Painting with Sound: Performing Cultural Memory through Kazakh Sybyzghy Cassettes in Northern Xinjiang

This article explores the way sybyzghy cassettes are used by Kazakhs in northern Xinjiang to affirm identities shaped around nationhood, regionality, and clans. It discusses sybyzghy imagery alongside the remediating power of these cassettes, a power that informs, confirms, and diversifies the meani...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Asian music 2024-01, Vol.55 (1), p.4-37
Main Author: Wei, Xiaoshi
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
19th century
Aesthetics
Cassettes
Collective memory
Cultural heritage
Folk music
Iconicity
Imagery
Musical performances
Musicians & conductors
Narratives
Repertoire
Self concept
Semiotics
Traditions
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Summary:This article explores the way sybyzghy cassettes are used by Kazakhs in northern Xinjiang to affirm identities shaped around nationhood, regionality, and clans. It discusses sybyzghy imagery alongside the remediating power of these cassettes, a power that informs, confirms, and diversifies the meanings of the sybyzghy repertoire, thus functioning in a “performative” way that signifies a symbolic and semiotic vision of collective memories. It contributes to the existing literature on biphonic flutes in Central and Inner Asia as well to the understanding of sound collections that feature ignored but performative notions of selfhood around sonic materiality, iconicity, and metaphor. Abstract: [inline-graphic 01i]
ISSN:0044-9202
1553-5630
1553-5630
DOI:10.1353/amu.2024.a919653