Many Voices: Music and National Identity in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Henry Johnson

Apr 2010 · Cambridge Scholars Publishing

About this ebook

This collection of fourteen essays provides a starting point to re-think music and national identity in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The papers offer various perspectives on the interconnections between music and identity, while providing case-studies on diverse topics including performance, composition, and musical styles. Based on a conference held at the University of Otago, the book covers three broad themes: Cultural Diversity; Popular Culture; and, Education and High-Art.

Within any nation, individuals might have a cultural identity that is related to notions of being or becoming, or they may live transcultural lives. One consequence of the nation-state is that notions of national identity are often challenged and continually changing, often brought about by social and cultural flows such as those connected with music.

The intention of this book is to open up critical discourse on the many musics of Aotearoa/New Zealand. The papers represent a few sounds of a diverse nation, and sounds that do much to represent place, very often Aotearoa/New Zealand and beyond. The papers cannot cover everything, but what they can offer will hopefully open up further research on the many voices of those who call Aotearoa/New Zealand home.

About the author

Henry Johnson ([e-mail]) is Professor in the Department of Music, University of Otago, New Zealand. His teaching and research interests are in the field of ethnomusicology, particularly the musics of Asia and New Zealand. His recent publications include The Koto (Amsterdam: Hotei, 2004), Asia in the Making of New Zealand (Auckland University Press, 2006; co-edited with Brian Moloughney), Performing Japan (Folkestone: Global Oriental, 2008; co-edited with Jerry Jaffe), and The Shamisen (Amsterdam: Brill, 2010).