Bikutsi
A Beti Dance Music on the Rise, 1970-1990
by Anja Brunner
Hardback (Published)
(September 2021)
ISBN: 9781781797853
Price: $95.00
On back order
This book offers the first ethnographically informed, in-depth historical study of the Cameroonian popular music genre bikutsi. The thriving dance music in Cameroon’s day-to-day life has its foundation in the specific historical processes of the 1970s and 1980s, which led to the recognition of bikutsi as a distinct genre of Cameroonian dance music. Examining these processes in detail, this book analyses the various factors involved in the rise of a popular music genre within a national music scene.
This book offers the first ethnographically informed, in-depth historical study of the Cameroonian popular music genre bikutsi. The thriving dance music in Cameroon’s day-to-day life has its foundation in the specific historical processes of the 1970s and 1980s, which led to the recognition of bikutsi as a distinct genre of Cameroonian dance music. Examining these processes in detail, this book analyses the various factors involved in the rise of a popular music genre within a national music scene. The book begins by tracing the roots of bikutsi in the musical traditions of the ethnic groups of the Beti who live in and around Cameroon’s capital Yaounde, as well as in the manifold popular dance music practices fashionable in mid-20th-century Cameroon. The volume then considers the musical work of successful groups and musicians, framing their musical practices and success within the socio-political circumstances, musical environment, and ambitions of individuals. Offering an explanation for the changes in Cameroon’s musical life, these analyses illustrate the interplay between the innovative ambitions of individual musicians, a specific political situation within the power structure of the post-colonial state, dedicated individuals in media and the music market, and technological changes in recording and disseminating music.
Notes to the Reader Acknowledgements / Remerciements 1 Introduction: Putting Bikutsi in Context 2 The Sound of Yaounde in the 1970s 3 Women's Song-and-Dance-Pieces: The 'Original' Bikutsi 4 Bikutsi on the Mə
ndzaŋ
: Dance Music on Xylophone Ensembles 5 Musical Changes towards Beti Music by Modern Dance Bands in Yaounde in the 1970s 6 Performing Beti 'Village' Music: The Bikutsi of Les Veterans 7 Bikutsi in the 1980s: Political Change, Diversification, the Use of Television and Les Tetes Brulees 8 Conclusion: Bikutsi Shifts
- By (author) Anja Brunner
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