Overview

Drawing on examples from across the continent, this volume examines socially significant aspects of contemporary African popular culture—including music cultures, fandoms, and community, mass, and digital media—to demonstrate how neoliberal politics and market forces shape the cultural landscape and vice versa. Contributors investigate the role that the media, politicians, and corporate interests play in shaping that landscape, highlight the crucial role of the African people in the production and circulation of popular culture more broadly, and, furthermore, demonstrate how popular culture can be used as a tool to resist oppressive regimes and challenge power structures in the African context. Scholars of political communication, cultural studies, and African studies will find this book particularly useful.

Full Product Details

9781666955668

Table of Contents

Reviews

African popular culture runs through the continent's heart in its apprehensions, joys, aspirations, and fragilities. Essays in this volume not only draw on a range of art forms to buttress these aspects, but also drive home the altruism of the producers whose insightfulness render complex phenomena in accessible formats and in that way educate Africa left behind by the forward march of capitalism. This edited collection is a tapestry of the uses of popular media for socio-political interventions, commentaries, and complaints. The various chapters draw from research on a number of countries in Africa and have all beautifully described, highlighted, and engaged with the various creative ways the subalterns and (sometimes) the elites have used cultural products to accentuate issues in their societies. This volume is an important addition to the literature on the political economy of the creative industry in Africa.

African popular culture runs through the continent's heart in its apprehensions, joys, aspirations, and fragilities. Essays in this volume not only draw on a range of art forms to buttress these aspects, but also drive home the altruism of the producers whose insightfulness render complex phenomena in accessible formats and in that way educate Africa left behind by the forward march of capitalism. --Innocentia J. Mhlambi, University of the Witwatersrand This edited collection is a tapestry of the uses of popular media for socio-political interventions, commentaries, and complaints. The various chapters draw from research on a number of countries in Africa and have all beautifully described, highlighted, and engaged with the various creative ways the subalterns and (sometimes) the elites have used cultural products to accentuate issues in their societies. This volume is an important addition to the literature on the political economy of the creative industry in Africa. --Abiodun Salawu, North-West University

Author Information

Kealeboga Aiseng is senior lecturer in the journalism and media studies department at Rhodes University. Israel A. Fadipe is lecturer in the faculty of communication and media studies at Ajayi Crowther University. Phillip Mpofu is researcher at North West University.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available