Focusing on the section “Inventing African Rhythm,” explain how Agawu argues that the concept “African rhythm” is problematic.

MUSC 110: Assignment 3 – Kofi Agawu Reading

(15 points)

Name _____________________________________________

Directions:

Read Kofi Agawu’s “The Invention of ‘African Rhythm.'” Read from the section “Inventing African Rhythm” to the end of section “The Politics of Notating African Rhythm” (pgs. 380-393). You should use the metacognition technique we learned in class, reading carefully and tracking your thinking in the margins of the text.

After reading and taking notes, answer the following questions in your own words. Do not quote the text. You will be graded on how well you can demonstrate understanding and articulate the arguments made by the author. You may handwrite or type your answers.

1.Focusing on the section “Inventing African Rhythm,” explain how Agawu argues that the concept “African rhythm” is problematic.

2. In the section “Resisting African Rhythm,” Agawu points to two errors people make when representing African musics: 1) they make it seem that “African music constitutes a homogenous body of music” and 2) they can’t “retreat from comparison.” Explain how Agawu argues each of these errors. There should be 2 answers for this section.

3. In the following “Case 1,” explain what the author means by “Lexical Gap.”

4. In “Case 2: The Politics of Notating African Rhythm,” what is the author’s argument about notation?