Project Topic

Pending (email) replies from people I have contacted, I will be looking into some aspect of live music in Latin America. I'm particularly interested in live music, rather than studio recordings. Moreso, I hope to focus on live music that is considerably different than a playlist of studio tracks reflecting setlists.

I will look for either:
"Unscripted" concerts. Are there formal (paid concerts, rather than informal sessions) performances that feature variety in their setlists, individual songs, etc. I have a sense that popular music in Latin America is very formulaic and one-size-fits-all. But there must be a segment of popular music that takes chances and explores new ideas in a public setting. I'm admittedly biased toward American "jam bands", but there doesn't seem to be much of a "jam band" scene in Latin America. I wonder what other types of music have similar characteristics, fan bases, and/or business models.
(I know that "jam bands" is a vague term, and probably as disliked in its current usage by academia as it is by me, but it's easy to use.)

The other possibility is to look into the fan bases themselves. Are there bands or genres of music that garner cross-country/cross-continent followings? What makes these bands and these fans different than others- musically, economically, culturally? On the other hand, are there events that draw both large numbers of bands and large numbers of fans to one place for an extended event? I will also try to find some niche performers that draw significant crowds with relatively little publicity.

I'm worried that these will end up proving pretty contrived, and turn up some really obvious answers-in the case of the former- or absolutely nothing- in the case of the latter. I have contacted two bands in Latin America and three friends who have studied or are living or studying in Latin America. Communication has been slow. I have looked through some of the library's resources and found very little, so I will rely on direct communication particularly for early research leads.

If all else fails, I will look at the "festival" idea. In America in the 80's, after Woodstock, it was thought that the large scale rock festival was dead, forever. Meanwhile Jazz and Folk Festivals, though hardly attracting hundreds of thousands, and not involving camping or two-day cities, were continuing on with some success. What is the history of festival concerts in Latin America, what makes them successful, and who goes to them? Who produces them and what are their effects on popular music in Latin America?

(This doesn't show that it's been edited?)

Shelemay

More often than not, the ethnomusicologist becomes a(n often significant) part of what s/he is studying. (Shelemay became a significan part of Syrian/Sephardic Jewish music in New York, developed friendships, and more professional relationships). There are three ways that fieldworkers are often involved. Firstly, preserving tradition- multiple scholars were told they would eventually be the last living vestige of the music. Also memorializing musics, as with a book memorializing a musician (or a type of music). The third, mediating, refers to participation in the distribution and education processes. Lastly, Shelemay sets forth some guidelines for responisble and effective interaction with subjects.

Test Post

Test