Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Volumes I and II.(Book review)

[??] Piano Music of Africa and the African Diaspora, Volumes I and II, Compiled and Edited by William H. Chapman Nyaho. Oxford University Press (www.us.oup.com; (800) 451-7556), 2007. Volume I: 35pp., $14.95, Early Intermediate. Volume II: 53 pp. $19.95, Intermediate.

Concert pianist William Chapman Nyaho successfully edited a wide selection of piano compositions by Black composers residing in Africa (Republic of Congo, Ghana, Egypt, Nigeria, South Africa) and elsewhere in the world, including Brazil, Cuba, Guadeloupe, Jamaica and the United States. This piano anthology shows a range of musical styles and genres, from lullabies to spirituals, jazz and ragtime, filling a needed gap in the piano literature repertoire, of inserting new life alongside the "cherished patriarchs."

The inclusion of brief explanations and stylistic suggestions for each piano piece provides meaningful context and aids students in their interpretation. Short bibliographical notes allow students the opportunity to get to know the life and works of each composer. Of particular note in these piano pieces are rhythmic and melodic features that allow for the expansion of new knowledge, of elements that are prominent and characteristic of particular musical cultures. Some of ...