Commerce, Politics, and Musical Hybridity: Vocalizing Urban Black South African Identity during the 1950s

L'A. examine plusieurs aspects de la popularite du vocal jive, un style vocal noir qui trouve son origine dans les townships de l'Afrique du Sud des annees 1950. S'interrogeant sur sa signification pour les auditeurs des townships et les raisons de son succes commercial, il met en relation trois facteurs : l'hybridite musicale, la politique, et le commerce. Jusqu'a quel point la nature hybride du vocal jive a-t-elle contribue a son succes commercial et son efficacite politique ? Ce style etait-il de facon inherente hegemonique, perpetuant le discours gouvernemental de la purete raciale et ethnique soutenant un retour a l'identite precoloniale pour les Noirs, ou avait-il un effet subversif et constituait-il une resistance politique ? L'aspect commercial a-t-il renforce ou affaibli son pouvoir politique ? Quels aspects de la musique et des paroles etaient particulierement significatifs ? L'A. centre son analyse sur la compagnie Troubadour Records et la chanteuse Dorothy Masuka, figure emblematique du vocal jive des annees cinquante et politiquement tres engagee. Selon l'A., les questions posees par cette etude de cas sont applicables de facon plus generale a d'autres styles hybrides des townships.

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