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Juju

A Social History and Ethnography of an African Popular Music

Now known internationally through the recordings of King Sunny Ade and others, juju music originated more than fifty years ago among the Yoruba of Nigeria. This history and ethnography of juju is the first detailed account of the evolution and social significance of a West African popular music. Enhanced with maps, color photographs of musicians and dance parties, musical transcriptions, interviews with musicians, and a glossary of Yoruba terms, Juju is an invaluable contribution to scholarship and a boon to fans who want to discover the roots of this vibrant music.

285 pages | 4 color plates, 24 halftones, 18 musical examples, 4 maps | 6.00 x 9.00 | © 1990

Chicago Studies in Ethnomusicology

Anthropology: Cultural and Social Anthropology

Music: Ethnomusicology

Reviews

"What's most impressive about Juju is how much Waterman makes of his purism. By concentrating on one long- lived, well-defined genre, he helps the Western reader experience 'rock' the way any proud Yoruba would—as a tributary of African music rather than vice versa."

Robert Christgau | The Village Voice

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Technical Notes
1. Introduction
2. Sákárà, Asíkò, Highlife, and Palmwine: Lagosian Popular Music between the World Wars
3. Early Jùjú Music (1932-1948)
4. The Development of Modern Jùjú (1948-1982)
5. The Social Organization and Contexts of Jùjú Performance in Ibadan
6. The Aesthetics and Social Dynamics of Jùjú Performance at the Yoruba àríyá
7. Jùjú Music and Inequality in Modern Yoruba Society
Appendix: Roster of Ibadan-Based Jùjú and Fuji Bands
Notes
Glossary of Yoruba Terms
Bibliography
Index

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