The Technology, aesthetic and cultural politics of a collaborative, transnational music recording project: Veiga, Veiga and the itinerant overdubs

Denis Crowdy, Karl Neuenfeldt

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    Abstract

    This article describes and analyses the aesthetic, technological and cultural processes informing the cultural production of Veiga, Veiga, a song recorded by 73-year-old Australian Torres Strait Islander Henry (Seaman) Dan. The song in its 'final' version appears on his ‘world music’ CD, Perfect Pearl (Hot Records 1094), recorded and released in 2003 [Sound example #1]. However, achieving that version required considerable, often at-a-distance, collaboration between songwriters, musicians and producers based in Australia (Cairns, Sydney and Thursday Island) and Papua New Guinea (PNG) (Port Moresby), several of whom are also music-based academic researchers (the authors of this article). An important focus here is the process of collaboration, regarded as a key component of cross-cultural recording projects identified by Meinjtes (2003) in her detailed examination of South African mbaqanga recording sessions. Another focus is on the assumptions of, and challenges for academics who not only perform on or produce music recordings as creative artists but also comment on their projects’ aesthetics (Scales 2002; Neuenfeldt 2001).
    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1-16
    Number of pages16
    JournalTransformations
    Issue number7
    Publication statusPublished - 2003

    Bibliographical note

    This article first appeared in issue 7:2003 of the Transformations Journal: www.transformationsjournal.org. Version archived for private and non-commercial use with the permission of the author/s and according to publisher conditions. For further rights please contact the publisher www.transformationsjournal.org.

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