Dr. Alaba Ilesanmi Appointed Professor of Ethnomusicology
The University of Minnesota - Twin Cities School of Music is thrilled to announce the appointment of Dr. Alaba Ilesanmi as Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology. Dr. Ilesanmi comes to the University from Florida State University, where he earned his PhD and Masters degrees in Musicology. A rising name in the field, Dr. Ilesanmi’s research focuses on the histories and futures of global Black music, sound, and expressive cultures. His work has been published in top encyclopedias, journals, and media outlets, including the Oxford Bibliographies in Music, Popular Music History Journal, and The Conversation.
“Dr. Ilesanmi’s work as a musician and scholar asks us to expand both our ears and our minds to encompass music’s global roots and impacts,” says Dr. Patrick Warfield, Director of the School of Music. “We are proud to have an international community of faculty and students in the School of Music, and Dr. Ilesanmi will enrich that community and help us engage even more deeply with the global voices of the Twin Cities and the State of Minnesota. We are so pleased to have him join us.”
“I am excited to join the University of Minnesota School of Music,” says Dr. Ilesanmi. “I look forward to collaborating with the talented students and esteemed faculty within the School of Music, the College of Liberal Arts, and across the university. I am equally eager to connect with the diverse musical traditions and vibrant communities that enrich the Twin Cities while fostering genuine partnerships.”
Artist Bio
Dr. Alaba Ilesanmi, born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, is a public-facing scholar-musician whose work connects scholarship, creativity, and public engagement. His research investigates the histories and futures of global Black music, sound, and expressive cultures, covering a wide range of topics from Afrobeat(s) to African art music to Afro-nightlife scenes and sacred traditions.
Dr. Ilesanmi's current project, tentatively titled The Afterlives of Fela Kuti: Afro-Soundscape, Yorùbá Cosmology, Global Black Solidarity, examines the legacy of the late Nigerian musician Fela Anikulapo-Kuti and what the fascination with his memory reveals about global Blackness and the realities of Black communities today. His broader research interests include popular culture, music and memory, music and spirituality, colonial copyright law and Indigenous ownership, global music pedagogy, musical biography, applied/public and creative musicology, and sound studies.
Beyond the classroom, Dr. Ilesanmi is involved in community-centered initiatives. He founded and directed Afro-Nyota (Swahili for “African stars”), one of the first collegiate African pop music ensembles in the U.S., at Florida State University. He also directs the Pan-African Art Music Commissioning Project (PAMCP), which supports composers in creating new works inspired by and drawn from African musical traditions.
Dr. Ilesanmi's writings have been published in Oxford Bibliographies in Music, Popular Music History Journal, and The Conversation, where he shares his insights with a broader audience . His work has received support through various fellowships and awards, including those from the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS), the Florida Education Fund (McKnight Doctoral Fellowship), the Presser Foundation, and the West African Research Association (WARA).
He holds a PhD and Masters degree in musicology from Florida State University and a BM in Music Education from the University of Texas at Tyler. He also holds advanced certifications in music theory, piano, and percussion from the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM) and Trinity College of Music.
