Arthur Morris Jones Africa Collection
Bio
Housed at the British Library Sound, the Arthur Morris (1889–1980) Jones Africa Collection is varied in terms of the number of cultures and countries it covers. Jones was a missionary based in Zambia from 1923 until the early 1950s. He is considered one of the pioneers of African music studies.
The collection has a total of 288 items. Recordings in this collection can be played by anyone.
He was stationed at St Mark's School in Mapanza in the Southern Province of present-day Zambia (called Rhodesia at the time). He is best known for his ethnomusicological work, particularly his two-volume Studies in African Music. He made an important contribution to the literature with his work in African rhythmic structure.
Jones is remembered for his controversial theories on scales and the music of the marimba, which he claimed migrated from Southeast Asia to Africa. Almost 100 of his acetate field recordings are part of the British Library Sound Archive (number C424).
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