Description
Book Synopsis2020Alan Merriam Prize for Best Book Published in Ethnomusicology,Society for Ethnomusicology A free open access ebook is available upon publication. Learn more at www.luminosoa.org. LouderandFaster is a cultural study of the phenomenon of Asian American taiko, the thundering, athletic drumming tradition that originated in Japan. Immersed in the taiko scene for twenty years, Deborah Wong has witnessed cultural and demographic changes and the exponential growth and expansion of taiko particularly in Southern California. Through her participatory ethnographic work, she reveals a complicated story embedded in memories of Japanese American internment and legacies of imperialism, Asian American identity and politics, a desire to be seen and heard, and the intersection of culture and global capitalism. Exploring the materialities of the drums, costumes, and bodies that make sound, analyzing the relationship of these to capitalist multiculturalism, and investigating the gender politics of t
Trade Review"Wong’s thick analysis of her sources has resulted in a book that effectively addresses all aspects of taiko. . . .Her exceptional skill at descriptive language and weaving together word, picture, and sound results in an engaging, entertaining, and relatable account."
* California History *
