The politics of "understanding": secrecy, language, and Manouche song

This article explores how song operates as a forum through which Alsatian Manouches (a subgroup of Romanies/"Gypsies") negotiate social relations with non-Manouches and with each other. Two of the most salient identity markers for Manouches are music and language. Whereas Manouches regard...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Ethnic and racial studies 2017-01, Vol.40 (1), p.96-113
Main Author: Lie, Siv B.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Ambivalence
Cultural differences
cultural politics
Cultural relations
Dialects
Fieldwork
France
Identity
Ideology
Language
Music
Negotiation
Politics
Power
Roma
Romani people
Secrecy
Social relations
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Summary:This article explores how song operates as a forum through which Alsatian Manouches (a subgroup of Romanies/"Gypsies") negotiate social relations with non-Manouches and with each other. Two of the most salient identity markers for Manouches are music and language. Whereas Manouches regard instrumental music as a legitimate means of engaging with non-Manouche people, it is often considered inappropriate to share their spoken dialect of Romani with others. As a combination of both, Manouche song represents a complex juncture of volition and apprehension towards their interactions with non-Manouches. Drawing on fieldwork among Manouche and non-Manouche performers, I investigate how public Manouche vocal performance ironically connotes an ambivalence towards cross-cultural sharing, and how power relations unfold through varying degrees of linguistic concealment and openness. This article theorizes the (il-)legibility of the voice in music and illustrates how song reflects Manouche language ideologies in flux.
ISSN:0141-9870
1466-4356
DOI:10.1080/01419870.2016.1213404