Vocal styles and cultural identities of the African diaspora
The project ROTVOSCIAME (The role of traditional vocal styles in reshaping cultural identities related to African diasporas in America and Europe) considered how performances of contemporary African-American vocal styles influence and express the reshaping of a new cultural identity. The initiative also studied musicians coming from a more recent African diaspora in Europe that involves new cultural identities. Project work and activities centred on three main objectives. The first was to track the presence of vocal traditions originating in the African continent but having developed differently in America and Europe. Archival research and analysis of findings offer insight into the history of perception and production of African-American vocality. Work in this area includes the AFROVOCALITY Voice Map(opens in new window), an article on the vocality of the award-winning movie '12 Years a Slave', and preparation of a book covering themes that relate to voice and blackness. The second objective was to analyse how African-related vocal styles have contributed to reshaping new cultural identities within the framework of African diasporas. Research again involved archival analysis as well as fieldwork with vocalists identifying as black both in Italy and the United States. Interviews brought to the fore the crucial role of the singing voice in shaping, defining, chronicling and continuously recontextualising the black experience in Europe and the United States. This phase of project work delivered a short documentary based on interviews and performances of three vocalists of African origins. Collaboration with other researchers also led to the Dizioni Diasporiche(opens in new window) blog, establishing a space for related research to continue. The third objective was to consider the singing voice as a complex means of expression and the ultimate locus where cultural connections still exist and operate. Related research and activities highlighted the lack of a discourse on diversity and the different uses of voice. Experimental fieldwork aimed at improving the discourse led to an article publication and a sound installation(opens in new window). ROTVOSCIAME work has interesting implications for the world of musicology and voice studies. It also offers a useful perspective for political groups, associations and scholars involved in issues related to migration, ethnic relations and social justice.
