When it comes to African-American music and culture, Amiri Baraka is ranked among the most important commentators of the subject. His exceptional assemblage of writings on music blends the history, autobiography and political opinions to recall the places, times and people he has encountered throughout his life.
A few of the famous Amiri Baraka books include;
Blues People and Black Music – It is one of Baraka’s early classics and narrates essays on famous personalities such as Max Roach, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Charlie Parker.
According to Langston Hughes, it is “A must for all who would more knowledgeably appreciate and better comprehend America’s most popular music.”
Somebody Blew up America– This book was published after the 9/11 incident in America and narrates Baraka’s opinions about tragedies that took place in US and other places around the world.
According to Kamau Brathwaite, NYU, it is “One more mark in the development in modern Black radical & revolutionary cultural reconstruction.”
Tales of the Out and the Gone– It narrates short fictional stories from the early seventies to the twenty first century and revolves around events, struggles and conditions of the passing time.
As per the magazine, Booklist, “In this book, fans and newcomers alike will appreciate Baraka’s breadth of political perspective and passion for storytelling.”
Amiri Baraka’s list of writings is long and varied. With regards to music as a subject, be it jazz blues, pop rock or alternative, it helps in realizing the importance of music. Also, it gives the listeners a sense of belonging by extending knowledge from generation to generation.
Blues People
Harper Perennial, 1999
“A must for all who would more knowledgeably appreciate and better comprehend America’s most popular music.”
– Langston Hughes
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Somebody Blew Up America
House of Nehesi, 2004
“One more mark in the
development in modern Black radical & revolutionary
cultural reconstruction.
– Kamau Brathwaite, NYU
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Dutchman + The Slave
Harper Perennial, 1971
“Dutchman by Leroi Jones/Amiri Baraka is designed to shock–its basic idea, its language and its murderous rage.”
– The New York Times
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Tales of the Out & the Gone
Akashic Books, 2006
“Fans and newcomers alike will appreciate Baraka’s breadth of political perspective and passion for storytelling.”
– Booklist
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Black Music
Da Capo Press, 1998
“Essential. Baraka’s writings are charged with a literary electricity that enlightens and energizes our minds, bodies and souls. “
– M.K. Asante, Jr.
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The Amiri Baraka Reader
Thunder’s Mouth Press, 1999
“A man of shattering fury.”
– The New York Post
“The words of a literary genius.”
– Eugene Holley, Jr.
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Home
Ecco Press, 1998
“No study of the Black Revolt of the 60s is complete w/o Home, written by one of the founders of the Black Arts Movement.”
– Dr. Komozi Woodard
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Transbluesency
Marsilio Publishers, 1996
“These works combine the personal and political in highly charged ways. He succeeds as both an activist and a poet.”
– Publisher’s Weekly
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Autobiography of Leroi Jones
Lawrence Hill & Co, 1995
“He is one of the seminal figures of contemporary black writing, a poet, playwright, novelist, critic, and political activist.”
– Library Journal
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The Fiction of Amiri Baraka
Lawrence Hill & Co, 2000
“This collection of fiction offers an excellent alternative look at one of the legends of African-American letters”
– Publisher’s Weekly
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Funk Lore
Sun & Moon Press, 1996
“Baraka continues to trumpet the power of black style, the “exhaltation & joy” found in the sounds of John Coltrane”
– Publisher’s Weekly
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The Essence of Reparations
House of Nehesi, 2003
“Amiri Baraka sees reparations as part of a wider struggle for full citizenship and equal rights in the United States of America.”
– Dr. Rupert Lewis
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