Book description, author informationBlack Music of Two Worlds is the long-awaited revision of the classic book that defined the scope of world music studies, by exploring the impact that both African and European cultures had on music of the Americas. Revised for the first time since its publication in 1972, Black Music of Two Worlds now features a new introduction and a final chapter spanning the last two decades, in addition to the thoroughly updated text. Styles that did not yet exist at the time of the first edition, such as rap, Trinidadian soca, and French Antilliean zouk, now find their place here. Defining "black music" as "music created mainly by people who call themselves black, or music containing significant elements derived from Africa, whoever plays it," the author considers a wide range of musical influences, from Yoruba cult music, to Latin bands, the Calypso of the West Indies, American soul singers, and the latest trends in contemporary African music. For over 25 years, Black Music of Two Worlds has been required reading in many courses on African-American, Latin American and Caribbean-American musical cultures.
John Storm Roberts is one of the pioneering writers on African and Latin music and author of The Latin Tinge and Latin Jazz (also from Schirmer Books).