A Conference hosted by the Yale Program in African Languages at the Yale Council on African Studies

OCTOBER 2-4, 2008

As the world continues to become more and more of a global village - especially through the power of the Internet and electronic media, transfer of cultural practices has become the norm. However the cultures of those with global economic and political power have tended to overshadow those of countries whose influence is local. This conference will bring together scholars across disciplines to discuss trends in African popular cultures and how these have impacted African languages.

The conference will investigate some of the developments in the performing and visual arts in Africa, with special focus on choice and forms of language used. We will ask how African languages have changed in this new environment and look at some of the reworking of oral tradition, at works influenced by time spent outside Africa, and at new worldwide markets for products of popular African culture composed in African languages and argots.