Howard University professor Sa's T. Kamalidiin, Ph.D. is preparing to take his African and African-American music history class to Africa for a summer session abroad.

Kamalidiin will travel to Ghana in summer 2008 to teach at the University of Ghana at Legon.

African and African-American music history, a class that is usually only offered in the spring, helps students gain a better understanding of music they are familiar with by tracking the historical connection of music from the west coast of Africa to the music created by enslaved Africans in America.

Approaching his third year as a professor of African and African-American music history, Kamalidiin expressed excitement about the opportunity that lies ahead of him and the course's importance to Howard's music department.

"The music department has had no direct connection to anywhere in Africa, that I know of, and I believe that it should be a part of the music curriculum at Howard University in some form or fashion [because] no connection is unacceptable," he said.

Kamalidiin also discussed the importance of knowing music's roots.

He stressed the fact that many times, students have very little knowledge of where the music they listen to derived from.
"Students should learn about the roots of the music that they say they love," Kamalidiin said.

Sophomore television production major Krystal Robertson said the school's trip to Ghana will be a positive experience.

She believes some students are unaware that some of the music they listen to is not directed towards them in the first place.
"I think it's very important for people to know their music's origin and whether or not it is even directed towards them," she said. "A lot of what people see on TV or hear on the radio isn't even music that was intended for them to hear."

In the duration of students' time in Africa, they will be able to see the country, meet its scholars and interact with African musicians as well as hear their music.

Kamalidiin was also pleased to mention that a certain honor awaits him and his class once they arrive in Africa.
Dr. Kwabena Nketia, author of the text "Music of Africa," will lecture the professor's class during their stay in the country.
"I used this book as the text for my class because I believe that it is one of the finest books of African music written by an African," Kamalidiin said.

Jazz voice professor Connaitre Miller, who is also the director of Howard University's premier vocal jazz ensemble, Afro Blue, shares Kamalidiin's excitement and admires the professor's love for what he does.

"I think he is doing the students a great service by tying them to their heritage," she said.

"He is passionate about what he does, and he comes with a vast wealth of knowledge. I'm happy to see that he is gaining recognition for his work," she added.

While he agrees that it is good to be informed about the origins of black music, junior psychology major Jarred McKee is skeptical about whether or not having that knowledge changes anything.

"I'm not sure that it will necessarily change anyone's views on it, but it is good to know just for the sake of being informed," he said.

But junior history major Milea Pickett thinks the trip to Ghana will prove to be beneficial to students' knowledge of their field.
"Returning to the root of music helps you to understand where a lot of the emotion in the music comes from," she said. "It's important to know where your style of music derives from so that no matter what you try, you don't take it out of its element."