This dynamic book takes readers on a vivid exploration into the major musical cultures of the world by first presenting a lively vignette of a musical occasion, and then placing that occasion in the context of a general description of the society and musical culture. Each chapter features a specific area of the world, written by a scholar who is a specialist in that particular geographical area. Featuring the musical cultures of such fascinating lands as India, the Middle East, Indonesia, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Latin America, it covers older rural and classical musical traditions—as well as newer urban-popular forms within a given society. For anyone who appreciates music—and is listening for a good understanding of each culture's ideas of what music is, what its powers are, how it relates to other aspects of life, and how it reflects important things about its people and their view of the world.
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