The African Music Special Interest Group is pleased to invite submissions for this weblog, which, along with the mailing list, serves as a central communication site for members. Any items of interest to members of the Special Interest Group, including conference announcements, calls for abstracts, events, descriptions of research or publications, and similar newsworthy items, can be sent to the web master, Nicol Hammond, at africanmusicictm (at) gmail (dot) com, and/or posted directly to the mailing list by sending an email to ictmamsg (at) googlegroups (dot) com, or by visiting the google group at http://groups.google.com/group/ictmamsg. You can join the google group by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/ictmamsg.

Friday 26 October 2012

Obituary: Dr. william Komla Amoaku (1940 - 2012)



Dear Friends,
 
Please find below information sent to us by Dr. George W. K. Dor about the passing away of our dear colleague and friend, Dr. William Komla Amoaku (1940 - 2012).
 
Dr. William Komla Amoaku received his PhD in Ethnomusicology from the University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA with Professor Fela Sowande as his Dissertation Advisor in 1975; earned his Master of Music in Musicology from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; studied under Carl Orff at Orff Institute, Salzburg, Austria (1967).
 
He was the Executive Director of the Ghana National Theatre, and he earlier held teaching and/or administrative positions at Central State University, California, among others.
 
The burial and final funeral rites for the late Prof. Amoaku will be held on Saturday, October 27, 2012 in Ho, Volta Region, Ghana.
 
Contact persons for further information about funeral arrangements are Professor Kofi Agawu (kagawu@princeton.edu) and Professor Kofi Anyidoho (k.anyidoho@gmail.com) [in Ghana].
 
For further details of his life and to express condolences, please Google any of the following information:
1) Prof William Komla Amoaku PhD. (1940 - 2012) - ForeverMissed.com
2) Memories of Prof William Komla Amoaku. PhD. (1940 - 2012)
3) Dr. William Komla Amoaku - Homepage - Legacy Memorial
4) Dr. Amoaku's Memorial Website
 
"Let your minds enter into the psychic corridors of traditional Africa and rediscover the true beauty of its art forms. Only then will your perceptions about African music be holistic and meaningful." —William Komla Amoaku.
 
May His Soul Rest in Perfect Peace.

Tuesday 3 April 2012

Submissions

The African Music Special Interest Group is pleased to invite submissions for this weblog, which, along with the mailing list, serves as a central communication site for members. Any items of interest to members of the Special Interest Group, including conference announcements, calls for abstracts, events, descriptions of research or publications, and similar newsworthy items, can be sent to the web master, Nicol Hammond, at africanmusicictm (at) gmail (dot) com, and/or posted directly to the mailing list by sending an email to ictmamsg (at) googlegroups (dot) com, or by visiting the google group at http://groups.google.com/group/ictmamsg. You can join the google group by visiting http://groups.google.com/group/ictmamsg.

Thursday 15 March 2012

Proposed Elimination of the Center for Black Music Research at Columbia College in Chicago

Posted on behalf of Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje:
If you have not heard, the Center for Black Music Research (CBMR) at Columbia College in Chicago may be eliminated because of lack of funding.

If you click on the link below, you will find a statement providing more details. At the end of the statement, there is a sample letter that individuals can use they would like to send communication to Columbia College administrators requesting that they find ways to save CBMR.


http://www.soul4sale.org/2012/03/07/call-for-action-help-save-the-center-for-black-music-research/


For additional information, please read the following:

-----Original Message-----
From: Nelson-Strauss, Brenda [mailto:bnelsons@INDIANA.EDU]
Sent: Tuesday, March 06, 2012 11:18 AM
Subject: Chicago's Center for Black Music Research targeted for elimination

Yesterday the Chicago Tribune ran an article by Howard Reich, "A Blow to Black Music in Chicago," outlining Columbia College Interim Provost Louise Love's recommendations to eliminate a number of programs, including the Center for Black Music Research and the Chicago Jazz Ensemble:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-ent-0306-columbia-closings-20120305,0,4402331.column

Another report was released yesterday by Columbia College:

http://columbiachronicle.com/interim-provost-ranks-programs-proposes-new-departments/

As Reich points out, "No other institution on the planet studies, archives, documents, disseminates, records and performs music from the vast diaspora of African-American culture as comprehensively as the Center for Black Music Research. And precious few ensembles in America regularly perform jazz orchestral works - historic and brand new - as brilliantly or innovatively as the Chicago Jazz Ensemble."   In addition to archival holdings and many fine publications, the CBMR has also hosted conferences in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., New Orleans, St. Louis, and Trinidad and Tobago, and recently organized symposiums on Michael Jackson and Ray Charles.

Part of the problem seems to lie in Columbia College's administrative structure- the CBMR and CJE fall under the Office of Academic Research, rather than the Music Department. Perhaps saner minds will prevail now that the report has been made public, and the programs will be folded into the Music Department. Meanwhile, anyone wishing to write letters in support of the CBMR can address them to:


Louise Love, Ph.D.
Vice President for Academic Affairs/Interim Provost llove@colum.edu<mailto:llove@colum.edu<mailto:llove@colum.edu%3cmailto:llove@colum.edu>>


Eliza Nichols, Ph.D.
Dean, School of Fine & Performing Arts
enichols@colum.edu<mailto:enichols@colum.edu<mailto:enichols@colum.edu%3cmailto:enichols@colum.edu


And here is the link to the main CBMR website: http://www.colum.edu/CBMR//index.php<http://www.colum.edu/CBMR/index.php<http://www.colum.edu/CBMR/index.php%3chttp:/www.colum.edu/CBMR/index.php>>


Brenda Nelson-Strauss
Archives of African American Music & Culture Indiana University
2805 E. 10th Street, Suite 180
Bloomington, IN 47408
www.blackgrooves.org<http://www.blackgrooves.org>
http://www.indiana.edu/~aaamc/
bnelsons@indiana.edu<mailto:bnelsons@indiana.edu>

Sunday 4 March 2012

ICTM online bulletin

Alvin Petersen, the secretary of the African Music Study Group of the ICTM, is seeking submissions on any African music initiative that might be of interest to the members of the ICTM. If members have completed dissertations/books/articles in journals, etc. these could also be listed in the bulletin. Please contact him directly, or leave a comment on this post if you have any items for submission.

Monday 19 December 2011

BAPMAF

Our members may by now know that John Collins' BAPMAF archive in Accra was seriously damaged by floods in October. The loss of many valuable items is a tragedy, however more items remain at risk as John struggles to recover and restore his property.
Please read more about the archives and the floods at the Afropop blog
John also read a fascinating paper at the IASPM conference in Grahamstown in July, and his paper is available on Philip Tagg's website

Sunday 24 July 2011

Call for Abstracts:

Funds have been secured to publish selected papers presented at the 2009 and 2011 ICTM conferences on the music and dance of Africa. Therefore we are soliciting abstracts for papers from ICTM participants and other Africanists on the following suggested themes:
    a) Music and Dance
    b) Gender
    c) Transmission
    d) Modernity
    e) Popular Music
    f) Art Music
    g) Diaspora
Abstracts should be 250 words and are due 8 August 2011. Abstracts should be emailed as a .doc or .rtf attachment to africanmusicictmpublications@gmail.com. If your abstract is selected, you will need to submit a paper of 8 000 - 10 000 words by 17 October 2011. Articles will be peer reviewed by an editorial committee, and the collection will be publishes in early 2012.

Tuesday 19 July 2011

Draft Constitution

Dear Study Group members,
As promised, here is the draft constitution for your perusal and comments. Please post your suggestions, thoughts and ideas below in the comments, and please include your real name if at all possible so that we can keep track of contributions. Please email me if you have any difficulties. The deadline for comments is midnight, 2 August 2011. We look forward to hearing from you.


Proposed African Musics Study Group of the International Council for Traditional Music

DRAFT CONSTITUTION

1        Mission Statement

The key function of the African Musics Study Group (AMSG) shall be to promote, preserve disseminate and protect African musics and dance in all their aspects, functions and geographical locations, in Africa and in the diaspora; with a particular emphasis on indigenous/traditional African musics in sub-Saharan and diasporic Africa.

2        Organizational Plan

2.1     Executive Committee

All members of the Executive Committee shall be bona fide members of ICTM.

The Executive Committee shall comprise a Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, Treasurer and Vice-Treasurer.

All members of the Executive Committee shall serve 2 terms of 2 years.  The present Executive Committee’s term begins July 2011.

2.2     Responsibilities of the Executive Committee:

2.2.1  Chair

The Chair serves as liaison between the AMSG and the Executive Board of ICTM. The other key tasks include the following:

  • Co-ordinate and chair the AMSG meetings;
  • Report on the activities of the AMSG to the Executive Board of ICTM through the Secretary General;
  • Prepare quarterly reports to members of the Study Group;
  • Ensure that the Rules and Memorandum of the Study Groups as set out by ICTM are observed.
  • Sets the agenda for both Executive Committee meetings and General Assembly in consultation with the Vice-Chair and Secretary

2.2.2  Vice-Chair

The Vice Chair shall deputize for the Chair
  • Co-ordinate fundraising and publication activities
  • Supervise the activities of the sub-committees
  • Assures quality and manages disciplinary matters


2.2.3    Secretary
The Secretary shall serve as communications officer to both the Executive Committee and members of the AMSG
  • Schedule meetings of the Executive Committee in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair
  • Distributes the agenda for both the Executive Committee and the AMSG
  • Records and distributes minutes of meetings within two weeks of the meeting date after approval of the Chair and Vice-Chair
  • Prepare study group report for the ICTM bulletin in consultation with the Chair and Vice-Chair of the AMSG

2.2.4  The Treasurer shall:
  • Be in charge of all financial matters concerning the AMSG.
  • Submit quarterly statements of accounts to the Executive Committee. Submit annual financial reports to an auditor
  • The Treasurer and Chair are to open a bank account bearing the name African Music Study Group, with the Chair, Treasurer and Vice-Treasurer as co-signatories. Each transaction must include the signature of either the Chair or the Treasurer and one other signatory.

2.2.4    Deputy Treasure shall deputize for the Treasurer
  • In consultation with the Treasurer shall spearhead fundraising.

2.3    Members
·        Members shall pay membership dues as set annually by the Executive Committee
·        Members shall be encouraged to be bona fide members of the ICTM
·        Members shall have voting rights within the AMSG
·        Members are entitled to serve on the executive committee

2.4    Co-options
·        Members shall be co-opted to undertake various tasks as deemed necessary by the Executive Committee
·        Co-options to be supervised by the Vice-Chair

3           Subcommittees
Each sub-committee will be chaired by one or two members of the Executive Committee
·        Publications – Patricia Opondo, Marie Agatha Ozah
·        Fundraising – Mandy Carver, Marie Agatha Ozah
·        Collaboration and Patnerships – Rose Omolo-Ongati
·        Website – Alvin Petersen