Writing

Publications

2024. “Sorcerers, Acrobats and Cross-Dressers: What the Met’s Collection of West African Instruments Tells Us About the Mandé World.” In Enduring Rhythms: Essays in Honor of J. Kenneth Moore, edited by Jayson Kerr Dobney. New York: The Department of Musical Instruments at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

2023. “Analyzing Intangible Cultural Heritage (“ICH”) of Musical Instrument Collections in Museums.” Global Crises and Music Museums: Representing Music after the Pandemic. Proceedings of the 2021 CIMCIM Conference, 6–8 September, London, Royal College of Music / Horniman Museum and Gardens. Edited by Gabriele Rossi Rognoni, Mimi Waitzman and Esteban Mariño.

2022. Mandé Instruments at the Met: Analyzing the Intangible Cultural Heritage of a Musical Instrument Collection in the Museum. PhD Thesis. Columbia University.

2022. “Listening to Kora in New York City: Constructing Africa and Blackness in the U.S.” Ethnomusicology 65 (3)

2022. “Christopher Johnson, Musicians’ Migratory Patterns: The African Drum as Symbol in Early America.” Book Review. Galpin Society Journal LXXV

2019. “On the Organology of the Kora.American Musical Instrument Society Online.

selected talks

latest News

Due West FYC 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album

Due West FYC 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album

Due West, Althea’s debut album, is being considered for a 2025 GRAMMY® Award for Best Alternative Jazz Album! Are…

New Publication Out Now!

New Publication Out Now!

Althea’s first major publication stemming from her on-going research into the collection of musical instruments from the Mandé region…

Due West ranks on the Transglobal World Music Chart!

Due West ranks on the Transglobal World Music Chart!

Althea’s debut album Due West (2025) is #28 on the Transglobal World Music Chart for September 2025!

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