Taken together, these comprehensive volumes offer an authoritative account of the music of Africa. One of the most prominent experts on the subject, Gerhard Kubik draws on his extensive travels and three decades of study in many parts of the continent to compare and contrast a wealth of musical traditions from a range of cultures. In this second volume, he turns to the cognitive study of African rhythm, Yoruba chantefables, the musical Kachamba family of Malawi, and African conceptions of space and time. 

    Features an extensive selection of photographs and is accompanied by a compact disc of Kubik's own recordings. Erudite and exhaustive, "Theory of African Music" is an invaluable reference source.


    Other Releases on

    Rebel SoundsMusic as Resistance
    'Empathy is the currency of all music and Joe Mulhall does a great job of explaining how that quality has been used to generate solidarity for the struggle...
      • Book (350g) 9781804442241£10.99
        In stockAdd to Bag
      Jamie Lidell & Luke SchneiderA Companion For The Spaces Between Dreams
      Jamie Lidell and Luke Schneider have created a kind of sonic tool to navigate a liminal state of mind. Their new collaborative LP, A Companion For The...
        • New LP (Coloured Vinyl) 0309272740004£26.00
          In stockAdd to Bag
        I Hear Music In The StreetsNew York 1969-89
        Capturing the energy of New York City's music subcultures—across hip-hop, punk and rap—through an array of snapshots by photographers including...
          • Book (1.4kg) 9788410024687£48.00
            In stockAdd to Bag
          Punk: The Last WordBy Chris Sullivan and Stephen Colegrave
          'A thoroughly enjoyable compendium of appalling behaviour.' Nick Logan, Editor NME (1973-1978), founder of The Face 'From the shabby stowaways of the...
            Freedom Rhythm and Sound Chapter 2 EVENTThu 18 Dec 2025
            Gilles Peterson + Stuart Baker (Soul Jazz Records) + Special GuestsAn evening of conversation, music and visuals 7.30-10pm Thu 18 Dec 2025 at The American...
              • EARLY BIRD Live Event E-Ticket£10.00
                In stockAdd to Bag
              Don CherryEternal Now
                • New LP (Coloured Vinyl) 0889397842314£17.00
                  In stockAdd to Bag
                Don CherryHear & Now
                  • New LP (Coloured Vinyl) 0889397842512£17.00
                    In stockAdd to Bag
                  Ellis ReginaO Bem Do Amor
                    • New LP (Coloured Vinyl) 7427255403500£18.99
                      In stockAdd to Bag
                    Greensleeves BOOKThe First 100 Covers
                    WICKED NEW HARDBACK BOOK! Charts the story of Greensleeves Records —from its beginnings as a mid-1970s West London record shop to its rise as a...
                      The Other Side : A Journey into Women, Art and the Spirit World
                      In an illuminating blend of memoir and art history, The Other Side explores the lives and work of a group of extraordinary women artists. From the twelfth-century...
                        Soul Jazz Records hoodie (navy)
                        Brand new Soul Jazz Records Functional Outer Wear Product #1 Exclusive to Sounds of the Universe Limited edition navy hoodie (large) with design.
                          The Second Sex (Vintage Feminism Short Edition)by Simone de Beauvoir
                          Vintage Feminism: classic feminist texts in short formWITH AN INTRODUCTION BY NATALIE HAYNESWhen this book was first published in 1949 it was to outrage...
                            Beneath the UnderdogBy Chalrles Mingus
                            Bass player extraordinaire Charles Mingus, who died in 1979, is one of the essential composers in the history of jazz, and Beneath the Underdog, his celebrated,...
                              Revolutionary Letters
                              By turns a handbook of countercultural living, a manual for street protest, and a feminist broadside against the repressive state apparatus, Revolutionary...
                                Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy presents 'Balearic Breakfast' Volume 4
                                “There are curators, and then there's Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy.” - Resident Advisor The sun has finally come out. It’s the first time something...
                                  Talking to Women
                                  In 1964, Nell Dunn spoke to nine of her friends over a bottle of wine about men, sex, work, money, babies, freedom and love. The Pop Artist Pauline Boty...
                                    Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 11Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 11
                                    Latin compilation
                                      • Original CD£9.99
                                        CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                                        In stockAdd to Bag
                                      Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 12Sabroso Guaganco Vol. 12
                                      Latin compilation
                                        • Original CD£9.99
                                          CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                                          In stockAdd to Bag
                                        The Blood of OthersSimone de Beauvoir
                                        Potent and vividly emotional, Simone de Beauvoir’s captivating novel questions freedom and individual responsibility in the face of brutality‘These...
                                          • Book (350g) 9780241696453£9.99
                                            In stockAdd to Bag
                                          Salsa Y Ache
                                            • Original CD£4.99
                                              CD disc condition: VG+Case & booklet condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned CD in great condition
                                              In stockAdd to Bag
                                            Alice Coltrane - Monument Eternal (DELUXE HARDBACK)By Ann Philbin, Franya J. Berkman
                                            Rashid Johnson, Cauleen Smith and others pay tribute to a truly extraordinary figure in 20th-century American jazz. This volume unpacks the cultural legacy...
                                              My Grandmother's Hands : Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodiesby Resmaa Menakem
                                              THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Insightful, thought-provoking and profound. I can't recommend highly enough' Sunny Singh'A revolutionary work of beauty,...
                                                • Book (350g) 9780141996479£10.99
                                                  In stockAdd to Bag
                                                Nova Scotia House : A Novel
                                                Nova Scotia House takes us to the heart of a relationship, a community and an era. It is both a love story and a lament; bearing witness to the enduring...
                                                  This Woman's Work : Essays on Music
                                                  This Woman's Work: Essays on Music is edited by Kim Gordon and Sinead Gleeson and features contributors Anne Enright, Fatima Bhutto, Jenn Pelly, Rachel...
                                                    • Book (600g) 9781474621472£20.00
                                                      In stockAdd to Bag
                                                    DJ Disciple & Henry KronkThe Beat, the Scene, the Sound : A DJ's Journey through the Rise, Fall, and Rebirth of House Music in New York City
                                                    A thrilling and tumultuous, behind-the-scenes account of house music in NYC. The Beat, the Scene, the Sound follows DJ Disciple and his behind-the-scenes...
                                                      James Kaplan3 Shades of Blue : Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans & The Lost Empire of Cool
                                                      1959 saw Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bill Evans and the other members of Miles's sextet come together to record the bestselling jazz album of all time:...

                                                        People also bought

                                                        Raising Hell: The Reign, Ruin, and Redemption of "Run-D.M.C." and Jam Master Jayby Ronin RoAmistad
                                                        Hip-hop fans of all ages will delight in this gripping tale of sex, drugs and rock n'rap. Secondhand USA paperback book ex library w/stamps.
                                                          Coleman HawkinsBy Burnett JamesSpellmount
                                                          Second-hand ex-library hardback book
                                                            Brook BentonDo Your Own Thing (1969)Cotillion
                                                            Hard to find soul LP. Orig. USA 1969 Cotillion/Atlantic Records
                                                              Yes Yes Y'all: The Experience Music Project Oral History of Hip Hop's First Decadeby Jim Fricke and Charlie AhearnThe Perseus Press
                                                              WICKED oral history of early rap. Essential!
                                                                • Original Book (1kg) 9781903985571£40.00
                                                                  Original Pre-Owned Out of Print USA paperback in good condition, sticker on front
                                                                  In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                UptownPortrait of a Chicago Neighborhood in the Mid-1970sChicago's Book Press
                                                                Wicked photogrpahy book. This book of striking black and white photographs forms a fascinating time capsule. The photos, taken during the mid 1970s,...
                                                                  Kris OkotieI Need Someone (1980)Phonodisk
                                                                  Afro-Disco Boogie Funk Original Nigerian Vinyl VG surface marks plays fine/Sleeve G ONLY+High-end Audio Desk Systeme Pro Machine Utrasonic cleaned+100%...
                                                                  • – I Need Someone
                                                                  • – You Are My Woman
                                                                  Black Music Of Two Worlds (1972)John Storm RobertsOriginal Music
                                                                  Essential music book about African and New World Afro-musics of the Caribbean and US.
                                                                    • Original Book (600g)£20.00
                                                                      S/hand original out of print book in good condition, ex-library w/stamps
                                                                    Bunny MackLet Me Love You (1980)Win Records
                                                                    Rare independent Nigerian boogie funk. Original Nigerian vinyl.Vinyl G only , sleeve Fair only so cheap £40 to £10+High-end Audio Desk Systeme Pro Machine...
                                                                    • – Let Me Love You
                                                                    • – Love You Forever
                                                                    Chief Stephen Osita Osadebe & His Nigeria Sound Makers InternationalJim´s SpecialSposa
                                                                    Quality album of Igbo highlife.Rare Original Nigerian vinyl.Vinyl VG, sleeve F (wear)+High-end Audio Desk Systeme Pro Machine Utrasonic cleaned+
                                                                    • – Jim´s Special
                                                                    Talking 'Bout Your MamaThe Dozens, Snaps, And The Deep Roots Of RapOxford University Press
                                                                    ONLY £10 Import USA HARDBACK BOOK CHEAPER THAN AMAZON From Two Live Crew's controversial comedy to Ice Cube's gangsta styling and the battle rhymes of...
                                                                      • Book (350g) 9780199394043£16.00 £10.00
                                                                        In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                      Pablo MilanésPablo Milanés Canta A Nicolás Guillén (1975)Areito
                                                                      Original Cuban vinyl!Vinyl VG , sleeve GHigh-end Audio Desk Systeme Pro Machine Utrasonic cleaned+
                                                                        Brenda FassieBlack President (1990)Mercury
                                                                        Rare Zimbabwe boogie
                                                                        • – Street Girl
                                                                        • – Bump Party Time
                                                                        • Original LP 4064851£35.00 £10.00
                                                                          Vinyl condition: VG-Sleeve condition: VG-ORIGINAL NIGERIAN VINYL MARK ON SIDE TWO TRACK 1, sleeve damage

                                                                          +High-end Audio Desk Systeme Pro Machine Utrasonic cleaned+

                                                                          100% Guarantee on this and all Original Vinyl at Sounds Of The Universe - 'if you're not happy we're not happy' or your money back!
                                                                        JazzEdited by Nat Hentoff and Albert McCarthyQuartet Books (1977)
                                                                        Essays on jazz.
                                                                          • Original Book (350g)£12.00
                                                                            Secondhand out of print book in good condition
                                                                            In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                          The Last SultanThe Life And Times Of Ahmet ErtegunSimon & Schuster
                                                                          Import USA Paperback edition book 40% Off Original price! The Last Sultan is the definitive biography of a man who changed popular culture throughout...
                                                                            AmericaHoliday (1974)WB
                                                                            w/Tin Man. Folk funk classic!
                                                                              • Original LP£10.00
                                                                                Vinyl condition: VG+Sleeve condition: VG+Original Pre-Owned Out-of-Print USA Vinyl
                                                                              Getting Together With The Jackson 5 (1971)Musico Records
                                                                              Original = USA Original Vinyl G+ /Sleeve VG- +High-end Audio Desk Systeme Pro Machine Utrasonic cleaned+100% Guarantee on this and all Original Vinyl...
                                                                                Jazz Masters Of New OrleansBy Martin WilliamsMacMillan (1979)
                                                                                Good book! Did you know why the drummers of New Orleans jazz have always been underrecorded? Did you know that Orson Welles was a big New Orleans jazz...
                                                                                  • Original Book (600g)£15.00
                                                                                    Secondhand USA hardback (ex-library, plastic covered)
                                                                                    In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                                  Sonny OkosunThe Gospel Of Ozziddi (1981)EMI International
                                                                                  Afro-Disco funk. Original Nigerian Vinyl VG, sleeve G- (lot of wear) +High-end Audio Desk Systeme Pro Machine Utrasonic cleaned+100% Guarantee on this...
                                                                                  • – Carnival
                                                                                  Life And Death On The New York Dance Floor, 1980-1983By Tim Lawrence
                                                                                  Here we go .. massive NYC dancefloor 500+ page book by the excellent Tim Lawrence - who wrote Love Saves The Day and also has written for Soul Jazz...
                                                                                    • Book (900g) 9780822362029£24.00
                                                                                      In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                                    Old School Rap and Hip-HopChris Woodstra, John Bush, Stephen Thomas ErlewineBackbeat Books
                                                                                    The real old school! More than 500 reviews plus artist bios and the true tales of the birth of the art form
                                                                                      Don Shirley TrioDon Shirley Trio (1960)Cadence
                                                                                      Original 1960 textured sleeve original vinyl jazz trio quite deep
                                                                                        Back In The Days Photographs By Jamel ShabazzpowerHouse Books
                                                                                        Amazing, genius photographs of New York hip-hop fashion and culture taken by Jamel Shabazz between 1980 and 1989. Intro by Fab Five Freddy. As stylish...
                                                                                          Stevie WonderBy John Swenson
                                                                                          Great pics and bio!
                                                                                            • Original Book (500g) 9780859650762£12.00
                                                                                              Secondhand paperback in great condition​
                                                                                              In stockAdd to Bag
                                                                                            Dakota StatonI Want A Country Man (1973)Groove Merchant
                                                                                            Original USA 1973 Groove Merchant reocrds w/ Frank Wess, Cecil Bridgewater, Bill Watrous produced by Sonny Lester
                                                                                              Jazz Religion, The Second Line And Black New OrleansBy Richard Brent TurnerIndiana University Press
                                                                                              Great New Orleans music book! NEW EDITION DIFFT COVER Richard Brent Turner explores the history and contemporary significance of the...