African migrants' and refugees' musicking: Musical Anthropology and Ethnographic Film Research

• Grant number: 16/24445-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): April 15, 2017
• Effective date (End): December 14, 2017
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Anthropology
• Principal Investigator: Rose Satiko Gitirana Hikiji
• Grantee: Rose Satiko Gitirana Hikiji
• Host Investigator: Angela Impey
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Letras e Ciências Humanas (FFLCH). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of London, England
• Associated research grant: 16/05318-7 - Local musicking: new pathways for ethnomusicology, AP.TEM

Abstract

This project investigates the musicking of African migrants and refugees in cities such as São Paulo, Lisbon and London, seeking in particular to understand how music and locality affect their diasporic experiences. The roots of the project began in December 2015 in São Paulo, exploring musical practice among recently arrived Africans in the city, in what is seen as a new - and growing - wave of immigration. The research focus is on translocal musicking, understanding this as something that both produces localities and helps negotiate identities. The research is part of the larger Thematic Project "Local musicking: New pathways for Ethnomusicology" (FAPESP: 2016 / 05318-7), in which I am a Principal Investigator. This fellowship will enable me to reflect more deeply on ethnomusicology, on Africanist anthropology and on migration studies, fields in which SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) has unique expertise. At the same time, the sustained engagement with colleagues and students at SOAS will help us build professional links and expand the possibilities for future collaborations between our departments. In addition, during the fellowship I plan to conduct fieldwork with migrant musicians in some European capitals, as well as make field trips to some of the countries of the African musicians who I have been working with in Brazil.