AWA: Academic Writing at Auckland

This article provides an insight into the emergence of ethnic ensembles in China into the international pop scene; it also focuses at its origins, commodification, and performance style as well as examining the influence and reception of national musical traditions and innovations insofar as they involve the globalization of Chineseness within today’s increasingly internationalized pop-music market (Yang & Saffle, 2010).

Based on ethnographic research, interview, and historical materials, the authors focus on the 12 Girls Band, an ensemble of Chinese musicians and how their origins, commodification of their music, performance style as well as the influence of music traditions amongst other factors have affected their emergence in the international pop scene. Using the 12 Girls Band as an example, the authors focuses on globalization and its affects and influences on tradition, gender, commodification and national/international identity (Yang & Saffle).

After its formation in the early 2000’s the founder of the group looked for ways of commodification and marketing the Band on an international level. To do this the Band would have to rely on its popularity within other cultures. Thus they started playing Western musical materials on their Chinese instruments thus gaining them commercial success in places such as Japan and the U.S. At home they are less commercially successful, on the contrary their music performance, the way they present themselves and their music is criticized. Because of their endeavour for worldwide appeal, the Band has made certain alterations, such as replacing their traditional costumes with one’s which are more Western, and also the seated, concert-hall style of performance gone to be replaced by standing performance. The question of whether their music should be considered national Chinese music or not, as far as national music in China goes, the authenticity of national music should meet three main criteria’s and that is: the music performed today has to have come down from past centuries and peoples, is of outstanding quality and has influenced and continues to influence later music (Yang & Saffle, 2010). Based upon these factors, I believe that globalization has its pro’s and con’s. It could create tensions between cultural values and musical performances and also the performers. It also tends to undermine tradition and therefore the value placed on traditional music is not recognized. But it also looks to push through cultural barriers and differences in order to establish a single worldwide economy and gaining bands such as the 12 Girls Band international recognition.

Another musical phenomenon that is similar to the 12 Girls Band is the singing South African group Ladysmith Black Mambazo. The group sings in a South African form of vocal music called mbube or iscathamiya. They perform African songs as well as western songs and also have collaborated with artists like Paul Simon.

References

H.Yang, M. Saffle, The 12 Girls Band: Traditions, Gender, Globalization, and (Inter) national identity, Asian Music: Summer/ Fall 2010, University of Texas Press, 2010, pp. 88-104