Sounding out heritage : cultural politics and the social practice of quan họ folk song in northern Vietnam

__Sounding Out Heritage__ explores the cultural politics that have shaped the recent history and practice of a unique style of folk song that originated in Bắc Ninh province, northern Vietnam. The book delves into the rich and complicated history of __quan họ,__ showing the changes it has undergone over the last sixty years as it moved from village practice onto the professional stage. Interweaving an examination of folk music, cultural nationalism, and cultural heritage with an in-depth ethnographic account of the changing social practice of __quan ho__ folk song, author Lauren Meeker presents a vivid and historically contextualized picture of the __quan họ__ “soundscape.” Village practitioners, ordinary people who love to sing __quan họ,__ must now negotiate increased attention from those outside the village and their own designation as “living treasures.” Professional singers, with their different performance styles and representational practices, have been incorporated into the __quan họ__ soundscape in an effort to highlight and popularize the culture of Bắc Ninh province in the national context. With its focus on the politics of rescuing, preserving, and performing folk music, this book makes a timely contribution to studies of cultural politics by showing with considerable nuance how a tradition can become a self-conscious heritage and national icon. In 2009, Quan Họ Bắc Ninh Folk Songs was inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Defining and reframing __quan họ__ as cultural heritage has further complicated the relationship between village and professional __quan họ__ and raises crucial issues about who has the authority to speak for __quan họ__ in the international context. __Sounding Out Heritage__ offers an in-depth account of the impact of cultural politics on the lives and practices of __quan họ__ folk singers in Vietnam and shows compellingly how a tradition can mean many things to many people. Sounding Out Heritage explores the cultural politics that have shaped the recent history and practice of a unique style of folk song that originated in B{u1EAF}c Ninh province, northern Vietnam. The book delves into the rich and complicated history of quan họ, showing the changes it has undergone over the last sixty years as it moved from village practice onto the professional stage. Interweaving an examination of folk music, cultural nationalism, and cultural heritage with an in-depth ethnographic account of the changing social practice of quan ho folk song, author Lauren Meeker presents a vivid and historically contextualized picture of the quan họ 2soundscape.3 Village practitioners, ordinary people who love to sing quan họ, must now negotiate increased attention from those outside the village and their own designation as 2living treasures.3 Professional singers, with their different performance styles and representational practices, have been incorporated into the quan họ soundscape in an effort to highlight and popularize the culture of B{u1EAF}c Ninh province in the national context.With its focus on the politics of rescuing, preserving, and performing folk music, this book makes a timely contribution to studies of cultural politics by showing with considerable nuance how a tradition can become a self-conscious heritage and national icon. In 2009, Quan Họ B{u1EAF}c Ninh Folk Songs was inscribed on UNESCO{u2019}s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Defining and reframing quan họ as cultural heritage has further complicated the relationship between village and professional quan họ and raises crucial issues about who has the authority to speak for quan họ in the international context. Sounding Out Heritage offers an in-depth account of the impact of cultural politics on the lives and practices of quan họ folk singers in Vietnam and shows compellingly how a tradition can mean many things to many people This book explores the cultural politics that have shaped the recent history and practice of a unique style of folk song that originated in Bắc Ninh province, northern Vietnam. The book delves into the rich and complicated history of quan họ, showing the changes it has undergone over sixty years as it moved from village practice onto the professional stage. Interweaving an examination of folk music, cultural nationalism, and cultural heritage with an in-depth ethnographic account of the changing social practice of quan họ folk song, the author presents a vivid and historically contextualized picture of the quan họ "soundscape." Village practitioners, ordinary people who love to sing quan họ, must now negotiate increased attention from those outside the village and their own designation as "living treasures." Professional singers, with their different performance styles and representational practices, have been incorporated into the quan họ soundscape in an effort to highlight and popularize the culture of Bắc Ninh province in the national context. With its focus on the politics of rescuing, preserving, and performing folk music, this book makes a contribution to studies of cultural politics by showing with considerable nuance how a tradition can become a self-conscious heritage and national icon. In 2009, Quan Họ Bắc Ninh Folk Songs was inscribed on UNESCO's Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. Defining and reframing quan họ as cultural heritage has further complicated the relationship between village and professional quan họ and raises crucial issues about who has the authority to speak for quan họ in the international context. This book offers an in-depth account of the impact of cultural politics on the lives and practices of quan họ folk singers in Vietnam and shows compellingly how a tradition can mean many things to many people. -- Publisher's description

In this highly insightful analysis of Western and Chinese concepts of efficacy, François Jullien subtly delves into the metaphysical preconceptions of the two civilizations to account for diverging patterns of action in warfare, politics, and diplomacy. He shows how Western and Chinese strategies work in several domains (the battlefield, for example) and analyzes two resulting acts of war. The Chinese strategist manipulates his own troops and the enemy to win a battle without waging war and to bring about victory effortlessly. Efficacity in China is thus conceived of in terms of transformation (as opposed to action) and manipulation, making it closer to what is understood as efficacy in the West.

Jullien's brilliant interpretations of an array of recondite texts are key to understanding our own conceptions of action, time, and reality in this foray into the world of Chinese thought. In its clear and penetrating characterization of two contrasting views of reality from a heretofore unexplored perspective, A Treatise on Efficacy will be of central importance in the intellectual debate between East and West.

Contents Acknowledgments Introduction Chapter 1. Music after the Revolution: A “Unified Contradiction Chapter 2. Embodied Practices and Relationships of Sentiment Chapter 3. “How Much for a Song?” Local Stories, National Representations Chapter 4. Staging Quan Họ, Televising New Social Relationships Chapter 5. Broadcasting to Ourselves at the Quan Họ Festivals Conclusion Heritage and the Afterlife of Songs Notes Glossary Bibliography Index