Music as Relation

Seeking to musicalize history, MusiCol’s first international symposium welcomes study of music, musicians, and musical practices in the urban capitals of 20th c. empires, particularly from the perspective of musicians’ agency. Here, we take seriously Glissant 1997’s observation that every identity is “extended through a relationship with the Other.” This “Other” can be settlers (French, Europeans, or others), including those pursuing trade and other interests not part of the colonial apparatus, or local communities of various origins and ethnicities, as well as migrants and foreigners established there. During the colonial period, the latter could include Brazilians in Porto-Novo, Egyptians in Tunis, Lebanese in Dakar, Indians in Tananarive, and Filipinos in Phnom Penh. Each brought their own musical traditions, sometimes collaborating. Understanding this requires a geologic-like survey, mapping an inventory of residents, considering their interactions, and analyzing their possible reciprocal impact on one another and society through the prism of music.