Melanesian Mainstream: Stringband Music and Identity in Vanuatu

Citizens of Vanuatu (ni-Vanuatu) perceive stringband music as a marker of national identity, an indicator of their cultural, stylistic, and musical heritage. Through extensive field and ethnographic research, Melanesian Mainstream offers a detailed historical record of the roots, context, evolution, and impact of stringband music. Beyond chronicling the genre�s history and cultural significance, this thorough monograph positions the genre�s musical hybridity, communal lyrics, and unique organizational structures as key factors in the anthropological understanding of ni-Vanuatu socio-cultural history.

Author: Sebastian T. Ellerich
Publisher: Berghahn Books
Published: 01/05/2024
Pages: 266
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.09lbs
Size: 9.00h x 6.00w x 0.56d
ISBN: 9781805392231

About the Author

Sebastian T. Ellerich is a lecturer at the Institute of Musicology of the University of Cologne. His research interests in the fields of anthropology and ethnomusicology focus on Oceania. He is also a performing musician who plays with various groups and a music teacher specializing in the ukulele.