BOOK: THE EAR IS A HUNGRY GHOST

In December 2018 I arrived in Ghana and found myself stuffed in the back of a trotro for the bumpy five hour journey from the city of Accra to the village of Tafi Atome, where I would embark on a course that involved learning about Ghanaian music and dance. Squeezed in the back seat next to me was a guy called Duncan Marshall who had also signed up for the course and straight away we started chatting about all manner of subjects. Of course, the topic soon got around to music and I was happy to find a new pal who is as equally obsessed with the topic as I am. 

Duncan told me he had been working on a music-related book for a number of years and had brought his manuscript along to proofread whilst in Ghana. Since we were spending a few weeks together in the village, he offered me the great privilege of reading it and giving my thoughts. What I read was an intriguing and compelling story of what music can mean to a person. As well as providing an insight into Duncan's 'headful of music' the book also encourages the reader to explore their own relationship with music and song. Furthermore, his descriptive analysis of some familiar songs and lyrics that I hadn't particularly liked before made me take the opportunity to re-listen and think about them differently. For those interested in the effect that music has on our identity throughout our lives, The Ear is a Hungry Ghost is well worth a read. Adding another dimension to the book is the Spotify playlists that accompany each chapter.

More information on the book can be found here. 

Some snaps of Duncan in Ghana

L.S.