Emblems of the African Musical Postcolony: Music and the Interrogation of Power in Africa

Abstract The power of African music to critically engage with new experiences is demonstrated in its ongoing responsiveness to the historical and power dynamics of colonialism. The overlaps between precolonial, colonial, and post-colonial periods in terms of the social and political experiences that define them provide the context for my analysis of what I call the African musical postcolony. By linking musical form, styles, and biographies to social and political developments, I show how the complex and overlapping relationships between the different phases of African history are reflected in the ways in which African musicians engage with issues of power and the politics of difference.