre by K. Barber, J. Collins & A. Ricard (Indiana Univ Press/James Currey, 1997). [0-85255-244-0] |

| |World Music: A Stimulus to Ghanaian Tourism. Education and ‘Cross-Over” Musical Collaborations, by John Collins. Journal of |

| |Performing Arts, Univ. of Ghana Vol. 4, No. 2, 2011 pp. 71-80. [0855-2606] |

| |Living the Hiplife, by Jesse Shipley (Duke University Press, USA, 2013) |

| |Highlife Saturday Night by Nate Plageman ( Indiana University Press, USA, 2013) |

| |Highlife Giants: West African Dance Band Pioneers. By John Collins. (Cassava Republic Press, Abuja, Nigeria. 2016) |

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|Supplemental Texts(s) | |

|(not required to |Professor Collins will make available to the student on a CD (to put on lap-top) of many of his writing on West African popular|

|purchase as copies are|music: including books, articles, discographies and 150 music samples. Some of these are also available on his new 2010 |

|in NYU-L Library) |website at and also 70 of Prof. Collins publications are available on academia.edu (under the name E. John |

| |Collins) |

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|Internet Research | |

|Guidelines | |

|Additional Required | |

|Equipment | |

| |N/A |

|Session 1 | |

| |INTRODUCTION TO COURSE & BRIEF OVERVIEW OF GHANAIAN POPULAR MUSIC The ‘homecoming’ of black American music to Africa goes as |

| |far back as 1800 when Jamaican ‘Maroon’ freed slaves were repatriated to Freetown in Sierra Leone bringing with them goombay |

| |drumming that spread to twenty West African counties. By 1900 there were various forms of early highlife resulting from impact |

| |of black sailors and West Indian soldiers on local guitar and brass band music. Then came the impact of ragtime, jazz and Latin|

| |music (salsa) on Ghanaian dance orchestras and 1950s highlife dance bands. Afro-rock (Osibisa band) and Afro-soul/Afro beat |

| |(Fela Kuti) appeared in the 1970s. In the 1980s and 90s came ‘burger’ disco-highlife and local hip-hop or ‘hiplife’. The rise |

| |of commercial local gospel dance music and female gospel singers began in the 1970s. The economic liberalization, a return to |

| |democracy and the influx of foreign tourists, students and world music fans stimulated local Ghanaian music from the early |

| |1990s. For instance the growth of private cultural drum & dance centres and commercial folkloric/neo-traditional artists |

| |(Mustapha Tetty Addy, Pan African Orchestra, King Ayisoba, Hewale Sounds, etc) |

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|Session 2 |BRIEF SURVEY: SOUTH AFRICA. [POSS 2 LECTURES] The popular music of South Africa including the early impact of local Christian |

| |makwaiya and American spirituals and ragtime on early popular genres like marabi and kwela. The popularity of jazz and the |

| |role of ‘township’ jazz and exiled South African jazz musicians in the anti-apartheid struggle. The importance of Miriam |

| |Makeba as Africa’s first female superstar [VIDEO: AMANDLA ON MUSIC AND THE FREEING OF MANDELA] (Readings: Makeba: My Story, |

| |1987: In Township Tonight, Coplan, 2008, Ch 2-7: Africa Oh Ye: Ewens, 1991, ch 10: W. African Pop Roots, Collins, 1992, ch |

| |20) |

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|Session 3 | |

| |GHANAIAN - HIPLIFE. The Emergence of hiplife (‘hip-hop highlife’) in the mid-1990s began with Reggie Rockstone – then evolved|

| |into different sub-styles such as ‘jama hiplife’ that incorporated local ‘jama’ dance beats , Gh Rap that focuses more on |

| |lyrics, ‘contemporary highife’ that is an electronic form of highlife and various hiplife-R&B fusions such as ‘Afropop’ |

| |in which women singers are prominent. Also covered will be the the Azonto dance that is associated with ‘jama hiplife’|

| |and is a Ghanaian electronic dance-club music that surfaced around 2010 and is related to the various forms of |

| |‘afrobeats’ found in other parts of West Africa. [VIDEO: LIVING THE HIPLIFE] (Readings: Hip Hop Africa, Charry, 2012: Highlife|

| |Time, Collins, 1996, ch 34, 51: Living |

| |The Hiplife, Jesse Shipley 2013: Hiplife in Ghana, Osumare, 2012. Hip Hop Africa, Eric Charry, 2012 ch 34 ‘Contemporary |

| |Ghanaian Music since the 1980s’ by John Collins.] |

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|Session 4 | |

| |ROCK, SOUL AND AFRO-FUSION MUSIC. Progressive rock and Afro-centric soul led to an intensely experimental phase in 1970s when |

| |local African youth blended their own music with psychedelic rock, Latin rock, soul and funk. James Brown, Wilson Pickett, |

| |Tina Turner and Santana visited Ghana or Nigeria and their ‘back-to-roots’ and ‘Black and proud’ message encouraged local |

| |‘Afro’ music - like the Afro-rock of Ghana’s Osibisa band and the Afro-soul/Afro-beat of Nigeria’s Fela-Kuti (with whom John |

| |Collins worked in the 1970s). [VIDEO: FELA - MUSIC IS THE WEAPON] (Readings: Highlife Time, Collins, 1996, ch 29-31, 14 & 38: |

| |Fela: A Musical Icon, Veal, 2000: Fela: West Africa to West Broadway, Schoonmaker, 2003: Music Makers of West Africa, Collins, |

| |1985, ch 15-16: Fela: Kalakuta Notes, Collins, 2009 & 2015) |

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|Session 5 | |

| |GHANAIAN DISCO ‘BURGER’ HIGHLIFE & GOSPEL. The demise of live commercial bands and exodus of many Ghanaian musicians abroad |

| |during the 1970s/80s military era resulted in disco type ‘burger’ highlife of the 1980s invented by Ghanaian musicians |

| |(like George Darko & Daddy Lumba) residing in Germany who were influenced by the music of Michael Jackson, Donna Summers and|

| |Boney M. LOCAL GOSPEL Another result of the decline of Ghana’s music industry during the military era was that many |

| |unemployed popular artists moved into local Ghanaian churches that utilize dancing for worship. Gospel music also |

| |provided an avenue for many Ghanaian women singers some of whom have also crossed over to secular music. This compares to |

| |Black American danceable ‘hot’ gospel stars like Aretha Franklin moving into secular soul. [VIDEOS: WHO IS HIGHLIFE} |

| |(Reads: Hip Hop Africa, Charry, 2012 ch 34 ‘Contemporary Ghanaian Music Since the 1980s’ by John Collins; Collins , Ghanaian |

| |Women Enter into Popular Entertainment, Collins 2003; Highlife Time, Collins, 1996, chpts 32-34 |

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|Session 6 | |

| |TRADITIONAL AFRICAN MUSIC. The types of indigenous African instruments and the various social, political, martial and |

| |religious functions of music and performance in traditional African societies. PRACTICAL CLASS: THE POLY-RHYTHMIC AGBADZA |

| |DRUMS OF THE EWE OF THE VOLTA REGION [VIDEO; AFRICAN CROSS RHYTHMS] (Readings: African Music A Peoples Art, Bebey, 1974: |

| |Highlife Time, Collins, 1996, ch 22) |

|Session 7 | |

| |TRADITIONAL AFRICAN MUSIC The features, symbolism and philosophy of traditional African music and performance. The |

| |poly-rhythmic nature of African music; musical cycles; improvisation, the ‘blues’ note; the close link between music, dance and|

| |motion; music, masquerades and the multi-media approach; the high degree of audience participation. CONTINUING PRACTICAL |

| |CLASSES [VIDEO: WHEN THE MOMENT SINGS] (Readings: African Musical Symbolism, Collins, 2004, ch 1-2: African Music & |

| |Sensibility, Chernoff, 1979, ch 2-3) + MID TERM STUDENT TEST. DISCUSSION ON MID TERM PAPERS AND PRACTICAL CLASS ON KPANLOGO |

| |DRUMMING |

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|Session 8 | |

| |SPRING BREAK. NO CLASSES |

|Session 9 | |

| |REGGAE MUSIC . Connections between African and Jamaica is covered as is the rise of the Rastafarian faith and the emergence |

| |of reggae music from mento, ska and rocksteady. Creation of roots-reggae through Bob Marley and others influenced by the |

| |Rastafian faith. Reggae stars who visited Africa like Jimmy Cliff , Bob and Rita Marley. The African reggae stars Lucky |

| |Dube, Alpha Blondy, the Mandators, Mashek Fashek, Sonny Okosun, Kojo Antwi and Rocky Dawuni. Jamaican ragga and dancehall |

| |and its influence on Ghana is also discussed [VIDEO : HOLDING ON TO JAH] Readings: Highlife Time, Collins, 1996: ch |

| |31 & 40; Hip Hop Africa, Charry, 2012 ch 34 ‘Contemporary Ghanaian Music Since the 1980s’ |

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|Session 10 | |

| |JAZZ IN AFRICA: BALLROOM ORCHESTRAS & HIGHLIFE DANCE BANDS. Local Ghanaian elite orchestras playing ballroom music and ragtime |

| |were operating in Ghana in the early 1900s. Indeed the actual term ‘Highlife’ (i.e. high-class life) music was coined in this |

| |context. US/UK servicemen stationed in Ghana during the Second World War introduced the big-band swing style of jazz music. |

| |This gave rise in the 1950s to jazz influenced highlife dance-bands like E.T. Mensah’s Tempos with one of its members, Kofi |

| |Ghanaba (Guy Warren), moving fully into Afro-jazz. The Tempos band was the first Ghanaian highlife band to put women on stage |

| |and also was the band that introduced highlife to Nigeria. The Tempos jazzy form of highlife became the sound symbol and |

| |‘sound-track’ of the independence struggle in Ghana and Nigeria. [VIDEO: HALLELLUJAH ON GHANABA] (Readings: Highlife Time, |

| |Collins, 1996, ch 9-11 & 24: Music Makers of West Africa, Collins, 1985, ch 10: E.T. Mensah the King of Highlife, Collins, |

| |1996: Highlife and Nkrumah, Collins, 2009/2010, pp. 93-104). |

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|Session 11 | |

| |BLACK MARCHING BRASS BANDS IN AFRICA. American jazz evolved out of New Orleans marching bands that were part of the explosion |

| |of black brass bands that followed the American Civil War, when African Americans soldiers in the Union Army were trained in |

| |regimental brass band music. Likewise, Ghanaians in Cape Coast and El Mina hijacked British regimental brass band music in |

| |the 1880s to create the countries earliest form of highlife known as ‘adaha’ music. A catalyst for this was the stationing by |

| |the British of 6,000 West Indian soldiers and regimental musicians in Ghana between 1883-1901 who brought Afro-Caribbean music |

| |with them. [VIDEO: BRASS UNBOUND] (Readings: Highlife Time, Collins, 1996, ch 19: West African Pop Roots, Collins, 1992, ch 2: |

| |Highlife Time, Collins, 1996, ch 19):. Highlife Giants, Collins, 2016, ch 1 ) ighlife giants |

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| |Session 12 (April 21) NYU Accra Organized Trip to Kumasi or Northern Ghana |

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|Session 13 | |

| |BLACK SAILORS, PALMWINE GUITAR MUSIC & THE CONCERT PARTY. White and ‘Black Jack ’sailors musically linked up the world in 18th|

| |and 19th centuries. It was Liberian Kru seamen who Africanised the guitar on the high seas – which they then spread to major |

| |African port cities. In Ghana this resulted in the Fanti Osibisaaba highlife music of Cape Coast, first recorded in the 1920s. |

| |A rural form of this guitar music called ‘palmwine’ music appeared in the 1930s. In the 1950s guitar bands became linked to |

| |the concert party, a form of local popular theatre that has its roots in the ragtime, tap dancing and minstrel acts of Western |

| |vaudeville/music-hall - as well as the traditional Akan Ananse-the-Spider stories. Hundreds of concert parties were established|

| |from the 1950s that toured the country and provided the rural and urban poor with a running commentary on the attractions and|

| |perils of modern city life [VIDEO: STAGE SHAKERS OF GHANA OR KOONIMO IN THE CARIBBEAN] (Readings: W. African Popular Theatre, |

| |Barber Collins & Ricard, 1997, ch 1-3: Highlife Time, Collins, 1996, ch 1,2, 3-5 & 33: West African Pop Roots, Collins, 1992, |

| |ch 3, 16 & 18; Music Makers of West Africa, Collins, 1985, ch 2; Highlife Giants,Collins 2016 ,ch 1 ) ighlife giants |

| | |

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|Session 14 |IMPACT OF LATIN-SALSA MUSIC ON FRANCOPHONE WEST AFRICA. After the independence of French-speaking West Africa ‘Afro-Manding’|

| |popular music grew up as a fusion of traditional griot or jali music with imported Latin sounds. In Guinea during the 1960s |

| |state supported dance bands like Bembeya Jazz and Les Amazons were set up – and Mali had its Rail Band with Salif Keita. The |

| |old tradition of professional female singers as a vital component of the jali musical families provided an avenue for female |

| |popular artists [VIDEO FILM: FESTIVAL IN THE DESERT] (Readings: Africa Oh Ye, Ewens, 1991, ch 4: West African Pop Roots, |

| |Collins, 1992, ch 22: In Griot Time, Eyre, 2000, ch 3 & 10: Mande Music, Charry, 2000, ch 3 & 5) |

| | |

|Session 15 |FRANCOPHONE AFRICAN POPULAR MUSIC CONTINUED. Malian ‘Desert’ or ‘Savanna blues’ was developed by Ali Farka Toure who bridged |

| |the gap between African music and the American blues - introduced to Mali from the 1970s. Wassoulou music is a Malian style |

| |of popular music created from the 1970s by women like Sali Sabide and Oumou Sangare who hijacked male hunter’s music. Then |

| |there is Senagalese ‘mbalax’ music pioneered by Youssou n’dour and others who combined Latin dance band music with |

| |traditional Wolof dance rhythms and percussion. [VIDEO: RHYTHMS OF THE WORLD – MALI] OR PRACTICAL CLASS REVISION OF AGBADJA |

| |AND KPANLOGO DRUMMING (Readings: same as above) |

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|Session 16 |FINAL EXAM AND PRESENTATION OF TERM PAPERS |

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|Classroom Etiquette | |

| |Punctuality and politeness . No eating during lectures, and smart/cell phones and other electronic devices should be off |

| |during class lectures |

|Required Co-curricular| |

|Activities |Although drums for the practical classes are available from NYU Accra, students are encouraged to acquire their own local drums|

| |and other percussion instruments (like the astratoa) introduced to them. |

|Suggested | |

|Co-curricular |Prof Collins will from time to time suggest various musical activities his students can attend. Students are encouraged to |

|Activities |keep a diary of the various musical activities they attend, including shows, they go to, artists they meet and performance |

| |they come across travelling inside and outside of the country. This material may come in helpful when deciding on the topic |

| |of their end-of-semester paper. |

|Students with |New York University provides reasonable accommodations to students who document their disability with the Henry and Lucy Moses |

|Disabilities |Center for Students with Disabilities (CSD).  Reasonable Accommodations are adjustments to policy, practice, and programs that |

| |“level the playing field” for students with disabilities and provide equal access to NYU‘s programs and activities. Accommodation |

| |plans and other related services are individualized based on each student’s disability-related needs, disability documentation and|

| |NYU program requirements and are therefore determined on a case-by-case basis. Students who need reasonable accommodations to |

| |successfully carry out their academic work should inform the Student Life Coordinator immediately classes begin to enable her |

| |liaise with the CSD and the professor to identify and plan specific accommodations suitable for the student’s special needs. It is|

| |important to note that some accommodations are not appropriate in all courses.  |

Your Instructor

John Collins has been active in the Ghanaian/West African music scene since 1969 as a guitarist, band leader, music union activist, journalist, writer and archivist. He obtained his B.A. degree in sociology/archaeology from the University of Ghana in 1972 and his Ph.D in Ethnomusicology from SUNY Buffalo in 1994. Collins has given many radio and television broadcasts (including over 40 for the BBC) and has been a consultant for numerous films on African music. During the 1990’s Collins was Technical Director of the University of Ghana/Mainz Music Re-documentation Project, and for seven years was with the Ghana National Folklore Board of Trustees/Copyright Administration. Collins began teaching at the Music Department of the University of Ghana in 1995, obtained a Full Professorship there in 2002 and between 2003-5 was Head of Department. He naturalised as a Ghanaian in 2008. Collins is currently on post-retirement contract with the university, is manager of Bokoor Music Studio, Chairman of the BAPMAF Highlife-Music Institute and archives and a patron of the Ghana Musicians Union MUSIGA. In June 2015, he recently had his book ‘Fela: Kalakuta Notes’ (on the Nigerian Afrobeat star) published by Wesleyan University Press and ‘Highlife Giants’ published in Nigeria. He has just finished working on a text-book on ‘West African Popular Music’ for African Schools and Colleges for the CODESRIA organisation in Senegal and is currently collecting information for a book on the evolution of music from the stone-age to neolithic – with a particular focus on Africa.

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