12th Symposium of ICTMD Study Group on Music and Minorities

Music is described as the language of the heart. There are millions of music traditions in the world and when it comes to music of minority populations, it often remains locked with the relevant practitioners and the associated historic and cultural dynamics of our fellow beings not known by the wider world.   Aesthetic realms such as music does not function isolated from other branches of art and culture and is closely connected with dance and religious/spiritual practices that have developed and evolved on earth over time

• Joint day with ICTM Study Group on Indigenous Music and Dance

By Surya Vishwa 

In this journey of life, what are the routes that connect humans to the interlinked core of being, the core of empathy, if we can use that word that pulsates in the integrated conscience of the world, that silent space that is beyond man made barriers? How can one approach that space to reach the spectrum of human understanding in a globe dotted by millions of cultures, beliefs and traditions? There could be many routes and a key route is music that is ageless and represents the infinite evolution over time connecting the indigenous with the modern. 

Music is described as the language of the heart. There are millions of music traditions in the world and when it comes to music of minority populations, it often remains locked with the relevant practitioners and the associated historic and cultural dynamics of our fellow beings not known by the wider world.   Aesthetic realms such as music do not function isolated from other branches of art and culture and are closely connected with dance and religious/spiritual practices that have developed and evolved on earth over time. 

Academia and art may be seen as two different dimensions of thought processes but their inter connectedness is vital. It is vital because academia is the foundation upon which knowledge is integrated and dynamised providing insight and analysis. Academia is therefore the sounding board for a progressive world where global knowledge is gathered, compared and contrasted. When academia and art meet, it is the cementing of a foundation for knowledge to be transferred to a wider global population and augurs well for humanity as it could inspire positive change ranging from state to international policies and attitudes.

Therefore it is with the goal of celebrating both the scholarly and inspirational value of music and dance, that the Kelaniya University Department of Fine Arts held from 4 to 8 December, the 12th Symposium of the ICTMD (International Council for Traditions of Music and Dance) Study Group on Music and Minorities  (SGMM) with a joint day with the ICTM Study Group on Indigenous Music and Dance. As a major international event with over 60 scholars/musicians/dancers from around the world including Sri Lankans, representing various universities within the country, the interlinking of the aesthetic with the scholarly was profound, facilitating also a good example for the potential of knowledge based tourism. 

The event was launched on 4 December at the Kelaniya University and held over the rest of the week till 8 December, at the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism & Hotel Management (SLITHM) auditorium, in collaboration with the Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau (SLTPB) and Sri Lanka Convention Bureau, (SLCB) supported by the Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry Department of Cultural Affairs and other stakeholders.

A notable aspect of the event was the music and dance performances by children with special needs, Kaffir Afro-Portuguese descendants from Sirambiadiya, Puttalam, Sri Lankan Muslim, Malay, Indian, and Sri Lankan Tamil, Sufi music performers apart from the tourism centered performance of the cultural troupe of the Cultural Department and performance by the St. Cecilia’s Choir of St. Joseph’s College Colombo.

The ICTMD is a scholarly organisation that aims to further the study, practice, documentation, and preservation of traditional music and dance in all countries. As an NGO in formal consultative relations with UNESCO and with its wide international representation and activities of its Study Groups, the ICTMD acts as a bond among peoples of different cultures. It thus contributes to a better understanding of traditions, beliefs and customs expressed through music and dance. 

ICTMD President and Chair of SGMM, and Chair of the Program Committee, Prof. Dr. Svanibor Pettan, conveying his greetings to all in the audience stated: “The symposia of the SG MM so far took place in Slovenia (2000), Poland (2002), Croatia (2004), Bulgaria (2006), Czechia (2008), Vietnam (2010), Israel (2012), Japan (2014), France (2016), Austria (2018), and Sweden (2021). In 2010, we joined forces with the SG on Applied Ethnomusicology, in 2018 with the SG on Music, Gender, and Sexuality, and now, in 2023, with the SG on Indigenous Music and Dance.”

Explaining further he provided the crux of the symposium comprising individual academic papers put together into thematic sessions, pre-organised panels, and film sessions with 56 presentations by 62 online and onsite contributors from 20 countries in Asia, Europe, and Indigenous Peoples. 

Performances of various minority cultures were carried out each day, and the symposium at large featured with global relevance, theoretical, methodological, and governmental implications for the Study of Music and Dance of Minorities, Music, Dance, and Minorities across the Indian Ocean, Diaspora/Translocality in Music and Dance of Minorities and (Musical) Differences and Commonalities between indigenous peoples and minorities.

The inauguration of the event at the Kelaniya University was held under the patronage of the Kelaniya University Vice-Chancellor, senior Prof. Nilanthi de Silva and a special message issued by  SLTPB Chairman, Chalaka Gajabahu acknowledged the need for such events that boost the promotion of arts and knowledge and thus leverages the potential for aesthetic and scholarly potential in tourism.

“It is my pleasure to welcome you to this important international event organised by the Kelaniya University Department of Fine Arts. Hosting such an event at a time of economic crisis in Sri Lanka is clearly not an easy task. When the proposal from Dr. Lasanthi Manaranjanie came to the SLTPB Authority a year ago, we recognised its educational, cultural, social, and tourism promotion value, and agreed to support this initiative,” he said in his official message. 

“As a nation, we need such international gatherings to stimulate creative brainstorming and innovative discourses, to nurture mutual understanding and healthy relationships, and to promote our research findings in the world. The ICTMD is a world network with considerable potential for mutually beneficial collaboration and I hope the younger generation would take advantage of it. I am happy to extend my support for this and future initiatives,” he added. 

SLCB Chairman  Sithum Jayasuriya in his official message noted the significance of supporting such events in Sri Lanka. 

“The SLCB was established with the aim of promoting Sri Lanka as a venue for integrated tourism. With the evolution of the business world, organisations are constantly on the look-out for dynamic destinations to host their meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions,” he said, emphasising the immense potential for  Sri Lanka to capitalise on supporting such events. 

“Sri Lanka is a capsule that encompasses everything sans the winter. SLCB is the go-to organisation for meeting planners, incentive houses, corporations, and associations interested in arranging and executing events in Sri Lanka. From handling inquiries to providing support for events, SLCB offers a comprehensive range of services. We work collaboratively with private sector stakeholders to analyse gaps in the market and formulate workable solutions to address their grievances. In the future, it is my vision that we will use more digital technology and blockchain applications to enhance our product offering and improve our access to data,” he added. 

Kelaniya University Department of Fine Arts, Musician, Ethnomusicologist and senior lecturer   Dr. Lasanthi Manaranjanie Kalinga Dona,  as ICTMD-Sri Lanka National Committee Chair and Local Arrangements Committee Chair in her  address stated:

As a major international event with over 60 scholars/musicians/dancers from around the world including Sri Lankans, representing various universities within the country, the interlinking of the aesthetic with the scholarly was profound, facilitating also a good example for the potential of knowledge based tourism 

“Ayubovan. It is an honour to welcome you at the Kelaniya University Department of Fine Arts and at the symposium venue provided by the Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management.”

“Despite the recent economic crisis in the country and its consequences still felt, we courageously took the challenge to host this exciting scholarly meeting of researchers from various parts of the world and from different parts of Sri Lanka. It would not be possible without enthusiastic support on all levels, from student volunteers to Vice Chancellor, from our university to colleagues from other institutions of higher education, and from partners and sponsors who helped to whatever extent they could. I would specifically wish to thank SLTPB, SLCB, Hemas Holdings, Australian Guild of Music & Speech Sri Lanka Centre, Barbara Segal Opera International,  Buddhasasana, Religious and Cultural Affairs Ministry Cultural Affairs Department, the People’s Bank, University Research Council, Centre for Brand Image Development, Communication and Media Unit, IT Unit of Kelaniya University.”

“I also wish to express my gratitude for the support extended  by Prasad Aravinda, Francis Almeida, Asitha Amarakoon, Kaushal Dhanushka Ariyaratna, Saumya Bandara, Frances Bulathsinghala, Jeevana Fernando, Haadia Galely, Shabbir Galely, Hussain Galely, Lal Harendranath, Jing Liu, Prageeth Manohansa, Harshana Nalin, Nadun Hettiarachchi, SvaniborPettan, Suwani Rodrigo, Nithini Senanayake, Sudath Senarath (Dean of the Faculty), Raju Sivalingam, Milinda Tennakone, Yuh-Fen Tseng, and Sanath Ukwatte. Our Local Arrangements Committee appreciated the smooth and efficient collaboration with the Program Committee.”

A highlight of the event was the special excursion to the indigenous Vedda community in Dambana, Mahiyanganaya, to view the indigenous  experience of the Veddha community of Sri Lanka, including music, dance, cuisine, and the community museum. 

The symposium was hybrid, featuring both on-site and online presentations and the Harmony page of the Weekend FT would publish the rich scholarly and artistic linked deliberations with relevant detailed analysis featured at the event in its upcoming editions. 

In this coverage we have mainly selected quotes to focus on the significance of the intersection between music, academia, its potential for global empathy and mainly the positioning of Sri Lanka as a venue for such international events. 

Encompassing the initial  sessions  and themes of the first two days of the event academic spotlight included themes such as theoretical, methodological, and governmental implications for the Study of Music and Dance of Minorities,  academic presentations on the Crisis of representation in Ethnomusicological Minority Studies, neo-traditional: A non-linear triangular model for studying folk music revival in postcolonial Taiwan and the stylistic formation of the “Individual Voice” of contemporary Chinese composers. 

The themes and topics also included: On the possibility of the modernisation of Khoomii in China, India Sacred Ethnomusicology and Religious Music Practices in Uttarakhand Himalayas, Arab Music as a cultural field of negotiations in Israeli cultural arena, from Diaspora to Intersectional Performative Mobilities: Music-making in Transcultural Balkan Romani communities. 

Presentations from South Asia included the themes: Where Music Meet Strength: Emotion and Esteem, Revisit into the Kolkkali Performance of Mappilas of Malabar, India Letter Songs and Translocality in Music: The Emotional Voyages of Mappilas Migrants of Kerala ,Moadi Yeduthu: A Lost/Last Dance Component of Sadir Repertoire from Tamil Nadu, Sri Lankan Tamil Minority in Secondary Education: Preferences and Directions, Lost and/or Forgotten Cultural Roots: Some Issues on the Migration of Malays to Sri Lanka, Enhancing Music Education in Muslim Schools in Sri Lanka: A Proposal for Action and the Impact of K-Pop in Peace Building among Sri Lankan Youth.

Migrating Knowledge: Dynamics of Adaptation, Colonisation of Memory, and Strategies for Preserving the Sikh Musical Heritage in the Diasporas, “The Guru is Pop!” Young Sikh Generation in Italy and their Efforts to Create New Sounds for a Transnational Kirtan, Javanese Wayang Kulit in Malaysia: Early Diasporas and Current (trans) Locality(ies and Composing the Malaysian: Reflecting on Shared Spaces in Malaysian Contemporary Compositions and Composers. 

In our upcoming editions we will be meting out scholarly and artistic justice to the presentations by featuring short interviews with the researchers of the above academic papers and the other presentations of this symposium providing the synopsis, social context and significance of their respective research.  We will also be featuring their universities and the respective support of these institutions to integrate disciplines. 

We hope to feature a separate segment on the Sri Lankan presentations especially on the potential of peacebuilding and providing the conclusions so that policymakers could use the findings and conclusions in shaping meaningful state follow up. 

The Harmony page is currently working on a special series on ideating to integrate the arts into mainstream economy and all sectors of society for national, economic and holistic wellbeing through the arts. We will be featuring interviews with some of the international academics who attended the above symposium on their views on mainstreaming arts into the economy and lived in life experience.