If you are ever walking past the historic University Club and hear melodious jazz tunes wafting out of the lobby, John Nimis may be the man responsible.
The newly-hired assistant professor of African languages and literature holds a Master of Music in piano performance from the University of Michigan and has been known to tickle the ivories in the club’s lobby. Nimis, who has already been on campus as a visiting assistant professor and an Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, enjoys playing the works of Chopin, Bach and Mozart on the baby grand he bought when he moved to Madison.
Nimis’ love of music is central to his scholarly pursuits. He went on to get his M.A. and Ph.D. in French, and he now studies the popular music of the Congo region and its role in the local culture.
We recently asked the former a cappella singer about his eclectic background and for a quick French lesson.
Nimis (Photo by Catherine Reiland, African Studies Program)
Q: How did you wind up in your field?
A: I was introduced to African music while studying French in high school, and my interests in music and languages gradually snowballed together throughout my education (including studying abroad in Cameroon). A Ph.D. in French was a way for me to pursue my passion for languages and literature, and to stay connected to Africa.
Q: Why do you focus on the popular music of the Congo region?
A: Music plays a very central role in Congolese culture, and I argue that popular music in Congo takes on many roles: in some important senses, it functions as the culture's literature, and even its history. I try to show the different and complex ways in which the music produces meaning, by looking both at lyrics in Lingala (a language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Republic of the Congo, Angola and the Central African Republic) and at the musical structures.
Q: What courses are you teaching this year?
A: Introduction to African Languages & Literature (AF201) and an advanced course on popular culture in Africa.
Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: I really love Cameroonian food, and eat it whenever I can: in particular, a dish called ndole, made from a bitter green, and grilled fish.
Q: Do you have a favorite phrase in French that you can teach us?
A: I love the expression "au cas où." It means "just in case" (literally "in the case where"), but I really like it because of the way it sounds: three vowel sounds and only one consonant. And it sounds close to the French words for chaos and Coke, and the Lingala word for "listen," which is fun.
To meet more new faculty members, see our full list of Q&As.