Urban generations: Post-colonial cities
01-03 October 2004
Conference Abstracts
48. Zafimahaleo, Rasolofondraosolo and Meinhof, Ulrike
Hanna: University of Southampton, UK: "Transnational ancestors : Malagasy musicians and their
lyrics in post-colonial settings"
In our third paper we will explore in detail the ways
in which the lyrics of im-migrant songwriters in France register
their transnational experiences, and how these 'discourses of song'
interconnect with the every-day life experiences of the artists.
Our main focus will be on the cultural production of musicians of
Malagasy origin but will include some comparative and contrastive
references to our other case study as well. We will present an exemplary
selection from the repertoire of contemporary
songs by Malagasy im-migrants in France (presented in the original
and in translation), which will demonstrate that in most cases the
inspiration for the themes and the choice of language for the lyrics
depends on the continuing connection with the country of origin
- both real and imaginary, and to a far lesser extent on the experience
of migration. On the other hand, our interviews and ethnographic
observations of musicians (and related cultural actors) revealed
a high degree of integration into their new place/country of residence
and considerable 'savoir faire'. Our paper will analyse what may
be seen as a paradoxical conflict, by referring to two forms of
'transnationalism' introduced in the first paper, - a model of diasporic
displacement filled with nostalgic memories - and a model of transnational
capital where cultural origin is seen as strategically enabling.
Drawing on our interview data and observations we are also able
to comment on the extent to which the musicians themselves experience
this duality as a conflict or paradox between their every-day and
their artistic life, or by contrast, whether they experience them
as interconnecting features of a multi-facetted transnational existence
which provides them above all with an enhanced cultural repertoire
affecting all aspects of their lives.
The paper will include exemplary performance of such
music by Dama, one of
the co-author's of this paper, himself an established musician with
extensive links to the musicians researched.
