Abstract
This paper argues for situating the peculiar relationship between the invocation of ‘culture’ and the invocation of ‘modernity’ in post-colonial society within the problematic of translation. This double invocation – if we can call it that – often includes a third term, the nation or the national. Although the formation of nation-states in Asia has been for the most part a post-Second World War phenomenon, the configuration of culture-modernity-nation is a powerful one, that lasts almost until the turn of the millennium. The configuration produces a cultural-political entity that can be called the national-modern. This national-modern is founded on an act of translation which brings together modern ideas about subjectivity, the social, and the political through an interpretation that is profoundly local/national. Focussing on music – both classical and popular – I speculate on the making of the Indian national-modern in the subaltern Indian diaspora in Trinidad, and its future in ongoing collaborations with Chinese musicians.
Original language | English |
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Publication status | Published - Aug 2019 |
Event | Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Society Conference 2019: Fluid Circuits: Cultures of Knowledge After the Digital Turn - Silliman University, Dumaguete City, Philippines Duration: 1 Aug 2019 → 3 Aug 2019 https://iacs2019.weebly.com/ |
Conference
Conference | Inter-Asia Cultural Studies Society Conference 2019 |
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Abbreviated title | IACS 2019 |
Country/Territory | Philippines |
City | Dumaguete City |
Period | 1/08/19 → 3/08/19 |
Internet address |