Professor Amanda Villepastour

PhD

Publication

• Date
• Type

Research

Research interests

I have travelled widely in Africa, but my research interests are concentrated on music of the Yorùbá people in southwest Nigeria and their descendants in Cuba. My primary interest is the music of the deities of pre-Islamic and pre-Christian spirituality called the orishas. At the heart of this research is the bàtá drums, which have parallel traditions in Nigeria and Cuba, and how these drums communicate with linguistic technologies. I am also interested in how the tonal language, Yoruba, is set to song, and how this sacred repertoire manifests in Cuba, where devotees no longer speak the language.

Current Projects

In February 2018 I conducted a case study (funded by a British Academy/Leverhulme grant) about Cuba's sacred lexicon, Lucumí. This was conducted in partnership with Nigerian priestess and linguist, Adedoyin Faniyi (Villepastour 2021). I am currently developing this research.

2014-2020, I conducted an impact study in Matanzas Province, Cuba. My research about the provenance of a little-known set of consecrated batá drums in the province was documented in a CD titled called Ilú Keké: Transmisión en la eritá meta (Music Works, New York City). Co-produced with Luis Bran, this was the first production of the first label and production company in Matanzas, Sendero and the first commercial recording to be generated by Matanceros. The disc, which includes 6,000-word liner notes, won the Special Award for Musicological Research in Cuba Disco, "The Cuban Grammys" in October 2018. (See https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/music/research/impact/a-rediscovered-drum-reviving-musical-heritage-and-empowering-communities )

Teaching

I am currently supervising PhD candidates researching the kamalengoni harp in Mali and Burkina Faso, and representation of transnational identity and multiple belonging in contemporary Italian cultural production.

At postgraduate level, I teach The World of Music (regional studies through theoretical themes) and at undergraduate level, ethnomusicology and team-taught modules including Music as Culture, Music in Cross-Cultural Perspective, Ethnomusicology Project, and Music Sounded Out. 

I advise postgraduate and undergraduate dissertation students.

I am the academic advisor for Lanyi (West African Ensemble) and Nogo Abang (Javanese Gamelan Ensemble)

Biography

Education

• 2006: PhD (Ethnomusicology) School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
• 1998: MMus (Ethnomusicology) School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
• 1997 Certificate in Music Teaching to Adults (Goldsmiths, University of London)
• 1981 BMus (Composition) University of Western Australia

Career overview

• 2011-present: School of Music, Cardiff University
• 2008-2010: Curator for Africa and Latin America, The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), Phoenix Arizona, USA
• 2007-2008: Ethnomusicology Instructor/Director of Afro-Caribbean Ensemble, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA
• 2008: Research Fellow, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
• 2007: Research Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
• 2001-2008: Course Director of Certificate in Music Teaching to Adults, Goldsmiths, University of London
• Previous career as a popular music performer, studio musician, arranger and songwriter.

Honours and awards

Honours

• 2018: Ilú Keké: Transmisión en la Erita won the Special Award for Musicological Research in Cuba Disco ("The Cuban Grammy's").
• 2016: Commendation for The Yorùbá God of Drumming: Transatlantic Perspectives on the Wood That Talks, British Forum for Ethnomusicology Book Prize

Academic Leadership

• 2015-present: Chair, Study Group for African Music (UK Branch), International Council for Traditional Music
• 2015-present: Vice-Chair, Study Group for African Music (Central Group), International Council for Traditional Music
• 2012-2015: Chair, British Forum for Ethnomusicology

Grants

• 2016: ESRC Initiator Grant for Cuban Impact Study
• 2012: British Academy/Leverhulme Grant for research on batá drumming in Cuba
• 2008: Smithsonian Institution Fellowship (The Latino Centre) for a research on female musicians in Afrocuban religious music in the USA
• 2007: AHRC Postdoctoral Fellowship at School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London to research the linguistic structures of Nigerian bàtá drumming
• 2003: Central Research Fund, University of London, PhD Fieldwork Award
• 2002: School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, PhD Fieldwork Award
• 2001: Central Research Fund, University of London, PhD Fieldwork Award
• 2000-2005: Arts and Humanities Research Board (now the AHRC) PhD Scholarship

Professional memberships

• International Council for Traditional Music
• Royal Anthropological Institute (fellow)
• The Society for Ethnomusicology
• British Forum for Ethnomusicology

Academic positions

• 2011-present: Senior Lecturer, School of Music, Cardiff University
• 2008-2010: Curator for Africa and Latin America, The Musical Instrument Museum (MIM), Phoenix Arizona, USA
• 2007-2008: Ethnomusicology Instructor/Director of Afro-Caribbean Ensemble, Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA
• 2008: Research Fellow, The Smithsonian Institution, Washington DC, USA
• 2007: Research Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
• 2001-2008: Course Director of Certificate in Music Teaching to Adults, Goldsmiths, University of London

Committees and reviewing

Cardiff University Committees

• 2014-present: Steering Group for developing Collaborations with The National Museum Wales/Amgueddfa Cymru
• 2014-present: Heritage MA Workgroup (Collaboratively developing MA with CU and NMW.)
• 2014-2017: Board Member for The Phoenix Project, Cardiff University. (Development project in partnership with University of Namibia.)

Subject Associations

• 2013-present: Royal Anthropological Institute Ethnomusicology Committee (founding member)
• 2015-present: Study Group for African Music (Central Group) International Council for Traditional Music
• 2015-present: Study Group for African Music (UK Branch) International Council for Traditional Music (founding Chair)
• 2011-2016: British Forum for Ethnomusicology
• 2012-15: Research Consortium-UK (founding member).

Conference Organisation

• 2017: African Musics Study Group, UK branch (ICTM) Study Day. “Filming African Music.” Bath Spa University.
• 2016: African Musics Study Group, UK branch (ICTM) Study Day, Senate House, University of London
• 2015: British Forum for Ethnomusicology annual conference jointly with Société française d’ethnomusicologie, Quai Branley, Paris.
• 2014: British Forum for Ethnomusicology annual conference jointly with Analytical Approaches to World Music, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.
• 2013: British Forum for Ethnomusicology annual conference jointly with ICTM Ireland, Queens University, Belfast.
• 2013: British Forum for Ethnomusicology one-day conference “Music around the Atlantic Rim” The School of Music, Cardiff University.
• 2013: Society for Ethnomusicology annual conference, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Prize committees

• 2015: Society for Ethnomusicology, Nettl Prize for outstanding publication in ethnomusicology.
• 2013: British Forum for Ethnomusicology, Best Student Paper at annual conference.

Supervisions

• Yoruba music in Nigeria and Cuba
• African music
• Batá
• Drumming
• Music and language
• Speech surrogacy
• Maloya music in Reunión