Meki Nzewi and the discourse of African musicology: a 70th birthday appreciation

Abstract

This article offers a critical appreciation of the contributions of Nigerian ethnomusicologist, composer and scholar, Meki Nzewi, to the scholarly discourse on African music. It identifies a number of recurring themes in Nzewi’s work (notably the human-centredness of African music making), comments on Nzewi’s language, method and manner (including the Africa-centredness of his overall stance), and points to the resonance of Nzewi’s ideas and formulations within the context of postcolonial writing on Africa.

Journal of the Musical Arts in Africa Volume 5 2008, 1–18