The Dust of Colonialism: Eurocentrism in Art Music (Part III)

Date: 18 March 2023 - 21:58

News ID: ۱۱۳۵۳۲

By: Reza Vali*

Division of Music Into European and Non-European Music

European art music is often referred to as “classical” music, and non-European music is called “indigenous” or “ethnic” music. Recently, the name of “Ethnic Music” has been changed to “World Music.” In other words, if a performer plays music of Bach, Mozart or Beethoven, they are performing “classical music,” but if a performer plays the music of Ravi Shankar or Hossein Alizadeh, they’re performing ethnic music or “world music.” Aren’t European countries part of the world? Why is only the music of Asia, Africa, and Latin America called “world music?”

In pluralist thinking, music is not divided into European music and non-European music. “Classical” music refers not to a specific historical period or culture’s music, but to the art music of a country. The music of all countries could be divided into classical (art) music, folk music, religious music, popular music, and so on. For each country, we would have classical music — Iranian classical music, Indian classical music, Chinese classical music, Japanese classical music — and this division of music that separates European and non-European music would be eliminated.

Division of Music Research Into ‘Musicology’ and Ethnomusicology’

If a researcher studies European art music, such as the music of Bach or Beethoven or Brahms, they are called a “musicologist.” But if a scholar researches Indian or Iranian music, they are called an “ethnomusicologist.” Aren’t Germans, French, and Italians ethnic groups? Of course they are, so a scholar who is researching the music of Bach is studying the music of ethnic Germans in the 18th century. Therefore, all musicologists are in fact ethnomusicologists because they study the music of different ethnic groups in different historical periods. Thus, separating “ethnomusicology” from “musicology” literally makes no sense. I think it likely that, in the future, the word “ethno” will be excised from musicology as a field of study, whether a researcher is exploring European or non-European music.

Almost a century after the end of colonialism, the dust of Eurocentric thinking still weighs heavily on the musical minds of the peoples of the world.

I’d like to add a few final thoughts on the progression of music from a Eurocentric field to a more pluralist perspective:

In the 21st century, the instruments of non-European cultures should be equally valued alongside European instruments.

International orchestras and ensembles that use European and non-European instruments alike should be established. This is already occurring with ensembles like the Silk Road Ensemble.

Composers should create new works for such orchestras and ensembles.

Through dialogue and cooperation, some of the basic elements of non-European musical cultures, such as intervals, rhythms and forms, should be taught to Europeans, Americans, Australians, and all musicians who are trained in the European conservatory system.

Almost a century after the end of colonialism, the dust of Eurocentric thinking still weighs heavily on the musical minds of the peoples of the world. Removing this dust requires directly and deliberately challenging Eurocentrism when it appears, without being hostile or anti-European. Rather, it should be done through friendly discussion and sincere dialogue. In this way, the European musical culture will find its true place among the other musical cultures of the world — not above them, but alongside them.

*This article is derived from Chapter 2 of Reza Vali’s Return to the Origins, published in Nov. 2022 by The Sharmin and Bijan Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Iran and Persian Gulf Studies at Princeton University, and has been edited for content and length. End

Courtesy: I Care If You Listen