MUS 310 Comparative History of African American Musics

3 hours 

This course will explore how the musical histories of four important areas of the African diaspora in the Americas (Cuba, the United States, Brazil, and Haiti) have been shaped by the intersections of history, economics, race, gender, and the legacy of slavery from the 15^th century to the present. The course will use an ethno-musicological approach to sound and video recordings and examine how African-American musics reflect important historical and social forces in the Americas, and how these musics connect to Africa and conceptions of Africa in the Americas.