What is "black music"? Do all musicians play it? Can whites play "black music"? These are difficult yet fundamental questions which Paul Oliver addresses at length in this volume, which places the contribution of black musicians to popular music in its socio-historical contexts. Part 1 concentrates upon the background from 1800-1950 including 19th-century attitudes to "black music", the first encounters with jazz, and the introduction of West-Indian calypsos. Part 2 considers the 1950s to the present, examining music by Africans in Britain, the influence of steelband music, and the popularity of "bhangra" dance music among young Asians, and the maintainance of the "gawwali" tradition.

Several contributors have written chapters which aim to define and clarify this variety of types and styles. They consider educational, sociological and historical perspectives, as well as examining the responses of the media and the recording industry to black music.