Courses

Selected themes in Pre-colonial African history: foundations of human settlement, the impact of religions, trade, state formation. The course will cover various regional developments from antiquity to the eve of European conquest.

This course provides a study of music composed by black Americans. Topics include the origin and development of musical styles expressed in Negro spirituals, calypso, gospel music and jazz. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate a knowledge, understanding and an aural perception of the stylistic characteristics of Afro-American music.

Paul Gilroy’s The Black Atlantic: Modernity and Double Consciousness (1995) explores the global Black experience and Black identity formations through a transatlantic frame. Gilroy’s thesis argues that contemporary black identity constructions are a result of ongoing processes of travel and exchange between Africa, Europe, and the ‘New World’ during earlier periods of capital accumulation (transatlantic slavery and colonialism).

This course is an experimental ensemble of flexible size and instrumentation that specializes in advanced arranging, performance, and improvisation involving Afro-Caribbean styles and rhythms. An audition is required for placement in this ensemble. (MULT).

The fundamentals of playing and teaching Afro- Cuban Drums. Topics will cover history and knowledge of styles of the various Afro-Cuban percussion instruments. (MULT).

This course teaches the fundamentals of playing and teaching Afro- Cuban drums. Topics will cover history and knowledge of styles of the various Afro-Cuban percussion instruments.

History and cultures of the Black Diaspora in Latin America from colonization through the twentieth century; social, political, cultural, and economic impact of Africans and their descendants on the region; emphasis on race, culture, citizenship, and identity.

This course examines the black experience in Latin American history and society from the time of slavery to the present day and will look specifically at slavery and race relations; sociocultural and political activities among Afro-Latin Americans and the implications of these manifestations of Afro identity for issues pertaining to national identity; consequences of the black presence; and the contributions of Africans and people of African descent to the development of Latin American

The diverse cultures of many Latin American nations will be discussed with a focus on the descendants of Africa in the Americas. Slavery will be discussed during the colonial and independence periods. Black identity and cultural forms will be discussed through the writers, musicians, and filmmakers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Parallels and connections will be drawn to race and history in the United States. Conducted in Spanish.

The diverse cultures of many Latin American nations will be discussed with a focus on the descendants of Africa in the Americas. Slavery will be discussed during the colonial and independence periods. Black identity and cultural forms will be discussed through the writers, musicians, and filmmakers of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Parallels and connections will be drawn to race and history in the United States. Conducted in Spanish.