Africa South of the Sahara

This 1957 compilation attempts to provide a musical overview of the entire SubSaharan region, and also represents the scholarly contribution of American ethnomusicologist Alan P. Merriam (1923 1980) to the Folkways catalog. Merriam, who is best remembered for the book The Anthropology of Music, produced the album and provided an essay and track notes. This title went a long way towards dispelling prejudices and misconceptions listeners of the time may have had about African music. Merriam wrote, “The African music system works by its own rules and satisfies those who play it and sing it; it is neither necessarily older nor younger nor better nor worse.”
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Release Info
Catalog Number(s)
Year(s) Released
Label(s)/Collection(s)
Country(s)
Instrument(s)
Language(s)
Recording Era(s)
Credit(s)
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Wolof Music of Senegal and the Gambia
Various Artists
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Folk Music of Ethiopia
Various Artists
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Music of the Dagomba from Ghana
Various Artists
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Diviners' songs and praise songs of the Mpondo
Various Artists