World Music as Evolving Tradition

Cultural Expression in Contemporary Music Practices

Authors

  • Diane Hughes Macquarie University
  • Sarah Keith Macquarie University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1558/jwpm.v2i1.27172

Keywords:

J-pop, K-pop, Taiwan, technologies, world music

Abstract

Cultural expression in contemporary music practices goes beyond standard definitions of musical tradition. As a genre, pop music worldwide is significantly influenced by Western practices and does not generally include instrumentation or musical forms found in traditional musics of the country of origin. Nonetheless, contemporary artists still express culture-specific themes and articulate their relationship with globality and different cultures via other means, such as lyrical content, visuals, performance and applied technologies. This article examines three contemporary Asian case studies within the popular music idiom: Biung (Taiwan), Kyary Pamyu Pamyu (Japan) and Girls’ Generation (South Korea). We compare their expressions of cultural specificity in a national and global context, arguing for such popular music practices to be more broadly considered in the study of world music.

Author Biographies

  • Diane Hughes, Macquarie University

    Diane Hughes is a Senior Lecturer in Vocal Studies and Director of Learning and Teaching for the Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies, Macquarie University, Sydney. Her research interests include contemporary vocal artistry and pedagogy, the singer-songwriter, socio-cultural contexts of singing and the song, recording processes and practices, and career trajectories in the music industries.

  • Sarah Keith, Macquarie University

    Sarah Keith is a Lecturer in Music in the Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies, Macquarie University. She has published on a range of subjects relating to contemporary music, including technology and performance, East Asian musics, popular music and film, and music pedagogy. Her most recent projects include investigating Korean pop music fandom in Australia and examining musicians’ career trajectories in the new music industries.

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Published

2015-06-29

Issue

Section

Technology and Ownership

How to Cite

Hughes, D., & Keith, S. (2015). World Music as Evolving Tradition: Cultural Expression in Contemporary Music Practices. Journal of World Popular Music, 2(1), 78-100. https://doi.org/10.1558/jwpm.v2i1.27172

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