Identity Construction and the Reclaiming of Indigeneity Through Autochthonous and Folkloric Music
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA RIVERSIDE Confronting/Reinscribing the Argentine White Narrative: Identity Construction and the Reclaiming of Indigeneity through Autochthonous and Folkloric Music A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Music by Hannah Eliza Alexia Balcomb September 2018 Dissertation Committee: Dr. Jonathan Ritter, Chairperson Dr. Deborah Wong Dr. Leonora Saavedra Dr. James Brennan Copyright by Hannah Eliza Alexia Balcomb 2018 The Dissertation of Hannah Eliza Alexia Balcomb is approved: ___________________________________________________________ Committee Chairperson University of California, Riverside Acknowledgements A project of this undertaking requires the efforts and collaboration of many people, and I have so many to thank. First, I must recognize the members of my committee, beginning with my advisor and dissertation chair Jonathan Ritter. Throughout my time at UCR, Jonathan has been unfailingly supportive and encouraging of both my academic work and my overall development as a professional. A scholar who is always up to date on the latest academic trends and who has an incredible breadth of knowledge, Jonathan has been wonderful at suggesting new angles or approaches to my work. Deborah Wong similarly has always provided thoughtful and trenchant critiques that have pushed me to think more critically in my research. Leonora Saavedra, with whom I worked many quarters as a Teaching Assistant, has taught me both about being a scholar and a professor. She has always been supportive of my work as well as my overall professional development. Finally, learning with James Brennan, an expert on Argentina, taught me a lot about the country before my arrival. In addition to their scholarly feedback, each one of my committee members has written me recommendation letters that were vital to my securing grants and economic support as well. I was fortunate enough to spend a total of two and a half years in Argentina conducting research. This was thanks to a Graduate Research Mentorship Award from The University of California, Riverside in 2013-2014 as well as a iv Fulbright IIE Grant in 2015. Being a part of the Fulbright community was an amazing experience, and the financial support helped me immensely. I would also like to thank my official sponsor in Salta, Professor Adriana Zaffaroni as well as my host institution, the University of Salta. Over the course of my research, I met many people in Argentina, some of whom were vital to my work and others with whom I became quite close. First and foremost, I would like to thank all of the members of my case studies. In my regular lessons with Severo Baez, he taught me, not only about copla music, but about Argentine culture and traditions as well. I often attended ceremonies and events held by his family and am grateful for the hospitality they showed me. The members of Huayra welcomed me into their group without question and with enthusiasm. Some of the time that I spent with Huayra, although often grueling long nights waiting to parade in the Carnival, were some of the most fun I had during my research. In particular, I am grateful to Marcos and to Javier Lopéz for the time they took to answer my many queries. Finally, the members of Sumaimana were gracious about letting me observe their practices and document their shows. Each member was kind enough to give me an interview and answer my questions. Valeria Esquivel offered me a wealth of information both through discussions with her and through providing me with paperwork about her group. Beyond this, Valeria opened up her home, introduced me to her family, her partner Mario and her son Amaru, and made me feel that I was always welcome. A huge debt of gratitude is owed also to Carlos Contreras, with whom I became close, and who spent countless hours analyzing v Sumaimana songs, explaining complex rhythms, and transcribing songs. Much of the my understanding of , particularly the meaning, behind Sumaimana’s songs, is thanks to these sessions and conversations. My dance instructor, Andrés Ramos and his wife Daniella Echenique taught me most of what I know about folkloric dance and gaucho culture. They are also scholars in their own right and are nationally-renown dancers who recently won, in their catrgory, at the Pre-Cosquín competition in 2015. In addition, they became my good friends, and I shared many delicious asados (barbecues) pand spent many wonderful times with them and their two children, Mailene and Nuehen. During my time in Buenos Aires, I also relied on the expertise of my bombo teacher, Dario Pizzarro, and overtime, I became good friends and learned much from he and his wife, Gloria Pizarro, both of whom are expert folkloric dancers and teachers. Mathias Guanuco, another famous dancer and a dance instructor, also helped me understand folkloric music and make some initial contacts in Salta. Pablo Costilla showed me around the ruins of Los Quilmes and also patiently answered all of my questions. There were also some famous musicians and artists in Argentina who were gracious enough to grant me interviews. These include Bruno Arias, Pablo Coliqueo of Che Joven, Thomas Lipan, Mariana Carrizo, and Lorena Astudillo. I am very grateful for their contributions to my work. Conducting fieldwork can be daunting and lonely, and I am sure I would not have been successful without the amazing support of many friends I made. Yenny vi and her family, Roxanna, Julio, Saul, and Bauti made me feel like I had a second home in Salta. Claudia, Silvia, and Lilly, who I met in dance class, became my true friends, and will always be dear to my heart. Their partners and husbands Ruben, Elias, and Jorge also became good friends. There are of course more people with whom I formed strong bonds and to whom I owe a debt of gratitude for their support in my research. The list is too long to include here, and although not everyone’s names or words ended up in my final dissertation, they all contributed to the understanding I have of Argentine culture and thus are all incorporated in this work. Completing a PhD, particularly the dissertation, is difficult and would have been impossible without the encouragement and solidarity of friends. I would like to thank all my colleagues and friends at UCR, especially No.e Parker, Josh Brown, Eric Johns, Jacky Won, Xiomara Forbéz and Cristina Leyva. Hillary Jenks, Matt Neil, Cecilia Latiolais and Samantha Reid also offered me invaluable writing advice and edits. Finally, I am grateful for the support of my mother Victoria and my siblings Frances, Sophia, and Seamus. vii ABSTRACT OF THE DISSERTATION Confronting / Reinscribing the Argentine White Narrative: Identity Construction and the Reclaiming of Indigeneity through Autochthonous and Folkloric Music by Hannah Eliza Alexia Balcomb Doctor of Philosophy, Graduate Program in Music University of California, Riverside, September 2018 Dr. Jonathan Ritter, Chairperson Although Argentina is not a place associated with indigenous scholarship this image is shifting as scholars, activists, musicians, and artists demand a revisionist history to challenge the myth of a homogenous Argentina and recognize the country’s estimated 900 indigenous communities. This dissertation analyzes the role that musicians, dancers, and other culture bearers of Argentine popular and folkloric music play in this burgeoning indigenous movement. In an attempt to capture a multifaceted indigenous narrative of Argentina, I begin from the premise that identity is not static but rather a production, always in process (Hall 1998). Thus, I consider the multiple ways that Argentines choose to align or distance themselves from a shared indigenous ancestry and how they use particular dress, symbols, musical genres and instruments to do so. I analyze shifts in this discourse in relation to broader trends of tourism, national politics, transnationalism and a viii growing international indigenous awareness. This dissertation begins with a look at indigenous trends in national music and within the country’s capital Buenos Aires and moves into a detailed study of musical practices in the northern province of Salta, a locus of gaucho folklore. In particular, I examine the ways—again—through which instruments, genres, and dress, that three separate groups of musicians: copla performers, an “Indian” comparsa, and an ethno-folkloric fusion group, revalorize indigeneity by representing native northern Argentine communities in their performances. Ultimately I argue that musical expressions of indigeneity in Argentina both contribute to and detract from the struggle for indigenous recognition by allowing for a retelling of Argentine history and the emergence of native peoples onto a historically White nationalist narrative and by simultaneously perpetuating indigenista exoticist trends in which the “great,” ancient, Indian civilizations are elevated as authentic culture bearers while extant ones are excluded or portrayed as primitive in comparison. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ix INTRODUCTION: “Real Indians” 1 Pushing Back Against a Misconception 5 Multiculturalism 6 Beginning Queries 8 Argentine Music 10 Regional and National Genres 10 Scholarly Contributions 14 Folkloric Music 14 Folklorization and Tourism 18 Nationalism and Ethnicity in Argentine Identity 21 Music and Identity 27 Nationalism and Performance 30 Terminology 32 Methodology and Introduction to Case Studies 38 Los Bagualeros del Norte 39 Huayra 40 Sumaimana 41 Placing