World Music: The Rough Guide, First Edition - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1858280176 ISBN 13: 9781858280172

Publisher: Rough Guides, 1994

Synopsis

Divided by region and subregion, this volume examines the indigenous music of different countries, its current status, major performers, and special instruments

About this title

Review:

Once you start flipping through World Music, there's no stopping. Unlike other genres, world music spans so huge a territory (the world) that there are surprises and new pleasures for everyone. The table of contents sets the tone. Laid out as a map of the world, the chapters are located directly on the map. This is followed, however, by a traditional table of contents, laid out in linear 1 to 13 format for those who don't go for the visual approach. However you chose your dive-in point, you won't be disappointed. A tremendous amount of work has gone into this guide, covering a remarkable number of subgenres and groups. Search for a group you've heard of, read up on a specific genre like klezmer or flamenco, get CD recommendations, or troll for new finds like Altan, the Irish band of the '90s, and Ibrahim Tatlises, the premier Kurdish performer. There's a wealth of sounds out there that Rough Guide makes accessible. --Stephanie Gold

From Booklist:

Popular music is drawing inspiration from literally the four corners of the earth, in turn creating a pool of listeners for the artists of those countries. The Virgin Directory of World Music [RBB Ja 1 93] began introducing listeners to them, and now authors of the Rough Guide travel series have expanded on the theme. Divided into regional chapters and then subregions, the text explores the history of indigenous or traditional music and its current status and permutations. Individual bands and performers are described within the text, and such performers as Mari Boine, a Sami performer, and King Sunny Ade{‚} of Nigeria are highlighted in sidebars. Other sidebars cover special instruments such as the Uillean pipes, genres such as Taarab, glossaries of important terms, or lists of festivals. Annotated discographies end each subsection. Some countries not included in the narrative are given space in the discographies (e.g., Denmark). The text has a breezy conversational flow. Topics covered range from India's movie-music industry to Hungarian and Gypsy music to Klezmer's comeback. Black-and-white photographs, both historic and contemporary, dot the book. The guide's closing information includes a list of the credentials of contributors and an index. There isn't a bibliography, because much of the information was gathered while the contributors traveled, which also accounts for the personal flavor of the entries.

World Music works well to update the smaller Virgin Directory, the author of which is also a contributor to the new work. This highly readable book will prove popular in high-school, public, and undergraduate libraries.

About this edition

• Publisher: Rough Guides
• Publication date: 1994
• ISBN 10: 1858280176
• ISBN 13: 9781858280172
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 720
• Editor: Broughton Simon, Trillo Richard