Themes
What are the themes in the tequila article?
-As a result of colonialism, we loose history
-There is a great value in decolonizing history, which anthropology plays an important role in
Define colonialism
“the policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically.”
Define nationalism
“loyalty and devotion to a nation especially as expressed in a glorifying of one nation above all others and a stressing of the promotion of its culture and interests”
What strategies do young Indie pop musicians use to distance their music from typical Indonesian music?
-They sing in English
-They incorporate a variety of styles into their music
-The artists mix styles and do not have any clear identifying Indonesian characteristics
Why were Filipinos going to Mexico?
-Filipinos traveled to Mexico to trade with them.
-A trade route was established between Manila and Acapulco which brought more sailors to Mexico
What is a theme in the music of Mocca referenced in the text?
-Childhood nostalgia, which is displayed not only in their music, but in their general image. For example, their CD case was shaped like a colored pencil box
*play songs*
Follow up: what are other themes you’ve found after listening to the music?
What is a long-term impact of colonialism that was referenced in the article “How Filipino Sailors—and Coconuts—Helped Create Mexico’s National Drink”?
-Loss of history due to colonizers implementing their own version of history, which is still being told even in the independent country
Define dislocation
“disturb the normal arrangement or position of something”
-Indonesian pop is both disturbing “traditional” Indonesian music and the global pop scene
-Indonesian pop also took jazz, samba, and other worldly types of music to create a new type of music.
How does the way Indonesian musicians view their music differ from the way Western musicians view theirs?
-The Indonesian musicians presented their cliché music video to the British Council
-The musicians thought it was good because of its commonality with Western music videos
-The Brits were unimpressed because it was not distinctive.
What are the explanations for why the history of tequila is widely unknown in the Philippines?
The colonized nature of how history was taught limits the knowledge Filipinos have of Mexico
What are the themes in the article “Dislocating Sounds?”
-globalization vs. national identity/youth culture
-long-term impacts of colonialism
-Youth marginalization
-nationalism vs. locality
What is a long-term impact of colonialism discussed in “Dislocating Sounds?”
- national identity problems the youth face
-Issues the government both faced and caused while recovering from being a colony
Define Globalization
“the process of increasing interaction and integration between people, companies, and governments around the world. Characterized by the exchange of goods, services, capital, technology, and information across borders.”
How did the internet influence the Indonesian music scene?
-With the internet, young people had access to a variety of different music genres which influenced the music that they made
What were the techniques the Filipino sailors used to make tequila?
-Filipinos used to ferment coconut sap into tuba and applied the same technique to the Mexican plant agave, creating tequila
What are common themes between the two articles?
-nationalism
-globalization
-colonialism
How is Indonesian Pop music a way of fighting back against colonialism?
While it is true that youth see traditions as a way of isolating themselves from global youth culture (which in turn means less people are participating in those traditions), music is integral in fighting colonialism because they are “shedding the baggage of colonialism” by reinventing a new form of music that displays their self-representation in the way that they want.
Define localization
“the process of making something local in character or restricting it to a particular place.”
-The Indonesian musicians are adapting global music to fit Indonesia’s cultural context
What are the downsides of Indonesian Pop Music becoming increasingly globalized?
-Using a mix of music styles prioritizes “elsewhere” over “here”
- Young people feel disconnected from the national identity
What is the main explanation for why the history of tequila is widely unknown in Mexico?
Gastronationalism: Since tequila is a symbol of Mexican national identity, they don’t want to admit that it came from somewhere else
What is the main theme/point the author is making in this quote?
“I would suggest, then, an alternative reading to those models of globalization, frequently used in our discipline, that continue to understand the forces of global capital as a monolithic power to be resisted at all costs through myriad forms of localization. Indonesian indie pop groups are not the victims of globalization; they are its accomplices, its co-conspirators. Their preference for international musical elements over local musical forms probably does reveal an internalization of inequality, the subjugation of Indonesian youth to new, diffuse forms of transnational power, but it is not a passive subjugation” (270-271)
-Globalization/colonialism is the reason why Indonesian musicians wanted to pursue “popular” music instead of traditional music. While there are a lot of systemic reasons for why they feel disconnected from their traditional music and customs, they are not passive in this trend; they are actively participating in it.
How can anthropology help decolonize what we know about many parts of history? (Like the link between Tequila and the Philippines?)
Researchers have used botanical, archaeological, and ethnohistorical data from sources to rediscover connections that had been lost because of colonialism.
Define deterritorialization
“The severance of political, cultural, or social practices from their origin”
Why do young people living in Indonesia not identify as Indonesian?
-Young people’s idea of “local” has been tainted by colonialism and nationalism forced on them by the government.
-One musician said, “Why would we want our music or our style to be Indonesian, anyway? Indonesia is an idea that was pushed on us. It’s not something we chose.”
How has the process of making tequila changed over time?
-When it was first invented, Filipinos used hollowed out tree trunks to distill the liquor.
-Now, it has been industrialized, and steel stills are used.