Sonic Mobilities: Producing Worlds in Southern China

Guangzhou's popular music culture expresses the city's unique cosmopolitanism due to its openness and energy. Ethnomusicologist Adam Kielman explores the city's music scene through two bands, Wanju Chuanzhang and Mabang, that capture the intersection of the global and local. This juxtaposition is an expression of the demographic, geographic, and political shifts underway in Guangzhou and across the country.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 28 February 2022
Publisher: The University of Chicago Press

Guangzhou, a sprawling Chinese metropolis, stands as a testament to the country's remarkable economic growth and abundant job opportunities. Drawing both rural citizens seeking improved prospects and global corporations eager to establish a presence in one of the world's largest economies, it has emerged as a vibrant hub of openness and energy. However, what sets Guangzhou's musical culture apart is its unique cosmopolitanism. As a port city that once thrived on China's maritime Silk Road, Guangzhou has long been a crossroads of cultures, hosting a diverse array of migrants who have brought with them their rich folk traditions.

In his book "Sonic Mobilities," ethnomusicologist Adam Kielman delves into the captivating world of Guangzhou's music scene, focusing on two bands, Wanju Chuanzhang (Toy Captain) and Mabang (Caravan), that seamlessly blend their rural homelands and small-town roots with new cosmopolitan musical connections. Through their music, these bands capture the intricate intersection of the global and local, exemplified by their unique blend of popular Jamaican reggae beats and lyrics in their distinct regional dialects, often leaving audiences puzzled. This juxtaposition, argues Kielman, aptly reflects the demographic, geographic, and political shifts underway in Guangzhou and across the country.

Kielman's work spans ethnomusicology, popular music studies, cultural geography, and media studies, providing a comprehensive examination of the cultural dimensions of these shifts. By exploring the ways in which music shapes and reflects societal transformations, he offers a profound insight into the complex tapestry of Guangzhou's musical culture. Through the lens of these two bands, Kielman demonstrates how music can transcend boundaries, creating a sound that is both instantly recognizable and utterly foreign, international, and hyper-local.

In conclusion, Guangzhou's musical culture serves as a captivating window into the city's unique cosmopolitanism. Through the fusion of diverse Chinese folk traditions and new cosmopolitan musical connections, the city's music scene reflects the complex interplay of global and local influences. Kielman's "Sonic Mobilities" provides a valuable contribution to our understanding of how music shapes and reflects the changing landscapes of cities around the world, offering a rich and nuanced exploration of the cultural dimensions of shifts in self, space, and identity.

Dimension: 229 x 152 x 18 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780226817743