Table of Contents

Contents: Introduction to the Asante and the ivory trumpets; Origins of the Ntahera trumpets; Anthropological evidences of ivory trumpets in Ghana and West Africa; Early descriptions of Gold Coast ivory trumpets; Asante trumpet culture; The sound barrage; Asante trumpet groups; Ivory trumpet surrogate speech; Transcriptions and analyses of Ntahera Nnwom; Transcription and analyses of Nkontwema and Amoakwa Nnwom; Epilogue: Philip Asamoah Bonsu and the postmodern condition; Appendix; Notes to the CD tracks; Bibliography; Index.

About the Author

Joseph S. Kaminski is a trumpeter who researched ntahera and other ivory trumpet music in Ghana. He first approached ethnomusicology as a musician, performing on cruise ships and touring the world for over a decade with orchestras and popular music groups. His Ph.D. in ethnomusicology is from Kent State University, with an M.A. from Hunter College, an M.M. from Manhattan School of Music, and a B.A. in anthropology from the College of Staten Island. He currently teaches World Music at the College of Staten Island, Long Island University, Wagner College, and Hudson County Community College, and he is active in various ethnic music performance practices in New York City.