{"product_id":"rumba-rules-the-politics-of-dance-music-in-mobutus-zaire-paperback","title":"Rumba Rules: The Politics of Dance Music in Mobutu's Zaire - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eBob W. White\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eMobutu Sese Seko, who ruled Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) from 1965 until 1997, was fond of saying \"happy are those who sing and dance,\" and his regime energetically promoted the notion of culture as a national resource. During this period Zairian popular dance music (often referred to as \u003ci\u003ela rumba zaïroise\u003c\/i\u003e) became a sort of \u003ci\u003emusica franca\u003c\/i\u003e in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. But how did this privileged form of cultural expression, one primarily known for a sound of sweetness and joy, flourish under one of the continent's most brutal authoritarian regimes? In \u003ci\u003eRumba Rules\u003c\/i\u003e, the first ethnography of popular music in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Bob W. White examines not only the economic and political conditions that brought this powerful music industry to its knees, but also the ways that popular musicians sought to remain socially relevant in a time of increasing insecurity.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDrawing partly on his experiences as a member of a local dance band in the country's capital city Kinshasa, White offers extraordinarily vivid accounts of the live music scene, including the relatively recent phenomenon of \u003ci\u003elibanga\u003c\/i\u003e, which involves shouting the names of wealthy or powerful people during performances in exchange for financial support or protection. With dynamic descriptions of how bands practiced, performed, and splintered, White highlights how the ways that power was sought and understood in Kinshasa's popular music scene mirrored the charismatic authoritarianism of Mobutu's rule. In \u003ci\u003eRumba Rules\u003c\/i\u003e, Congolese speak candidly about political leadership, social mobility, and what it meant to be a \u003ci\u003ebon chef\u003c\/i\u003e (good leader) in Mobutu's Zaire.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eBack Jacket\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eRumba Rules\" ties dance music to dictatorship, band leaders to politicians, in ways that are sensitive to the struggles of Congolese musicians and their fans in Kinshasa. Bob W. White neither diminishes the artistry and entertainment value of musical performances nor over-determines their role in political culture. This is a book that finely theorizes the relationship between aesthetics and political culture through vivid and often amusing storytelling.\"--Louise Meintjes, author of \"Sound of Africa! Making Music Zulu in a South African Studio\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBob W. White is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Montreal.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 328\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.8 x 9.2 x 6.1 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 27, 2008\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53193070412083,"sku":"9780822341123","price":53.91,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/q5UUcKlukZ9780822341123.webp?v=1775108841","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/products\/rumba-rules-the-politics-of-dance-music-in-mobutus-zaire-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}