Fiddling in West Africa: Touching the Spirit in Fulbe, Hausa, and Dagbamba Cultures

Fiddling has had a lengthy history in Africa which has long been ignored.
Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje corrects this oversight with an expansive study on
fiddling in the Fulbe, Hausa, and Dagbamba cultures of West Africa. DjeDje not only
explains the history of the instrument itself, but also discusses the processes of
stylistic transference and adaptation, suggesting how these may have contributed to
differing performance practices. Additionally, DjeDje delves into the music, the
performance context, the musicians behind the fiddle, the meaning of the instrument,
and its use in these three cultures. This detailed work helps the reader understand
and appreciate three little-known musical cultures in West Africa and the fiddle's
influence upon them.