Responding to growing international interest in the Yoruba culture of southwestern Nigeria, practitioners of bata-a centuries-old drumming, dancing, and singing tradition-have recast themselves as traditional performers in a global market. As the Nigerian market for ritual bata has been declining, international opportunities for performance have grown. Debra L. Klein's lively ethnography explores this disjunction, revealing the world of bata artists and the global culture market that helps to sustain their art.
Yoruba Bata Goes Global describes the dramatic changes and reinventions of traditional bata performance in recent years, showing how they are continually recreated, performed, and sold. Klein delves into the lives of Yoruba musicians, focusing on their strategic collaborations with artists, culture brokers, researchers, and entrepreneurs worldwide. And she explores how reinvigorated performing ensembles are beginning to parlay success on the world stage into increased power and status within Nigeria. Klein's study of the interwoven roles of innovation and tradition will interest scholars of African, global, and cultural studies, anthropology, and ethnomusicology alike.