World Music: The Basics

by Richard O. Nidel

Book Overview

World Music: The Basics gives a concise introduction to popular musical styles found around the world. Organized alphabetically by region and then by country, it provides essential background... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0415968011
• ISBN13: 9780415968010
• Release Date: March 2005
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 404 Pages
• Weight: 1.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.2" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

World Music: The Bible

The title, World Music: The Basics, is too modest for the breadth and depth of research, time and money saving recommendations, and the author's concise and intelligent style. The book serves as a primer for the newcomer to world music, as well as a reference book for the aficionado with a growing music library. Because the selections are based on the author's very exacting standards, the information remains timely and vital.

Worth buying for the CD recommendations alone!

Being a huge World Music junkie, I have been searching for a book of this sort. I have always enjoyed exploring new artists from all over the world, but the hunt can prove overwhelming and this book gives a great help. It is great fun to read, full of interesting historical and musical facts - this guy really did his reasearch! It has some really interesting and daring political insights that impress me very much. But the best thing for me about this book is all of the CD recommendations which are incredible. I have gotten more than 10 cds so far, based on recommendations from "The Basics" and they have been right on! Really discovering lots of new and fabulous stuff here. I unhesitatingly recommend picking this up. A gem!

Fantastic survey! Covers tons of ground in a concise way

Wow! The world of World Music has gotten its first definitive guide. I can unhesitatingly give this hefty little tome 5 stars. This is an entertaining guide that covers an immense amount of musical territory in an enjoyable and beautifully written way. This book is so smoothly written that it could be read cover to cover, but it is also ideal for consulting as an encyclopedia. I have found that Richard Nidel has impecable taste, and as a result this book is also a great resource for choosing the best recordings of an artist. I would say that the sections of Brazil, Argentina, Greece, Turkey, West Africa, and Celtic Music are especially strong, and always peppered with extra facts both political and historical to give the music more background. I find the real strong points of this great survey to be the spot-on cd recommendations and the obvious vast knowledge of World Music that comes through in Nidel's fluid prose throughout this little book. Being a World Music follower for some time now, it is obvious that there was an immense amount of research put in because this guy really knows his stuff. There is an excellent intro by Jazz legend Branford Marsalis, and the book is a beautifully packaged 400 pages. Pick it up!