Musical Moments of Motherhood

Musical Moments of Motherhood combines the analysis of music performance with the cultural contexts of African women as mothers. Ruth S. Opara demonstrates how women use music to create functional spaces for negotiating maternal roles that extend beyond biological reproduction to encompass public mothering. The book examines the lived experiences and musical practices of Igbo mothers from southeastern Nigeria and North America, as well as of Igbo girls learning the art of motherhood through music performance. Built on an ethnography grounded in historical context, the analysis considers songs, dance, instrumentation, costumes, dramatization, rituals, and social functions.

Ruth S. Opara is Assistant Professor of Music at Columbia University. Her research focuses on African and African diasporic music and the production of knowledge.