MUS3070 : Salsa, AfroBeat, Reggae and Rhythms of the World
- Offered for Year: 2025/26
- Available to incoming Study Abroad and Exchange students
- Module Leader(s): Professor Nanette De Jong
- Owning School: Arts & Cultures
- Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus
Semesters
Your programme is made up of credits, the total differs on programme to programme.
| Semester 2 Credit Value: | 20 |
| ECTS Credits: | 10.0 |
| European Credit Transfer System | |
Aims
-To build on existing practical experience of and/or interest in world music
-To provide a platform for the study of cultural options in world music later in the PG degree programmes
-To enable a familiarisation with the specific characteristics of a selection of musical styles and systems across the globe, with emphasis on Africa and the diaspora
-To acquire further knowledge and appreciation of the diverse forms of musical expressions found in varied parts of Africa and the diaspora
-To acquire a further understanding of the importance and relevance of considering music and music-making in relation to their cultural and social contexts
-To provoke thought and understanding of world music traditions, including their differences and similarities as well as how (and why) they arise and develop
-To instil appreciation regarding the ways music and musical participation provide mediums into understanding world cultures in general
-To provide complimentary skills and knowledge valuable to students in their future professional careers, e.g. as creative practitioners, or teachers
Outline Of Syllabus
The general purpose of this course is to provide students to the scholarly study and performance of traditional, popular, and classical musics from Africa and the diaspora through in-depth readings and close listening to assigned sound recordings, available on Canvas. Students will be introduced to a range of scholarly approaches to world music. This study will be grounded by looking at a number of specific case studies (identified by cultural community) through wide ranging analytical frames and/or themes. These may include: merengue in Dominican Republic, plena in Puerto Rico, reggae from Jamaica, AfroBeats from West Africa, soukous from Congo, and maskanda from South Africa,.
Teaching Methods
Teaching Activities
| Category | Activity | Number | Length | Student Hours | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Lecture | 10 | 2:00 | 20:00 | 10 lectures |
| Guided Independent Study | Directed research and reading | 1 | 62:00 | 62:00 | Student directed reading & written essay responses to lecture ideas building to final Case Study submission |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Small group teaching | 8 | 1:00 | 8:00 | Small group seminars to unpack core ideas from lectures through discussion & performance |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Workshops | 1 | 2:00 | 2:00 | Final group presentations/performance held during the final week of classes |
| Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities | Drop-in/surgery | 3 | 1:00 | 3:00 | Drop-in surgeries |
| Guided Independent Study | Independent study | 1 | 105:00 | 105:00 | Student directed reading & written essay responses to lecture ideas building to final Case Study submission |
| Total | 200:00 |
Teaching Rationale And Relationship
The combination of teaching activities allows students to receive a thorough grounding in core concepts regarding world music via lectures, which are then unpacked further in small group seminars and in tutorials. These serve as support for students to incorporate core ideas/theories from the lectures and seminars into a final Case Study submission and in a group performance.
Assessment Methods
The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners
Exams
| Description | Length | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Performance | 10 | 2 | M | 20 | Final Performance |
Other Assessment
| Description | Semester | When Set | Percentage | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case study | 2 | A | 80 | Choice of essay or creative project - 3,200 word essay or non essay assessment to be agreed with module leader |
Assessment Rationale And Relationship
Written essay (Case study option 1) assesses:
-methodology: connecting case studies to contexts
-comprehension of issues, theories and concepts introduced in lecture materials
-research skills developed during lectures and seminars preparation
-reflective and critical skills
Creative project (Case study option 2) assesses:
-comprehension of issues, theories and concepts introduced in lecture materials
-research skills developed during PSA tasks and seminar preparation
-reflective and creative skills
-ability to creatively respond to a case study
Performance assessment assesses:
-the practical foundation around understanding world music
-absorption in-practice of key concepts around world music
-connecting performance to research
Reading Lists
Timetable
- Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
- MUS3070's Timetable