Blogs

Beyond 'Innocence': Amis Aboriginal Song in Taiwan as an Ecosystem (SOAS Musicology Series) By Shzr Ee Tan. Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing Limited, 2012. $114.95 Includes illustrations (black and white photos, map and music examples), appendices, bibliography, discography, and index.

Reviewed by Larry Robinson 

We were all saddened to learn of the passing of Ray Giles, UCLA Ethnomusicology's Instrument Curator / Museum Scientist for many years (and a student of Mantle Hood's in the late 1960s and early 1970s).  I well remember Ray and wanted to write a column in his honor.  I invited people to send me their remembrances of Ray and have included those I have received.  If you would like to add your voice to Remembrances of Ray,

ArchiveGrid is a collection of nearly two million archival material descriptions.  Archival collections held by thousands of libraries, museums, historical societies and archives are represented in ArchiveGrid.  ArchiveGrid provides access to detailed archival collection descriptions, making information available about historical documents, personal papers, family histories, audiovi

Triúr Aris. 2012. Arranged and performed by Peadar Ó Riada, Caoimhín Ó Raghallaigh, and Martin Hayes. Realworld Publishing: design by Edel Butler, printing by Dutec, and photography by Seán Ó Loinsigh. 20 tunes on 18 tracks with liner notes, color photographs, and website links.

Our special guest is Robert Saxe, UCLA '67, '79.  Saxe earned his Ph.D. in Management, but played violin, guitar, and jarana huasteca in the Music of Mexico ensemble.  I am thrilled he has agreed to share his memories of the early years of the Music of Mexico ensemble. -- Maureen

Huasteca conjunto - Robert Saxe, Larry Saunders, Donn Borcherdt

When I first began to conceptualize my dissertation project, I was most interested in the ways that musical performance shapes ethnic relationships and identity politics for Romani musicians in Vranje, Serbia. As such, I eagerly anticipated conversations in the field about performer strategies, musician-patron interactions, and musician roles in celebratory rituals.

Robert Kauffman did his fieldwork in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia) in 1960-1962.  His dissertation is entitled "Multi-Part Relationships in the Shona Music of Rhodesia" and he graduated UCLA in 1971.  He was a professor of ethnomusicology at the University of Washington and the University of Pittsburgh.  He is now retired.

En Abîme: Listening, Reading, Writing: An Archival Fiction. By Daniela Cascella. Zero Books, 2012. $16.95. enabime.wordpress.com

Reviewed by Lola San Martín Arbide, University of Salamanca, Spain.

On one particularly hot week this past July during the two-week stretch of time I planned to spend at Windham Tolland 4-H Camp, Connecticut experienced a series of hot, muggy, and exhausting days. A storm was scheduled to roll in and, accordingly, rest hour was extended to protect the campers in case of thunder or lightning. Lightning indeed struck, and not just from the sky.