SEM Awards Honorary Memberships for 2020
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Volume 55, Number 1 Winter 2021 SEM Awards Honorary Memberships for 2020 Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje Edwin Seroussi Birgitta J. Johnson, University of South Carolina Mark Kligman, UCLA If I could quickly snatch two words to describe the career I first met Edwin Seroussi in New York in the early 1990s, and influence of UCLA Professor Emeritus Jacqueline when I was a graduate student and he was a young junior Cogdell DjeDje, I would borrow from the Los Angeles professor. I had many questions for him, seeking guid- heavy metal scene and deem her the QUIET RIOT. Many ance on studying the liturgical music of Middle Eastern who know her would describe her as soft spoken with a Jews. He greeted me warmly and patiently explained the very calm and focused demeanor. Always a kind face, and challenges and possible directions for research. From that even she has at times described herself as shy. But along day and onwards Edwin has been a guiding force to me with that almost regal steadiness and introspective aura for Jewish music scholarship. there is a consummate professional and a researcher, teacher, mentor, administrator, advocate, and colleague Edwin Seroussi was born in Uruguay and immigrated to who is here to shake things up. Beneath what sometimes Israel in 1971. After studying at Hebrew University he appears as an unassuming manner is a scholar of excel- served in the Israel Defense Forces and earned the rank lence, distinction, tenacity, candor, and respect who gently of Major. After earning a Masters at Hebrew University, he pushes her students, colleagues, and community to dig went to UCLA for his doctorate. deeper, ask more questions, and add to the overall cul- tural historical narrative from as many angles as possible. In the early 1990s he was a senior lecturer at Bar-Ilan She has been a remarkable presence in the discipline of University, and for the last 20 years he has served on the ethnomusicology—quietly but persistently and methodi- faculty of Hebrew University and as Director of the Jewish cally serving in numerous roles that modern ethnomusi- Music Centre. He has been visiting professor at dozens cologists strive to embody today. of universities, including in São Paulo and Toronto, and at Dartmouth, UCLA, UC Berkeley, and Harvard. For over forty years she has served the discipline and the Society for Ethnomusicology with excellence through her Having written 9 monographs/books and over 125 articles publications, consultations, archival administration, and in many languages, Edwin is prolific. His research primar- the influential work of her many students and mentees. ily focuses on North African, Turkish, and Western Sep- She is well respected for her extraordinary advising, guid- hardic communities with both breath and depth. He deeply ance and leadership, and we want to honor her today in interrogates many topics within music scholarship, Jewish this assembly, at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Society studies, and many other related disciplines, providing for Ethnomusicology. More than anyone in the Society, fresh insights. Many of his publications also focus on Prof. DjeDje embodies and straddles the musics of Africa comparison of “East” and “West” Sephardi/Mizrahi liturgi- and its diaspora in profound ways. Former student Lara cal traditions, and he is constantly expanding the terrain of Diane Rann notes, “she has furthered the cause of unity Jewish music in communities that have had limited study. and advancement among peoples of the continent and its diaspora, paving the way for our people to have pride Another arena of study is Israeli Music. With publications and appreciation for the culture we have created.” Fur- in Hebrew and English, Edwin has documented, mapped, thermore, as is testified by the many people she has and interpreted the complex story of popular music in [continued on p.4] [continued on p.4] Features Announcements News Our Back Pages 2020 Honorary Memberships SEM Council Report Member News SEM Publications Moving Transitions Ethnomusicology Today Update Institutional News Advertisements Barbara B. Smith Centenary SEM 2020 Prizes Conference Calendar Internet Resources Ecomusicology Forum The Society for Ethnomusicology, SEM Newsletter James Cowdery, Editor, SEM Newsletter SEM Membership RILM, CUNY Graduate Center The object of the Society for Ethnomusicology is the ad- 365 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10016 vancement of research and study in the field of ethnomu- [email protected] sicology, for which purpose all interested persons, regard- Adriane Pontecorvo, Editorial Assistant less of race, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or physical ability are encouraged to become members. SEM Newsletter is a vehicle for the exchange of ideas, Its aims include serving the membership and Society at news, and information among the Society’s members. large through the dissemination of knowledge concerning Readers’ contributions are welcome and should be sent to the music of the world’s peoples. The Society, incorporat- the editor. ed in the United States, has an international membership. The Society for Ethnomusicology publishes the SEM Members receive free copies of the journal and the Newsletter four times annually in January, April, July, and newsletter and have the right to vote and participate in the September, and distributes issues free to members of the activities of the Society. Society. _______________ Student (full-time only) (one year) ................................$40 Back issues, 1981 to present [volumes 14-18 (1981- Individual (one year) 1984), 3 times a year; vols. 19-32 (1985-1998), 4 times a • Income $25,000 or less ........................................... $60 year] are available and may be ordered at $2 each. 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Tomie Hahn (Interim President & President-Elect) Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Guidelines for Contributors Alejandro L. Madrid (First Vice President) Email articles and shorter entries for consideration to the Cornell University SEM Newsletter Editor. Copy deadlines: Frederick Lau (Second Vice President) Winter Issue (15 Dec.) Summer Issue (15 June) Chinese University of Hong Kong Spring Issue (15 Mar.) Fall Issue (1 Sep.) Tes Slominski (Secretary) Independent Scholar, Charlottesville, VA Advertising Rates The Newsletter accepts digital files (e.g., jpg) for advertis- Adriana Helbig (Treasurer) ing. University of Pittsburgh Full page: $200 1/3 page: $60 2/3 page: $145 1/6 page: $40 Jean Ngoya Kidula (Member-at-Large, Groups & Profes- 1/2 page: $110 sional Development) University of Georgia Ethnomusicology: Back Issues Alisha Lola Jones (Member-at-Large, Prizes) Ethnomusicology, the Society’s journal (ISSN 0036-1291), Indiana University, Bloomington is currently published three times a year. Back issues are available through the SEM Business Office, Indiana Beverley Diamond (Past-President) University, 800 East 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405- Memorial University 3657; 812-855-6672; [email protected]. 2 Moving Transitions Tomie Hahn, SEM Interim President and President-Elect Greetings one and all. to make deep, positive changes towards equity and inclu- sion. It has been a difficult year on many fronts. The pandemic greatly imposed on our lives as ethnomusicologists and I am grateful for your patience during this transition in performers. It affected the people we work and collaborate Board membership. As I step into a new position at with and the livelihood of all artists across the globe. SEM—concurrently President-Elect and Interim Presi- dent—I thank everyone for your support and for contact- The Board received numerous inquiries, recommenda- ing me with raised hands to volunteer to serve our Soci- tions, and concerns in 2020. We look forward to thought- ety. Please keep the email coming! fully responding in future Newsletter columns and via other correspondence. In my eyes, the many struggles we This Newsletter column celebrates the volunteer service experienced this year revealed glaring concerns that we of all past and current Board members. A handful of them, all need to attend to earnestly. Our personal and commu- as youngsters, are pictured below. I wonder if you can nity well-being is at stake. I recognize these as opportuni- guess who they might be? ties to revisit how we can work together as a community (Answers are on page 8.) 1. 2. 3. 6. 7. 4. 5. 8. 3 Jacqueline Cogdell DjeDje [continued from page 1] mentored and worked with, she engenders allies among Kachamba in concert with UCLA Students and community people of all ethnicities