{"product_id":"rumba-rules-9780822340911","title":"Rumba Rules","description":"\u003cb\u003eBook Synopsis\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMobutu Sese Seko, who ruled Zaire from 1965 until 1997, was fond of saying \"happy are those who sing and dance,\" and his regime energetically promoted the notion of culture as a national resource. This title deals with political leadership, social mobility, and what it meant to be a bon chef (good leader) in Mobutu's Zaire.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTrade Review\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRumba Rules: The Politics of Dance Music in Mobutu’s Zaire\u003c\/i\u003e by Bob W. White should be a welcome addition to the library of any fan of Congolese music. This book has descriptive passages that give a delicious insight into the everyday workings of a modern Kinshasa \u003ci\u003eorchestre\u003c\/i\u003e. Furthermore there is some fascinating information and research that helps explain how Congolese music sits within the national culture and everyday social life of the Congolese people. The book can be justifiably described as an essential read for anyone wishing to gain an extended appreciation of the Congo, its politics and its quirky obsession with music.” - Martin Sinnock, \u003ci\u003eThe Beat\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“White's poignant research and heavily-referenced text showcases a rather complex and dynamic musical historiography and ethnography of Zaire's (now Congo's) musicians. . . . [A]n in-depth guide to the music and society of a people transformed and shaped by political policies and pressures. The text contains an extensive notes section, bibliography, small discography, and index. Scholars and students of African music with Congolese interests would benefit most from the text’s information. Yet, it is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in music.” - Matthew J. Forss, \u003ci\u003eCallaloo\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A] pioneering study of its subject.” - \u003cb\u003eTed Smith\u003c\/b\u003e,\u003ci\u003e Montreal Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[A]n important source of information about one of the most celebrated genres of dance music in Africa. Highly recommended.” - \u003cb\u003eKazadi wa Mukuna,\u003c\/b\u003e \u003ci\u003eChoice\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“[F]ascinating, even enthralling.” - \u003cb\u003eRobert Christgau\u003c\/b\u003e, \u003ci\u003eBarnes and Noble Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRumba Rules\u003c\/i\u003e is a really exciting book, definitely worthy of the ‘groundbreaking’ and ‘sorely needed’ labels it is bound to attract. It is full of the basics and the nuances; deeply informative about a place, a scene, a local history, and lived realities; and deeply accountable to debates and discussions about how popular culture encodes a feeling of and for modernity.”—\u003cb\u003eSteven Feld\u003c\/b\u003e, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and Music, University of New Mexico\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRumba Rules\u003c\/i\u003e ties dance music to dictatorship, band leaders to politicians, in ways that are sensitive to the struggles of Congolese musicians and their fans in Kinshasa. Bob W. White neither diminishes the artistry and entertainment value of musical performances nor over-determines their role in political culture. This is a book that finely theorizes the relationship between aesthetics and political culture through vivid and often amusing storytelling.”—\u003cb\u003eLouise Meintjes\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eSound of Africa! Making Music Zulu in a South African Studio\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What began with an extraordinary feat of immersion into Kinshasa’s music scene toward the end of Mobutu’s regime has been honed and crafted into a study of Congolese popular culture and politics that is bound to become a classic. A feat of ethnography and a much-needed ray of hope in these messy and tragic times.”—\u003cb\u003eJohannes Fabian\u003c\/b\u003e, author of \u003ci\u003eMemory against Culture: Arguments and Reminders\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e“What an enchanting ethnographic study! This book deserves to be widely read. . . . My comments on this book are based on my understanding of its significance in terms of the contribution it makes to debates within the field of cultural anthropology, in particular the anthropology of performance, the anthropological study of music, political anthropology and the anthropology of popular culture. . . . It was indeed a joy to read. Right now I am going to go out to buy a Congolese music CD to dance to!” -- Rosita Henry * The Australian Journal of Anthropology *\u003cbr\u003e“\u003ci\u003eRumba Rules: The Politics of Dance Music in Mobutu’s Zaire\u003c\/i\u003e by Bob W. White should be a welcome addition to the library of any fan of Congolese music. This book has descriptive passages that give a delicious insight into the everyday workings of a modern Kinshasa \u003ci\u003eorchestre\u003c\/i\u003e. Furthermore there is some fascinating information and research that helps explain how Congolese music sits within the national culture and everyday social life of the Congolese people. The book can be justifiably described as an essential read for anyone wishing to gain an extended appreciation of the Congo, its politics and its quirky obsession with music.” -- Martin Sinnock * Beat *\u003cbr\u003e“[A] pioneering study of its subject.” -- Ted Smith * Montreal Review of Books *\u003cbr\u003e“Fascinating, even enthralling.” -- Robert Christgau * Barnes and Noble Review *\u003cbr\u003e“White's poignant research and heavily-referenced text showcases a rather complex and dynamic musical historiography and ethnography of Zaire's (now Congo's) musicians. . . . [A]n in-depth guide to the music and society of a people transformed and shaped by political policies and pressures. The text contains an extensive notes section, bibliography, small discography, and index. Scholars and students of African music with Congolese interests would benefit most from the text’s information. Yet, it is highly recommended for anyone with an interest in music.” -- Matthew J. Forss * Callaloo *\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eTable of Contents\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003ePreface xi\u003cbr\u003e Note to the Reader xxi\u003cbr\u003e 1. Popular Culture's Politics 1\u003cbr\u003e 2. The Zairian Sound 27\u003cbr\u003e 3. Made in Zaire 65\u003cbr\u003e 4. Live Time 97\u003cbr\u003e 5. Musicians and Mobility 131\u003cbr\u003e 6. Live Texts 165\u003cbr\u003e 7. The Political Life of Dance Bands 195\u003cbr\u003e 8. In the Skin of a Chief 225\u003cbr\u003e Notes 253\u003cbr\u003e Bibliography 271\u003cbr\u003e Discography 287\u003cbr\u003e Index 289","brand":"Duke University Press","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":49406048272727,"sku":"9780822340911","price":80.1,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0817\/1739\/5799\/files\/9780822340911.jpg?v=1730494358","url":"https:\/\/bookcurl.com\/products\/rumba-rules-9780822340911","provider":"Book Curl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}