Abstract
Performing traditional music in Vietnam presents for many a decisive way to establish oneself as part of history, part of the present and a strategist of future cultural function. In this article, I describe how musicians in southern Vietnam deploy the musical ruin, a sound object that has undergone devastating and alienating alteration against which a musician reacts in order to perform innovative music and educate others, in order to limit the development of and better sustain đờn ca tài tử, a genre of traditional music. The invocation of the musical ruin is not specific to the Vietnamese case but emerges as a creative impetus at particular historical moments to maintain one’s voice in increasingly crowded spheres of musical practice.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 146-171 |
Journal | Ethnomusicology Forum |
Volume | 25 |
Issue number | 2 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 11 May 2016 |
Keywords
- Vietnam
- Traditional Music
- Music Preservation
- Cultural Policy
- Creativity