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Acknowledgments Many foundations, organizations, institutions, and people are responsible for helping me write this book and bring it to closure. Several foundations and institutions financially supported my research in West Africa. Among these are the Ford Foundation, the United States Department of Education, and many units at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), my home institution: the Academic Senate, the Institute of American Culture/Ralph Bunche Center for Afro-American Studies, and the International Studies Overseas Program (now known as the International Institute)/the James C. Coleman African Studies Center. Without the assistance of staff at libraries and research centers in West Africa and the United States, this project would not have been completed. In Ghana, these include the Institute of African Studies, the International Centre for African Music and Dance, libraries at the University of Ghana, Legon, and the Ghanaian Broadcasting Center. In Nigeria, these include the Centre for Nigerian Cultural Studies of Ahmadu Bello University, Linguistic Studies at Abudullai Bayero College, the School of Music of Kano State, and the Ministry of Information and Cultural Affairs in Kano. In the United States, these include several units at UCLA (the Ethnomusicology Archive, the Music Library, the Office of Instructional Development and Photographic Services, the College Library, and the Charles E. Young Research Library) and Indiana University’s Archive of Traditional Music in Bloomington. My deepest gratitude goes to the many musicians who shared information about their culture, lives, and work experiences. In Ghana, these include Aruatu Gondze, Sulemana Iddrisu, Salifu Issah, and Alhassan Iddi Sulemana of Yendi; Abu Gondze of Tamale; Alhassan Gondze and members of his family in Savelugu; Iddrisu Gondze of Tampion; Salisu Lali of Bimbilla; Salisu Mahama of Legon/Accra; and Abubakari Salifu Meiregah of Bimbilla/Accra. In Nigeria, I interviewed Haruna Bande, Balan Na Bassa, Usman Garba, Mamman Landi, Garba Liyo, Umarun Mayani, Ibrahim Mohammadan, Momman Nabarau, Musa Dan Gado Saminaka, and Ahmadu Samunaka. In Senegambia, I interviewed Salif Badjie, Samba Juma Bah, Majaw Bai, Mamadou Baldeh, Maulday Baldeh, Seiniwa Baldeh, Ebrima Barry, Juldeh Camara, Ousainou Chaw, Jansewo Jallow, Ngansumana Jobateh, Nyega Kandeh, and Tamba Kandeh. Throughout my research in West Africa, numerous individuals assisted by identifying people to interview, translating song texts, providing me with information about their culture, or welcoming me as a guest in their homes. In Ghana, I am indebted to Fuseini Abdullahi, Chester Amevuvor, Esther Appiah, Shine Attitsogbui and family,Patsy Dowuna-Hammond,M.Iddi,J. H.Kwabena Nketia and family, Sulemana Salisua, Abdullahi Yakubu, and staff in Mensah Sarbah Hall at the University of Ghana, Legon, and at Alhassan Hotel in Tamale . In Nigeria, there were Ibrahim Abdullahi, Sheyu U. Aliyu, Peter Badejo, Fremont E. Besmer, Michael Crowder, Akin Euba, Ibraheem A. Garba, Gershon and Ruth Guyit and family, Benji Ishaku, Mohammad Kassim Hassan, Mallam Awwal Ibrahim,SalihuY.Ingawa,Yusuf Isa,Benji Ishaku,Maikudi Karaye,Toro Karunwi, Auwalu Landi, Shehu Garba Liyo, J. O. Olayiwola, Mosun OmibiyiObidike , Duro Oni and family, Joke A. Sanni, Tunji Vidal, Jim and Sue Vilée, Mohammed Zubairu, and staff at the Royal Tropicana Hotel in Kano. In Senegambia , I am indebted to Matarr Baldeh, Buba Kandeh and family, Mamma Kandeh and family, Sidia Jatta, Bakari Sidibe, Mohammed Sissoho, and the family of Papa Susso. In the United States, several individuals assisted by reading portions of the manuscript, making suggestions about sources and people to contact, or helping with the translations of song texts. Among these include Kwashi Amevuvor and family, Lois Anderson, Donna Armstrong,Akayaa Atule, Francis Awe, Eric Charry, Michael Coolen, Christopher Ehret, Brian Eisenberg, Veit Erlmann, David Fuller, Dieynaba Gaye, Gloria J. Gibson, Maina Gimba, Roderic Knight, Lynn Kostman, David Martinelli, Eddie Meadows, Abdoulaye Oumar, Karin Patterson, Jihad Racy, Daniel B. Reed, Russell Schuh,Aliyu Moddibbo Umar, Carol Card Wendt, and Lawan Danladi Yalwa. Several students and staff members in the UCLA Department of Ethnomusicology assisted by conducting library research, reading portions of the manuscript , and helping with the musical transcriptions, translations, and permissions : Ric Alviso, Paul Humphreys, Jean Kidula, Brian Schrag and family, Alissa Simon, and Kathleen Noss Van Buren. I am deeply grateful to the editors at Indiana University Press (Miki Bird, Linda Oblack, Jane Behnken, Suzanne Ryan, Gayle Sherwood, and especially Donna Wilson) who encouraged and supported me. To the anonymous referees who critically assessed early drafts of the manuscript and offered helpful insights and comments, I thank you. Finally, my immense gratitude goes to my mentor, J. H. Kwabena Nketia, who initially proposed my research on...

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