Directory of Research and Expertise

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Research Summary and Profile

Research interests:

Globalization & Development, Music

Regions:

Africa, Europe, North America, South America, United Kingdom

Summary of research interests and expertise:

The relationship of indigenous Caribbean musical traditions to the breadth of cultural activity in Paris between the two World Wars; Carnivals (and carnivalesque) in the West Indies, and their association with Africa, Europe and the Americas (most recently Martinique); the history of vernacular black music in the United States, and in Trinidad and Tobago.

Publication Details

Related publications/articles:

Date	Details
26-Oct-2017	The Pioneers Of Calypso In Britain Chapters Spark, Stephen, Calypso In London: 25 Years of the London Calypso Tent; with an historical introduction by John Cowley, London, Trafton Publishing (2017) pp. 1-5 ISBN 978 0 947890 09 4
30-Oct-2014	Creole Music Of The French West Indies, a discography, 1900-1959 Edited Book Cowley, J. (ed.); Boulanger A., Cowley J., Monneraye M. (comps.);  Champerou, P. (English to French translations); Smith C. (French to English translations); with essay by Cowley J. ''Mascarade, biguine and the bal nègre' (English), pp. 202-266; 'La mascarade, la biguine et le bal negrè' (French), pp. 267-333; endnotes, indexes, bibliography: Hambergen (Germany), Bear Family Publications. ISBN 978-3-89916-705-4
01-Nov-2012	Calypso Dawn: 1912 - Lovey’s Original Trinidad String Band Monographs Cowley, John, ‘Trinidad String Bands: from slavery to the recording studio,’ in booklet with CD digipac, Hambergen, Bear Family Records BCD 16057 AH
01-Jan-2008	La Musique antillaise en France discographie 1929-1959 / French-Caribbean Music in France a discography 1929-1959 Monographs Cowley, John, ed.; Boulanger, Alain, Cowley, John, and Monneraye, Marc, comps.; Guadeloupe, Médiathèque Caraïbe / Association Française des Détenteurs de Documents Audiovisuels et Sonores ISBN 9782952789042 / ISSN 1265-92290
01-Jan-2006	West Indies Blues: an historical overview 1920s-1950s — blues and music from the English-speaking West Indies Chapters Springer, Robert, ed., “Nobody Knows Where the Blues Came From”: Lyrics and History, Jackson, University Press of Mississippi, pp. 187-263 ISBN 1-57806-797-9
01-Jan-2006	West Indian Rhythm Edited Book Includes the following contributions: Cowley, John H., Calypso and the Trinidad Carnival Tradition, pp. 14-38; Cowley John H., The Censorship of Records 1937, pp. 69-70; Hill, Donald R. & Cowley John H., Vainglorious Appellations, pp. 122-133; Hill, Donald R. & Cowley John H., The Musicians, pp. 153-162; Cowley, John H., The New Shop Law, pp. 208-209; Cowley, John H., Hill, Donald R. and Winer, Lise, Calypso And The Portuguese Connection, pp. 212-216; Cowley, John H., Cavalcade of Leggos, pp. 243-245; Cowley, John H., Canboulay, Carnival and Calenda, pp. 259-271; Cowley, John, Hill, Don and Spottswood, Dick, Discography, 1938-1940, pp. 291-304; 2006, The Classic Calypso Collective, ed. Cowley, John, executive ed., Bear Family Records, ISBN 978-3-89916-299-5
01-Jan-2004	'Introduction' and annotated notes to the songs Articles Cowley, John, booklet notes to the Compact Disc: Louisiana — Catch That Train and Testify! (Deep River of Song series in the Alan Lomax Collection) Rounder CD 1830, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Rounder Records
01-Jan-2003	‘Introduction’ and annotated notes to the songs Articles Cowley, John, [with Evans, David, who contributed notes to a few of the songs] booklet accompanying: Alan Lomax Blues Songbook, Rounder CD 1866, Cambridge, Mass., Rounder Records Corp.
01-Jan-2002	Sam Manning — A Biography / The Recordings Articles Cowley, John, and Shapiro, Steve: annotated notes in the booklets accompanying the Compact Discs: Sam Manning, Volume 1, 1924-1927, Jazz Oracle BDW 8028 (CD), and Sam Manning, Volume 2, 1927-1930, Jazz Oracle BDW 8029 (CD), Ontario, Canada, Jazz Oracle Phonograph Record Co.
01-Jan-2000	Trinidad: Carnival Roots Articles Compilation and notes for the Compact Disc of the same title (Caribbean Voyage series, Alan Lomax Collection) Rounder CD 1725, Cambridge, Massachusetts, Rounder Records Corp.
01-Jan-2000	Lord Invader: Calypso in New York Articles Compilation and notes to the Compact Disc of the same title: Smithsonian-Folkways CD 40454, Washington, DC, Smithsonian-Folkways Recordings

Publications available on SAS-space

Publications available in Senate House Libraries

Relevant Events

Related events:

Date	Details
24-Nov-2018	Justice in the World: Trinidad Calypsos on world and local events recorded in New York 1934-1945 — a work in progress Presented at Latin American Music Seminar, Senate House, University of London
26-Jan-2017	Justice in the World: Trinidad Calypsos on world and local events recorded in New York 1934-1945 — a work in progress Presented at ICWS: Commonwealth Research Seminar, Senate House, University of London
19-Nov-2015	Creole Music of the French West Indies: a discography 1900-1959 Illustrated presentation at George Padmore Institute & New Beacon Books76 Stroud Green Road, London, N4 3EN
23-Jan-2015	Creole Music of the French West Indies: a discography 1900-1959 Book launch: Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 2HU
01-Nov-2014	Elsie Houston: a life in tragedy Presentation on the life of the Brazilian-American singer presented at the LATIN AMERICAN MUSIC SEMINAR Chancellors Hall, Senate House, Malet Street, London WC1E 2HU
19-May-2014	Caribbean Diasporic Culture and Politics in the Jazz Age ICWS: Commonwealth Research Seminar, Senate House, University of London — an expanded version of the paper given at the Atlantic Sounds Conference in Liverpool on 15 March 2014
15-Mar-2014	Atlantic Sounds: Ships and Sailortowns Caribbean Diasporic Culture and Politics in the Jazz Age: Paper presented with Professor Ingrid Kummels (in her absence) of the Free University of Berlin, ZI Latin America Institute
15-May-2013	Numberless Are The Sands On The Seashore: “The Real Bahamas” and the field recording experience (1935-1965) ICWS: Commonwealth Research Seminar, Senate House, University of London
29-Apr-2013	The Evolution of Carnival in Martinique’ Paper presented for the Postgraduate Program in Cultural Studies, Department of Literary, Cultural and Communication Studies, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
25-Apr-2013	‘MUSIC: Lovey and Co.’ [Trinidad String Band recordings – 1912] Discussion of Lovey’s legacy with Trinidad Express features editor Deborah John at the BOCAS Literary Festival, National Library of Trinidad and Tobago, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, W. I.
21-Nov-2012	Stokowski’s South American Adventure – 1940 Seminar paper for Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies department, King’s College London
26-May-2012	Stokowski’s South American Adventure – 1940 Latin American Music Seminar, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London
25-Apr-2012	‘Introductory Talk’ on the work of Alan Lomax Preceding a showing of his film The Land Where The Blues Began — a component in the Film Programme for the annual Sensoria (Arts) Festival, Sheffield
01-Jan-2011	'L’Ame Nègre en exil…Au Bal Antillais': the Role of Discography in Historical Research: A French Antillean Perspective Annual Conference of the Society for Caribbean Studies, International Slavery Museum, Liverpool
01-Jan-2011	The role of discography in historical research – a French Antillean perspective RMA Caribbean and Latin American Music Study Day, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, Yorkshire
01-Jan-2010	‘Biguine amoureuse': Caribbean Music in Paris between the Two World Wars Institute of Musical Research Seminar, University of London
01-Jan-2010	‘Biguine amoureuse': Caribbean music in Paris between the two World Wars University of Liverpool Symposium Afromodernisms (1): Re-encounters with the French and Anglo-Atlantic Worlds, 1907–61
01-Jan-2010	'Beguin-Biguine': Caribbean music in Paris 1922-1939 Research Seminar, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
01-Jan-2010	‘Stokowski’s South American Adventure’ with the All-American Youth Orchestra in 1940 Workshop on Global Perspectives On The Orchestra: The ‘Orchestra’ from Symphony to Sustainability: Communities, Environments, Education, Technologies at the Institute for Musical Research, University of London
01-Jan-2009	From the ‘Paris of the West Indies’ to the Antillean Pompeii: St. Pierre, Martinique, at the time of its decimation in 1902 Caribbean Societies Seminar, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
01-Jan-2008	‘Oh! Cette Musique': French Antillean Jazz under the German Occupation of Paris Latin American Music Seminar, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London
01-Jan-2007	Carnivalesque and Caribbean History: an underutilised resource University of Trinidad & Tobago
01-Jan-2007	Carnivalesque and Caribbean History: an underutilised resource Seminar on research techniques for historians, University of Liverpool
01-Jan-2007	Recorded Caribbean music in Europe Round table on ‘Black music on the European record market, c. 1900-1955,’ CHARM / RMA Annual Conference On ‘Musicology And Recordings,’ Royal Holloway, University of London
01-Jan-2007	Chants, Carnival Bands and Conflict Seminar on Music, Text and Politics in the Caribbean and its Diaspora, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London
01-Jan-2007	'I Been Down In The Circle Before': Black music, topicality and social history International Slavery seminar series, School of History, University of Liverpool
01-Jan-2007	West Indian Rhythm: Trinidad Calypsos on world and local event featuring the censored recordings, 1938-1940 (2006) edited by The Classic Calypso Collective and John Cowley With Richard Noblett, launch of the 10-CD set and book published by Bear Family Records, Caribbean Societies Seminar, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
01-Jan-2007	Content, context, and compilation – Bear Family's Trinidad calypso box set (1939-1940) Latin American Music Seminar, Institute for the Study of the Americas, University of London
01-Jan-2005	‘After The Bacchanal': repertoire, calypso recordings and translocation “Comings and goings: Calypso”: a moment and movement concerning memory, migration and displacement, Conference, AHRB CentreCATH, University of Leeds
01-Jan-2005	‘Iron Duke In The Land': Case studies in the use of discography as a source for the history of vernacular music’ CHARM Symposium I: ‘Comparative perspectives on the study of recordings,’ Royal Holloway, University of London
01-Jan-2004	‘Paris Biguine': History and Documenting Recorded African-Caribbean Music Conference on ‘African American and Diasporic Research in Europe,’ the Sorbonne, Paris, France
01-Jan-2004	Black Music Traditions: Bridging The West Indies, the United States and Europe: an Historical Perspective Conference on “Overseas Blues”: European Perspectives On African-American Music, University of Gloucestershire
01-Jan-2002	Carnival, Canboulay & Consumption in Trinidad Anthropology Seminar, School of Anthropological Studies, Queen’s University Belfast
01-Jan-2002	West Indies Blues: an historical overview c. 1750-1930 — blues and music from the English-speaking West Indies Second international conference: Le Texte Dans La Musique Populaire Afro-Americaine / The Lyrics In African American Popular Music held by the Centre d’Etudes de la Traduction, Université de Metz, France
01-Jan-2002	Migration and Music: The West Indian Legacy in Britain 1948-1958 Post-Imperial Britain – 16th Annual Conference of the Institute of Contemporary British History, University of London
01-Jan-2002	Discographical Sources as Historical Material for Ethnomusicologists Ethnomusicological Research Seminar, Goldsmiths College, University of London
01-Jan-2001	Satire, Protest, & Black Music—Oral History Case Studies from the Caribbean and the USA Music & Power: Annual Conference of the British Forum for Ethnomusicology, Brunel University
01-Jan-2001	Bridging The West Indies and The United States Inter-American Conference on Black Music Research & 27th Annual Conference of the Society for American Music Traversing Musical Boundaries in Research and Writing, Port-of-Spain, Trinidad
01-Jan-2001	The Dollar And The Pound: West Indian Calypsos From A British Perspective Presentation for the City of London Gramophone & Phonograph Society at the ARSC–IASA Conference 2001: Why Collect?, The British Library
01-Jan-2001	Paris Biguine – Cuba En Paris – London Is The Place For Me: West Indian Recordings in France and Britain 1929-1951 Latin American Music Seminar, Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London
01-Jan-2001	Discographical Sources as Historical Material for Ethnomusicologists School of Anthropological Studies, Queen's University, Belfast
01-Jan-2000	Who Has Done The Best For Humanity? (Lord Executor): Caribbean Music In An International Context Conference at the Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London, organised with Dr. Amanda Sives
01-Jan-2000	Long Time Ago – Launching Song: Field Recordings of English-speaking Caribbean music 1920-1962 — a survey Conference on Caribbean Music In An International Context, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
01-Jan-2000	West Indies Blues: an historical overview — blues and music from the English-speaking West Indies 1912-1926 Annual Conference of the Society for Caribbean Studies, University of Birmingham
01-Jan-2000	Susan Monkey Walk / God Made Us All / Carnival Roots: Social & Cultural History & Compact Discs Caribbean Societies Seminar, Institute of Commonwealth Studies, University of London
01-Jan-2000	Life In England: A Survey Of Vernacular Black Vocal Music In Britain 1934-1954 Conference on Black Perspectives On Post-War British History, University College London
01-Jan-2000	Field & Commercial Recordings: The Role of Discography in Ethnomusicological Research Joint presentation by John Cowley and Richard Noblett at British Forum For Ethnomusicology One-Day Conference: British Library

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