scholarly journals Hearing Global Modernity: The Case of the Travelling Oud

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 458-485
Author(s):  
Rachel Beckles Willson

Musical instruments are integrated into the fabric of societies throughout the world and, like any number of objects, are adapted as they travel. In this article I place the oud (the eastern lute) in the context of a transformation that the late Arif Dirlik identified as ‘global modernity’, and analyze the career of the remarkable and hugely influential Iraqi musician Munir Bashir (1930–1997). I also use Bashir and his oud to nuance and extend aspects of the model set out by Dirlik which, for all its strengths, is geographically partial, and focuses strongly on the productive side of global competition and diversification. As I will demonstrate, Bashir’s oud was a part of the global modernity being negotiated by actors in the Iraqi, European and American culture-political spheres. But its success reveals the partiality of those negotiations, the precariousness of globally shared power, and the divisions between cultural, political and socio-economic spheres of ‘hearing’.

2019 ◽  
pp. 32-38

The article introduces the creative work of the famous American playwright Sam Shepard, whose works are almost unknown to our Uzbek reader. His plays are well known throughout the world; they influenced the formation of the worldview of readers of different nations and show the peculiarities of American culture. Despite the worldwide fame of Sam Shepard’s works, they are not studied well by literary critics. In America and Europe his works have been studied in details for a long period, and even several monographs in English have been written. However, neither in the Russian speaking, nor in the domestic literary criticism there is yet no major work on Shepard's works. The article also deals with the artistic features of the political myth of the “American dream” in one of the most scandalous plays, “The God of Hell,” dedicated to the protest against the war in Iraq. Thus, this study, which touches upon some issues of Shepard's creative work in connection with his innovative artistic originality, to a certain extent, seeks to fill this gap.


2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (2) ◽  
pp. 18-21
Author(s):  
Juris Meija ◽  
Javier Garcia-Martinez ◽  
Jan Apotheker

AbstractIn 2019, the world celebrated the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements (IYPT2019) and the IUPAC centenary. This happy coincidence offered a unique opportunity to reflect on the value and work that is carried out by IUPAC in a range of activities, including chemistry awareness, appreciation, and education. Although IUPAC curates the Periodic Table and oversees regular additions and changes, this icon of science belongs to the world. With this in mind, we wanted to create an opportunity for students and the general public to participate in this global celebration. The objective was to create an online global competition centered on the Periodic Table and IUPAC to raise awareness of the importance of chemistry in our daily lives, the richness of the chemical elements, and the key role of IUPAC in promoting chemistry worldwide. The Periodic Table Challenge was the result of this effort.


2020 ◽  
Vol 36 (36) ◽  
pp. 081-106
Author(s):  
張琬琳 張琬琳

<p>二十世紀初,在國際間崛起的各國勢力,加速了各民族內部自我整頓與反省的動力,東方音樂家學習西方音樂,也試圖以西方音樂的樂制,來整建自我民族內部的音樂紋理。</p> <p>東方音樂家欲望著西方,希冀能登上國際音樂舞臺;西方樂壇也期待從東方音樂家那裡,聽見西方人能夠「聽得懂」的「東方聲音」。在東 / 西方彼此期待、渴望之間,音樂本身被賦予極大的感官寓意,對西方人而言,帶有異國情調的音樂,尤其能夠吸引他們的目光;對於東方音樂家而言,這些「東方」的元素,卻是取自於不同民族風土的獨特聲音。</p> <p>本文聚焦臺灣近代音樂家江文也,以近年來新出版的傳記、日記和音樂作品全集,以及本論文作者近年於歐洲搜集的史料為分析佐證,探討江文也「屬於自己 / 東方的聲音」創作,如何引發西方樂壇對於「東方聲音」的想像。</p> <p>&nbsp;</p><p>The early twentieth century was a century that had the two global-scale World Wars between world powers across continents and oceans. Rising nationalism and increasing national awareness became a major political issue in general society. Eastern musicians reflected on the issue and diligently learned Western music system to get a remarkable grasp of it. Because they knew well the so-called Oriental music sounds must be rooted in the Western music theory to be able to compete among nations by international standards. On one hand, Eastern musicians desired to be seen and rival upon the world stage; on the other hand, Western musicians looked forward to hearing pure Oriental music sounds from the East. However, for Taiwanese composer Jiang, Wen-Ye, the Oriental music sounds are not the ones of a traditional and exotic concept. Traditionally, the Oriental music sounds derive its flavor from the pentatonic scale and use traditional Chinese musical instruments to play. It is under such circumstances Jiang, Wen-Ye compose beautiful musical forms that embody his love and respectful duty to the Taiwanese motherland throughout frequent international music events and competitions.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>


Author(s):  
O. Shykyrynska

The article deals with the musical space of the artistic heritage of J. Bunyan and H. Skovoroda that has many common features. The general place in the heritage of both writers is reference to solemn church or angelic singing, accompanying the scenes of triumph of the heroes. There are numerous quotations from the Bible psalms, that both writers mastered perfectly. Outplaying of the mythologemes “a man as a musical instrument” and “a world as a musical instrument” became common for both authors. Musical code is expressed in comparison with man’s features and musical sounds; assimilation of the world with a musical instrument, desire to hear “the music of spheres”. The comparison of a man’s emotional impulse with the sounds of musical instruments reveals willingness of the man of the Baroque age for the search of correspondence and for the synthesis of arts in a broad sense. Music as an art differs in the ability to reveal symbols by means of a sound, having a significant influence on the recipient. The analysis of musical component of H. Skovoroda and J. Bunyan’s work demonstrates its precise orientation on musicalisation of writers’ discourse. In the meantime musical theme is represented much wider in Skovoroda’s work than in the work of the English writer. The article introduces J. Bunyan and H. Skovoroda as bright representatives of national variants of baroque aesthetics.


2020 ◽  
pp. 98-104
Author(s):  
Michael C. Hawkins

This epilogue reflects on the author's experience while serving as a supporting participant in a grant project known as the Philippine Youth Leadership Program (PYLP). In the closing days of the program, all Filipino participants came together to perform a “Philippine Culture Night.” A conversation between the author and an observer revealed the supposed ubiquity of American culture around the world. If “American” culture is so ubiquitous, then Americans are in no need of discovery, definition, or exhibition, by themselves or by others. This creates an uncomfortable lack of reciprocity in which the dynamics of cultural exhibition are reduced to an asymmetrical “you dance for me, but I never dance for you; I discover, observe, define, and preserve the things of this world, but I am not subjected to those processes by others.” Yet this notion betrays a certain postcolonial cultural narcissism in which the legacies of empire often loom larger in the minds of former colonizing nations than they do in the minds of nations formerly colonized. It cannot be forgotten that “live exhibits” and cultural performers are ultimately agents unto themselves, choosing and participating in representations that are independent of how observers may attempt to objectify them. This was certainly the case for the Moros at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition.


2019 ◽  
pp. 144-170
Author(s):  
Natania Meeker ◽  
Antónia Szabari

The sixth chapter moves into the world of “plant horror” to explore the ways in which the plant becomes a figure for both cinema itself and for life under global capitalism, inspiring fear and desire all at once. The B movies examined in this chapter posit vegetality as the experience of all beings under capitalism. They visualize the dark side of a global modernity that is vegetal in essence, yet still generates human interest and even fascination. This critique of capitalism is coupled with an attempt to project a view of a purely material reality—that is, the reality of the plant on film. Such a projection represents not just a horrifying loss of human authenticity, but a pleasurable cinematic experience that foreshadows a new materialist approach to the interpenetration of bodies. This chapter presents an analysis of the two film versions of Invasion of the Body Snatchers (appearing in 1956 and 1978, respectively) to show how these films foreground vegetal alterity and challenge the basic premises of realism. Long interpreted as promoting paranoia, plant horror can instead introduce us to a world which does not recognize humans as individuals but nonetheless allows them to become affectively involved with it.


Author(s):  
Eric Avila

If the sixties radicalized the content of American culture, the nineties revolutionized its form. The digital revolution began in California and enveloped the entire world, creating unprecedented opportunities for instantaneous communication and self-expression. “The world wide web of American culture” first describes the impact on American culture of 1970s counterculture; the music genres of disco, pop, and hip hop; the AIDS crisis; and the excesses of 1980s culture. It then explains how the rise of the Internet fostered a new plurality in American society. American culture continues to unite diverse and disparate segments of the population, even as it remains a battleground, fraught with the very tensions and conflicts that define the nation’s history and identity.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-30 ◽  
Author(s):  
Françoise Bousquet ◽  
Vladislav V. Fomin ◽  
Dominique Drillon

More and more companies operate today in a worldwide market under conditions of globalization, increased complexity, and competition. In such an environment, business decisions need to be made quickly yet intelligent, substantiated by the most salient and relevant information available. Under the global competition, with a diligent and measured manner, many companies are increasingly treating business like an economic war. Enterprises are methodically monitoring and investigating their competitors, while deploying all the resources they have at their disposal in order to beat their current or future rivals. Competitive Intelligence (CI) has become the ‘latest weapon in the world war of economics’. This paper contributes to the growing body of literature on competitive intelligence by synthesizing knowledge stemming from many years of experience in the standardization arena. The authors aim to show how, in the economic war, engaging in committee-based standards development may be used for winning the competition battle.


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