Foundations - Post-colonialism and Orientalism

What are the three key strands in defining post-colonialism?

1. Description of Political status

2. Political philosophy and activism  

3. Cultural theories, critical of colonialism and colonial attitudes 

When did Said write Orientalism?

1978

How does Bellman define Said’s ‘Orientalism? When?

2011

Bellman says, said doesn’t reduce post colonialism to this and instead ‘affirms music's cultural multivalence by venturing far beyond postcolonial criticism's essentially binary framework’

What does Said say about the orient as a creation?

Orient is not just an ‘idea or a creation with no corresponding reality’. It is there are real people in real cultures in the east and their reality is greater than the west can imagine 

Said wishes to convey the internal consistency of the Orient despite the lack of correspondence with the orient 

When did Paul Simon release ‘Graceland’?

1986

What theory belongs to Tony Mitchell? When?

1996 

• Argues the Cultural Imperialism Thesis which says that other cultures not only ‘dump’ their products on unsuspecting world but also commercialises, commodifies, appropriates third world cultures and weaker economies with no recognition 

Give some arguments in support of Graceland?

• Drew attention to Apartheid in S Africa,

• if the songs were too political then lives of musicians would be endangered,

• mixed-racial characters promoting racial harmony,

• Simon pain the collaborators 3x going union rate and gave them top royalities and writing credits 

 

Give some arguments against Simon’s Graceland

• breaks UNESCO cultural boycott of performances in S Africa,

• naming it Gracland after Elvis shows lack of consideration for his part in appropriatio of black music,

• lyrics too apolitical,

• Ladysmith Black Mambazo in supporting role, price high and sold in stored catering to white people,

• Simon modifies sounds away from blackness,

• despite the pay of the collaborators, Simon still maintains sole copywright ownership 

What did Kofi Agawu write and when?

‘Appropriating African Music’ (2016) 

What does Agawu say about composing with other’s music?

“acts of musical composition are unavoidable intertextual” “every composer is born into an environment that is already filled with (humanly organised) sounds of which a subset is claimed as music”

But where is crossing the line?

What film example does Agawu provide as evidence of Hollywood being lost without sounds of Africa?

Kinshasa Symphony – film by Claus Wischmann and Martin Baer (2011) - African reception of western classical music in urban African setting. People join orchestra performing Beethoven 9 and other works with poor quality instruments operating under challenges of urban African life e.g power outages, transport issues, no rehearsal space and yet still have successful performance – story of endurance 

Why does Agawy suggest African music is so resilient?

• Incorporative not seperatist without sacrificing distinctiveness 

• Policing during salvery by maters -> ^ connections betweens slaves 

• “This view suggests a lineage made possible not necessarily through the retention of materials nor by the possession of a peculiar sensibility or disposition, but by the generous assumption of guardianship of a heritage.” 

Why does Agawu mention David Fanshawe?

• Fanshawe’s African Sanctus 1971 – multistylistic rock opera african trad, renaissance polyphony 

• Did get permission from African musicians and sales from recordings went to them, could be argued he facilitated exposure 

• BUT other say who ultimately benefits? 

Link Graceland

What did Bellman write and when?

Music Voyages and Their Baggage’ (2011) 

What is webster’s definition of orientalism?

“a viewpoint, as held by someone in the west, in which Asia or specifically the Arabic Middle East is seen variously as exotic, mysterious, irrational, etc.: [a] term used to impute a patronizing attitude”

What does Bellman write about some problematic composer’s approaches to orientalism?

most composers “adopt the generalised wrong-note and contrary-to-normative exoticizing practices (e.g, drones, simplistic or awkward melodies, shocking and ungrammatical harmonic gestures) that date back to the eighteenth-century pastoral and before” 

What is Bellman’s approach to women in orientalism?

Give examples of portrayals of women

Idea of women in the Orient is an early development of postcolonialism in orient 

• Exotic beauty, mystery, object of desire, pleasure 

• Applies to people disappointed with western women 

Suleika of Schubert unfinished opera Der Graf von Gleichen, Sulima of Brahms Die Schöne Magelone 

Who does Bellman write about who does pay any attention to exactitude of the cultures he represent?

What does Bellman call this?

Albert Roussel’s “Hindu Symphony” not paying any attention to exatitude of music using his own artistic liscense. Rousesel wanted to keep the location vague “I am anxious the country remain vague 

• Bellman calls this ‘one-size-fits-all' exoticism’ - disrespect for the culture 

What does Philip Ewell write and when?

‘Music Theory and the White Racial Frame’ (2020)

As of Ewells article in 2020 what % of society for music theory were white?

84% white membership 

How does Feagin define white racial frames?

“an overarching white worldview that encompasses a broad and persisting set of racial steorytypes, prejudices, ideologies, iamges, interpretations and narratives, emotions and reactions to language accents as well as racialized inclinations to discriminate” 

What does Eduardo Bonilla Silva argue and when?

(2018)  

• Systemic and institutionalised part of racism is for most people of colour the more significant aspect more so than prejudice 

How does Ewell argue Schenker is racist?

• ‘Schenkerian Theory is an institutionalized raicalised structure ... that exists to benefit members of the dominant white race of music theory’ - to consider them ahistorically surgically removes them from racism 

• Schenker - “Let Germans be alive to the superior quality of their human propagating soil” (2004, 17) he often mentions race in his writing and writes truly horrifying things e.g needing to ‘annihilate’ Japanese ‘animals’ 

• Ewells crticises N Cook for whitewashing Schenker believing it is unnecessary to examine white in turn adheres to white frames 

What specifically about schenkerian analysis does Ewell argue is problematic?

• hierarchical beliefs applied to music and race 

• Equality of tones uses similar language to his writing on quality of races 

• Black people are inferior, only white people capable of producing background – his whole theory relies of relationship between foreground and background 

• Doesn’t believe black people are capable of governing themselves – fundamental line of music governs entire structure 

Race is inherently part of Schenker

What key quote does Ronald Radano and Philip Bohlman say and when?

2002

‘Musicology... has sought to deny racism’ 

What do Ronald Radano and Philip Bohlman link to recording and printing culture in terms of racism?

Print culture and recordings -> ease of exchanging musical material BUT the ‘other’ shouldn’t claim the music the self puports to own’ - Link Paul Simon