<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p> Based on fieldwork in Kinshasa and Paris, <em>Breaking Rocks</em> examines patronage payments within Congolese popular music, where a love song dedication can cost 6,000 dollars and a simple name check can trade for 500 or 600 dollars. Tracing this system of prestige through networks of musicians and patrons - who include gangsters based in Europe, kleptocratic politicians in Congo, and lawless diamond dealers in northern Angola - this book offers insights into ideologies of power and value in central Africa's troubled post-colonial political economy, as well as a glimpse into the economic flows that make up the hidden side of the globalization.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br><p> <em>"While the book's subject - the economics of Rumba Congolaise - is arguably hyper-specialized, its intellectual scope and ambition are extensive. Trapido's considerable insights engage a diverse, expansive body of literature that will be germane to readers interested in the Congo Basin, economic anthropology, ethnomusicology, postcolonial theory, and beyond."</em> <strong>- Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute</strong></p> <p> <em>"Built upon a stunningly rich ethnography, Breaking Rocks elaborates on the political entanglement of the music industry spanning across the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Congolese diaspora. A witty, fresh account, including stories and case studies rooted in a thorough period of fieldwork, Breaking Rocks is simply a must-read for anyone either professionally or amateurishly inclined to anthropology or musicology."</em> <strong>- Kristien Geenen</strong>, Ghent University</p> <p> <em>"This is a highly impressive, utterly original, often brilliant book on both the empirical and theoretical levels... A wonderful ethnography of music production, performance, spectacle, and deceit."</em> <strong>- Nancy Rose Hunt</strong>, University of Michigan</p> <p> <em>"This is an excellent book, written with great warmth and verve in the narrative... Breaking Rocks will make a significant impact on African Studies."</em> <strong>- Michael Rowlands</strong>, University College London</p><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><p> <strong>Joe Trapido</strong> works in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at the School of Oriental and African Studies. A fan of Congolese music, he is also a follower of Congolese society and politics more generally. His work has been published in the <em>New Left Review</em> and in <em>Africa</em>.</p>
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