International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance

A Non-Governmental Organization in Formal Consultative Relations with UNESCO

Call for Proposals: 2nd Symposium of the ICTM Study Group on African Musics

(Updated on 5 September 2017)

The International Council for Traditional Music Study Group on African  Musics is pleased to announce its Second Symposium on the theme,  “African Music Scholarship in the Twenty-first Century: Challenges and Directions.” The symposium will be hosted by the Department of Music, School of Performing Arts, University of Ghana, Legon  August 9 – 12, 2018.  Professor V. Kofi Agawu (Princeton University) will be our special Keynote Speaker for this event.

This second meeting hopes to build on the successes of the first, which was held in 2015 at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa. Several sub-themes will be addressed at this symposium. The symposium is open to all researchers, scholars and interpreters of Africa musical traditions and those of the African Diaspora; participation from Francophone and African Diaspora scholars are particularly encouraged. Some of the sub-themes to be addressed include the following: 

  • African and Afro-Diasporic collaborations and exchanges
  • Representations and the Francophone presence in African music scholarship
  • Music education: Philosophies, pedagogies of African music
  • Interdisciplinarity and African music historiographies in critical perspective
  • New analytical approaches to contemporary African art music traditions
  • New Research on Other Topics

While English will be the general medium for the symposium, submissions and presentations in French are welcome; abstracts in both French and English are highly encouraged, especially in the case of Francophone participants.

A schedule of several performance and special cultural events are being planned as significant aspect of the Ghana symposium, drawing on the rich and cultural and artistic events and venues in the Accra metropolitan area. Details about these events—including conference updates and accommodation--will be made available at  http://afmusgroup.beaconpros.com. (The official website for the African Musics Study Group is at http://www.ictmusic.org/group/african-musics)

Call for paper and panel proposals
Proposals for individual papers must include the following:
Title and an abstract not exceeding 250 words;  full contact information including address, phone and e-mail.

Fully formed panel proposals must include the following
a. The Panel: Title and a short abstract not exceeding 250 words;
contact information including address, phone, fax, and e-mail for the panel chair.

b. Individual Papers: Each panel must submit, for each participant, title and an abstract not exceeding 250 words and contact information including address, phone, and e-mail.

The program committee encourages panel submissions with three or four 20-minute papers.  Participants may present only one paper, but may serve as a chair on another panel.

Important Dates:
Deadline for all individual papers and organized (i.e., fully formed) panels is October, 1, 2017.
Deadline for notification of acceptance or rejection: Notifications will be sent by January 15, 2018.

Submit proposals by OCTOBER 1, 2017, to avorgbedor1@yahoo.com, with copies to Patricia Opondo, paopondo@yahoo.com.

Program Committee:

Daniel Avorgbedor (Chair)
Sylvie Le Bomin
George Dor
Birgitta Johnson
Patricia Opondo

Local Arrangements Committee:
Joshua Amuah (Chair, joshuaamuah@yahoo.com)
Hilarius Wuaku
Adwoa Arhine
Eric Sunu Doe