African Music

This collection of field recordings made by ethnomusicologist Laura C. Boulton was originally issued in 1957 on Folkways Records. Recorded by Boulton during one of her expeditions to Central and West Africa, it provides a glimpse of traditional music from Sudan, Benin, Cameroon, Liberia, Mali, and Nigeria. Liner notes include a track-by-track discussion of the music, its instrumentation, and its cultural context. Some translations of lyrics are also provided.

Track Listing

101	War Song (1)	Three Malinke drummers and harpist	02:49
102	Song of Praise	Malinke xylophone orchestra during the concuba festival	01:58
103	Song for Chief	Bambara kora player	02:56
104	Dance Song	Two Bambara flutists, iron bell player, and five drummers	02:24
105	War Song (2)	Tuareg singer, tehardent (lute) player	02:24
106	Herding Song / Marriage Song / Lullaby	Two Tuareg boy singers, male soloist and 16-women chorus, Tuareg mother	03:14
201	Wrestling Match Song	Bakweri horn player at a wrestling match	02:03
202	Orphan's Wail	Bakweri musical bow player	02:31
203	Battle Signals	Kru horn players in a settlement in Lagos, Nigeria	02:19
204	Ceremonial Songs for Oba's Wives and Oba	Bini (Edo) singers and drummers	03:22
205	Secret Society Dance Song	Five Bini (Edo) drummers	02:04
206	Secret Society Drums	Five Bini (Edo) drummers	02:43