Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s

This thesis provides an in-depth study of the history of Iban popular music (1950s–1970s) by analyzing how alternative modernity is articulated through Iban popular songs. In exploring the potency of popular music, it uncovers the socio-cultural meanings of song lyrics and paradoxes of the largest i...

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Main Author:	Lim, Keh Nie
Format:	Thesis
Language:	English
Published:	2019
Subjects:	Iban - Music - Sarawak Musical instruments - Sarawak Iban - Music. - Sarawak
Online Access:	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/84194/1/FEM%202019%2019%20UPM%20ir.pdf
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spelling	my-upm-ir.841942022-01-04T02:54:32Z Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s 2019-08 Lim, Keh Nie This thesis provides an in-depth study of the history of Iban popular music (1950s–1970s) by analyzing how alternative modernity is articulated through Iban popular songs. In exploring the potency of popular music, it uncovers the socio-cultural meanings of song lyrics and paradoxes of the largest indigenous ethnic group in Sarawak who experienced modernity from pre-modern to modern, the flux and agents of change from Brooke Rule to British colonialism to the Federation of Malaysia. Fundamentally, I argue that the establishment of Radio Sarawak and Iban Radio in the 1950s not only disseminated information to the people but also created a critical identity-forming space where the Ibans articulated modernity through the creation of their own popular music. Historically, the Iban is a cultural group located geographically and politically on the periphery of the multi-cultural nation of Malaysia. Building upon Bart Barendregt (2014) historiographic accounts of ‘alternative modernities’ in Southeast Asian popular music, this thesis examines how Iban culture bearers created popular music in the image of mainstream trends, but covertly expressed their socio-cultural and socio-political identity as emerging Sarawakians. Using historiographic approach, this methodology unravels the intricacies of the emergent creation of Iban popular music through an intertextual analysis of Iban popular music and its song lyrics. Drawing on narratives of music making experiences from the singers and songwriters themselves, the research collected sentiments and interpretations from culture bearers who shared anecdotes during interview sessions. This guided musical and historiographical analysis and literature surveys. Although Iban popular music is a genre appropriated by Western, Malay and Hindustani music forms, I argue that Iban popoular music articulated an alternative modernity for their socio-cultural and political history, allowing the Ibans to respond with a spirit of nationalism while simultaneously negotiating modernity in a new nation. They desired to transition and challenged themselves to be modern in a new landscape under the Federation of Malaysia. As with other ‘periphery ethnicities’ in Southeast Asia who were aspiring to be accepted in a new nation through popular music, the Ibans did not just conform to the mainstream industry but negotiated their own set of ideals, morals, values and traditions expressed in the Iban language and felt as a founding generation of Ibans who negotiated popular music in Sarawak. Iban - Music. - Sarawak Musical instruments - Sarawak Folk music, Iban - Sarawak 2019-08 Thesis http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/84194/ http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/84194/1/FEM%202019%2019%20UPM%20ir.pdf text en public doctoral Universiti Putra Malaysia Iban - Music. - Sarawak Musical instruments - Sarawak Folk music, Iban - Sarawak
institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
collection	PSAS Institutional Repository
language	English
topic	Iban - Music - Sarawak Musical instruments - Sarawak Iban - Music. - Sarawak
spellingShingle	Iban - Music - Sarawak Musical instruments - Sarawak Iban - Music. - Sarawak Lim, Keh Nie Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s
description	This thesis provides an in-depth study of the history of Iban popular music (1950s–1970s) by analyzing how alternative modernity is articulated through Iban popular songs. In exploring the potency of popular music, it uncovers the socio-cultural meanings of song lyrics and paradoxes of the largest indigenous ethnic group in Sarawak who experienced modernity from pre-modern to modern, the flux and agents of change from Brooke Rule to British colonialism to the Federation of Malaysia. Fundamentally, I argue that the establishment of Radio Sarawak and Iban Radio in the 1950s not only disseminated information to the people but also created a critical identity-forming space where the Ibans articulated modernity through the creation of their own popular music. Historically, the Iban is a cultural group located geographically and politically on the periphery of the multi-cultural nation of Malaysia. Building upon Bart Barendregt (2014) historiographic accounts of ‘alternative modernities’ in Southeast Asian popular music, this thesis examines how Iban culture bearers created popular music in the image of mainstream trends, but covertly expressed their socio-cultural and socio-political identity as emerging Sarawakians. Using historiographic approach, this methodology unravels the intricacies of the emergent creation of Iban popular music through an intertextual analysis of Iban popular music and its song lyrics. Drawing on narratives of music making experiences from the singers and songwriters themselves, the research collected sentiments and interpretations from culture bearers who shared anecdotes during interview sessions. This guided musical and historiographical analysis and literature surveys. Although Iban popular music is a genre appropriated by Western, Malay and Hindustani music forms, I argue that Iban popoular music articulated an alternative modernity for their socio-cultural and political history, allowing the Ibans to respond with a spirit of nationalism while simultaneously negotiating modernity in a new nation. They desired to transition and challenged themselves to be modern in a new landscape under the Federation of Malaysia. As with other ‘periphery ethnicities’ in Southeast Asia who were aspiring to be accepted in a new nation through popular music, the Ibans did not just conform to the mainstream industry but negotiated their own set of ideals, morals, values and traditions expressed in the Iban language and felt as a founding generation of Ibans who negotiated popular music in Sarawak.
format	Thesis
qualification_level	Doctorate
author	Lim, Keh Nie
author_facet	Lim, Keh Nie
author_sort	Lim, Keh Nie
title	Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s
title_short	Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s
title_full	Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s
title_fullStr	Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s
title_full_unstemmed	Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s
title_sort	alternative modernities in the history of iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s
granting_institution	Universiti Putra Malaysia
publishDate	2019
url	http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/84194/1/FEM%202019%2019%20UPM%20ir.pdf
_version_	1747813445771722752

Alternative modernities in the history of Iban popular music from 1950s to 1970s

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