African music through the eyes of the earliest travelers to West Africa: The Description and historical account of the rich golden kingdom of Guinea by Pieter de Marees (1602)

Beschryvinge ende historiche vant Gout Koninckrijck van Gunea (The description and historical tale of the Golden Kingdom of Africa), written by the Dutch merchant Pieter de Marees upon his return from the African regions on the Gulf of Guinea and published in 1602, was one of the first travel chronicles of Africa whose text and illustrations were based on the author’s direct experience of the region. Beschryvinge, translated into the most important European languages at that time, including Latin, was widely read throughout Europe and it became one of the most cited works on Africa by the later authors and compilers of travel literature. De Marees described geography, flora and fauna of the different regions that he explored, and the customs and culture of the inhabitants that he encountered, including their music: several passages are devoted to the musical instruments of the region and their performance technique, as well as the context in which music was performed.