Breaking Rocks

Joe Trapido 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 New Left Review and in Africa.

“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.” • Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute“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.” • Kristien Geenen, Ghent University“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.” • Nancy Rose Hunt, University of Michigan“This is an excellent book, written with great warmth and verve in the narrative… Breaking Rocks will make a significant impact on African Studies.” • Michael Rowlands, University College London

• IntroductionChapter 1. Bars, Music, Gender and PoliticsChapter 2. Exchange, Music, PatronageChapter 3. Potlatch Migrants: Travelling to Europe, Arriving in KinshasaChapter 4. Rights, Piracy and ProducersChapter 5. The Président as Gatekeeper, Patronage as a Class Relationship. Elders and Cadets Rey Reproduced Now.Chapter 6. Mikiliste EconomiesChapter 7. Love and MoneyChapter 8. Charismatic FetishismConclusionBibliographyIndex