User:Jrlareau

I'm looking to create a number of articles on various traditional West African musical genres. I have spent over 15 years researching this music, much of which little information is easily accessible to the researcher. I do not claim that I am the ultimate authority on any article I write. First, although I learned the material I present as an active participant observer, I am coming from a different culture and have had to overcome significant cultural barriers. In certain situations this has been helpful. As a foreigner I have been given certain leeway that might not have been granted to some one from these cultural groups. However, many were the times when linguistic and local customs led to a loss in information translation.

Second, and arguably the more significant, these genres evolve like the languages, customs, and traditions they embody. As I write this I know that many of the songs and rhythms I learned, those that formed the bulk of my masters thesis in Ethnomusicology, have either changed slightly (e.g. rhythmically, melodically) or fallen out of fashion and are not performed with the frequency they once were.

Therefore, in light of the above, and in no small part of my own joy and interest in the subject, I continually research into new genres and seek clarification on previously learned genres and will update the articles I write on an as needed basis.