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World Music: Texts

Articles

Articles are great for research because they generally cover a very narrow topic in great detail. In addition, scholarly journal articles generally include a bibliography where you can find more resources on the same topic.

Browse Journals

Search articles online or browse by title. See especially:

Journal Article Databases

thinkerLibrary databases provide citations for articles, book chapters, and more. Most articles/chapters focus on a narrow and specific topic, so they are great for deeper research. To get started:

  1. Choose a database.
  2. Search for keywords such as genres, topics, names of people, etc.
  3. Limit your results by date, language, and more with the the left-hand menu on the results page.

Need more help?

See our Article help page for step-by-step instructions and videos to help you search databases and find full-text articles. And you can always ask a librarian for individual help.

Music Article Databases

Books

Recommended Series

All books in these series are excellent scholarly resources! 
The World Music Press volumes generally contain introductory text, notated music, and an accompanying CD with audio examples.
The Global Music series books have more in-depth text, bibliographies, and accompanying CDs.

World Music Press

From Bangkok and Beyond

Children's songs and game songs from Thailand with full cultural context, history, and more.

From Rice Paddies and Temple Yards

Includes Vietnamese game songs, love songs, boating songs, recited and sung poetry, and instrumental music.

Let Your Voice Be Heard!

Nineteen songs from the vocal traditions of the Akan people of Ghana and the Shona of Zimbabwe.

The Lion's Roar

Introduction to Chinese luogo percussion ensembles, the music of parades, street festivals, and religious rituals.

Los Mariachis!

Introduction to Mexico's most popular form of traditional music - mariachi. Includes examples of son, polka, waltz and bolero.

Moving Within the Circle

Twenty-four songs and dances representing the music of the Pueblo, Lakota, Kiowa, Nanticoke, Hidatsa, Haliwa-Saponi, Seneca and other peoples.

Roots and Branches

Sampling of songs and singing games from different cultures on many continents.

Silent Temples, Songful Hearts

Seventeen examples of Cambodian traditional instrumental, vocal and dance music, children's game songs, percussion pieces, and stories.

Songs and Stories from Uganda

Thirteen songs with accompanying stories retold from Ugandan folklore.

Welcome to Mussomeli

Seven favorite children's songs from various parts of Italy. Includes a pronunciation guide.

Global Music Series (selections)

Intertribal Native American Music in the United States

Explores Native American musical heritage and how traditional sounds have developed into increasingly recognizable forms, like Native jazz and rock.

Music in East Africa

Shows how people in Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania create, dance to, and interact with traditional East African music.

Music in Korea

A thematic introduction to Korean music, drawing parallels and contrasts between musical customs and their contemporary developments.

Music in Mainland Southeast Asia

Profiles the musical traditions of Burma, Cambodia, Thailand, and Vietnam, placing them within a social, cultural, and historical context.

Music in Pacific Island Cultures

Uses four themes - colonialism, belief systems, musical flows, and the re/presentation of Pacific cultures - to survey the region's various musical traditions.

Music in Portugal and Spain

Introduction to the diverse musical cultures in Portugal and Spain. Includes interviews with performers, illustrations, accompanying CD, and more.

Music in South India

Centers on the tradition and evolution of Karnatak concert music. Also addresses popular music, regional traditions, and contemporary composition.

Music in the Andes

Explores how modern styles interact with older, indigenous music to create a continuously evolving musical heritage in southern Peru and Bolivia.

Music in the Hispanic Caribbean

Employs three themes - slavery, creolization, and diaspora - to discuss the region's traditional musical genres and its more contemporary forms.

Thinking Musically

Discusses how cultural influences like gender, ethnicity, mass media, and westernization are shaping music and the ways we experience it.

Subject Searching

catalog search for 'folk music united states' with keyword changed to subject and format set to Printed Music (All), result showing location and call numberHow to search

  1. Open the library catalog.
  2. Type in a subject.
  3. Change your search from Keyword to Subject.
  4. Limit by your desired format.
  5. Find a catalog record for the music or book you need.
  6. Use the location and call number to find it on the shelf.

Image: Catalog search set to Subject and Printed Music, and search result showing location and call number. 

 


How to find subjects

Here are a few subjects to get you started:
Folk music > United States  (Substitute a different country as needed.)
Folk songs 
Folk songs, French (Substitute a different language/nationality as needed.) 
Music > India (Substitute a different country as needed.)
National songs 
World music 

You can find even more subjects in individual catalog records. Find one book or recording of your desired country/nationality/ethnicity, then click on a subject to find more materials with that subject:

catalog record with Subjects section circled, text to the side reads 'click on to find more materials with the same subject'

Online Resources

Library Databases

Open Web Resources (selections)

Browse the Shelves

young man looks at library shelvesUse these call numbers to find books about world music:

Call Number Topic
ML198-ML360 General music history
      ML200       United States
      ML205-ML220       Canada, Caribbean Islands, 
      Mexico, and Central America
      ML230-ML239       South America
      ML240-ML325       Europe
      ML330-ML345       Asia
      ML350       Africa
      ML360       Australia, Oceania, etc.
ML3544-ML3785 National/folk music history
      ML3551-ML3562       United States
      ML3563-ML3572       Canada, Caribbean Islands, 
      Mexico, and Central America
      ML3575       South America
      ML3580-ML3730       Europe
      ML3740-ML3758       Asia
      ML3760       Africa
      ML3770       Australia, Oceania, etc.
      ML3776       Jewish

Reference

Reference resources include dictionaries, encyclopedias, and more.
They often provide a short overview of a topic, then point to more resources you can use for further research.

Music Reference Databases

Books in the Allen Library (selections)

Find more reference books

Browse the reference shelves by call number:

Call Number Topic
ML100-ML102 Music dictionaries & encyclopedias
ML120 Bibliographies A-Z by country, e.g.
ML120 A25         Africa
ML120 U5         United States
ML128 Bibliographies A-Z by topic, e.g.
ML128 E8         Ethnomusicology
ML128 F74, F75         Folk music and songs

Suggest a Resource

Know of a resource you think should be added to this guide? Let us know!

Want to suggest we purchase something new? Contact Tracey Rudnick (rudnick@hartford.edu).

Find Full Text Articles

Search eJournal Locator for the journal title:

 Journal Title:
 Format:


Need help? See our article help page or ask a librarian.

 

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