Africa in Scott Joplin's Music
by Carol Lems-Dworkin

"... even though Joplin may not have known the land of his ancestors first-hand,
the spirit of his people will always dance through his music."

»   The first serious study of the numerous African influences in the music of Scott Joplin, "King of Ragtime".     »   A 29-page probing essay with bibliography and music notations by Carol Lems-Dworkin, musicologist and author of African Music: a Pan-African Annotated Bibliography (Hans Zell Publishers, Oxford, England, 1991 ISBN 0-905450-91-4), and Videos of African and African-Related Performance: An Annotated Bibliography (Carol Lems-Dworkin Publishers - Evanston, Illinois, 1996 ISBN 0-9637048-1-8).    » Click here for Reviews of this book...

Only $18 (US) - Click here for order form

"... Lems-Dworkin presents a thoroughly researched and tightly argued case, along the way redefining the "Scotch snap", the rhythmic device often cited as the backbone of ragtime and Afro-American music in general, and clarifying certain misconceptions about African music which might have led to confusion in analyzing its influence on Joplin. The overview of African music is well-summarized and convincing, and there is a definitive discussion of the idea of "syncopation" ( a term irrelevant to African music, as Lems-Dworkin shows) as it has been applied to ragtime. ..."      - Butch Thompson The Mississippi Rag

©1991 Carol Lems-Dworkin Publishers