Rough Guide to World Music Volume One: Africa, Europe & The Middle East (Paperback)

by Simon Broughton (Author), Mark Ellingham (Author) "The Albanians in the Balkans are divided between the Republic of Albania (3.2 mil) on the Adriatic Sea and the republics of former Yugoslavia (about..." (more)
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Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal
These eye-popping volumes, which omit the glossaries but otherwise update and expand to twice the size the marvelous single-volume 1994 edition (LJ 1/95), give general audiences over 160 articles on pop, folk, and non-Western classical musical traditions from nearly every country in the world and many borderless ethnic groups or national musical subdivisions. (Jazz and much of U.S. commercially popular music are not included.) The articles, written in British English by more than 100 contributors and delivered with opinionated snap and multicultural spice, provide historical background, cultural context, interviews with musicians, quotations from lyrics, discographies (including CDs, some highlighted for "first purchase"; cassette tapes; and a few vinyl discs), and black-and-white photos of selected musicians. Each volume includes information on contributors (a mix of scholars, journalists, producers, and fans), a directory of record labels and shops, ads for recordings and magazines, and many references to web sites. Highly recommended for public libraries and for any music library as a guide to recorded sound collection building.ABonnie Jo Dopp, Univ. of Maryland Libs., College Park
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
"A great reference book . . . reading it feels like a treasure hunt for good grooves"

STRAIGHT NO CHASER

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Product Details

• Paperback: 762 pages
• Publisher: Rough Guides; 2nd edition (February 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1858286352
• ISBN-13: 978-1858286358
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.6 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #700,589 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A superb survey of African, European & Middle East music., June 4, 2000

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

World Music appeared in 1994 and became a fine resource: here is the first volume of a 2-volume edition; this first volume covering Africa, Europe and the Middle East with expanded musical references, over 80 articles from experts, extensive discographies organized by country and photos and directors of world music labels and specialty stores. An outstanding reference and a 'must' for avid world music listeners. Don't miss the Rough Guide Music Sampler CD, which provides a satisfyingly diverse sampler of some of the most famous names in world music from Carlos Gardel's tangos to Inti-Illimani's Andean sounds and the Soul Brothers' special South African beats.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for experts, good for beginners, April 8, 2000

By	Stephen Leahy (Appleton, WI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This book's scope is its strength. Not only do you get chapters on Scotland, Ivory Coast, and Egypt, but also Greenland, Alpine Music, islands in the Indian Ocean, and the Gulf states. Geared more toward the musician or the academic, beginners also can find this valuable. Its weaknesses include the uneveness of the contributions. Some include detailed histories of cultures, others focus on the local scene. Also, some music is determined to be world music in some chapters; in others is not. For example, Greenlandic rap is world music in Greenland, but only French regional music is included here. Also, I noted that music that supported oppressive governments in the Soviet Union and Serbia received only passing mentions. On the whole, I would recommend this book to academics, musicians looking for new sounds, or people trying to learn more about other cultures. (P.S. Please include the publication date in your discographies!)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A World Music Bonanza, April 19, 2000

By	David Kleist - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am biased: I love the Rough Guide series of CDs. They have opened my ears and mind to worlds I not only never knew existed but also couldn't have imagined. This revision and expansion of the original Rough Guide to World Music is dazzling in its diversity. I agree with the first reviewer about its strengths and weaknesses. However, if you love the exploration of music and are willing to acknowledge that no encyclopedic work can but scratch surfaces, you'll love this book.