| Contents |
Mediumship, modernity, and cultural identity -- Experiencing spirit possession -- Songs for the spirits -- The musical construction of the spirits -- Musical creativity and change -- Engendering mediumship -- Ritual and folklorization in late socialist Vietnam. |
| Abstract |
This is the first in-depth study of the Vietnamese practice of communing with spirits through music and performance. During rituals dedicated to a large pantheon of indigenous spirits, a band of musicians performs an elaborate sequence of songs--a "songscape"--for possessed mediums who carry out ritual actions, distribute blessed gifts to disciples, and dance to the music's infectious rhythms. Drawing on extensive fieldwork and his experience of learning to perform ritual music, the author explores the transformative power of song and the multifaceted relationship between musical and ritual performance, emphasizing the importance of musical interaction, creativity, and change. An accompanying DVD contains numerous video and music extracts that illustrate the fascinating ways in which music evokes the embodied presence of spirits and their gender and ethnic identities. |
| Local note | JOYNER MUSIC LIBRARY BOOK ACCOMPANIED BY AUDIO/VISUAL RECORDING LOCATED AT CALL NUMBER : MusicLib DVD-506. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 237-248) and index. |
| LCCN | 2008035441 |
| ISBN | 9780252033995 (cloth : alk. paper) |
| ISBN | 025203399X (cloth : alk. paper) |
