Eighth International Colloquium on Musicology / First Conference of the IMS Regional Association for Latin America and the Caribbean (ARALC/IMS)

Havana, March 17–21, 2014

The theme of this conference, “Latin America and the canon,” invites us to explore the concept of cultural pantheons (of works, composers, genres, sound ideals, performers, paradigmatic renditions, instruments, oral traditions, etc.) and reflect upon the strategies that regulate both inclusion and exclusion, as well as the construction and resilience of an expressive corpus deemed referential and capable of representing a tradition within a specific historical context. Neither immutable nor vulnerable to total demolition, the presence of a canon (defined as cultural sediment and not as carrier of aesthetic authority, although this connotation might be inevitable) functions as a symbolic anchor amidst forces of change, counteracting the cultural relativism associated with the coexistence of multiple semantic fields and a plurality of discourses.

It does not surprise us that the critical scaffoldings subtending the construction of relatively stable cultural patrimonies differ depending on whether they hail from Europe, the United States, or Latin America. We celebrate these differences and invite reflections on the broad range of possibilities suggested by this theme from different perspectives and fields of specialization. As cultural theory fades and without returning to discarded discourses, we are compelled to reconsider, from the perspective of Latin America’s history of ideas, the relevance of the formidable critical apparatus that has nourished canon construction and the tensions generated by its persistence and rejection in new contexts, contemplating a “return to music” (Egberto Bermúdez) that would transcend text and act (Taruskin) and restore the inclusion of codes. As Héctor Rubio reminds us, “Foregoing a knowledge of codes, or working from a limited knowledge of codes, can only lead us to fallacies”  (Revista Argentina de Musicología, 5–6 [2004/2005], 229). Tracing the critical journey of the concept in “Canon, hegemonía y experiencia estética” (Revista Argentina de Musicología, 5–6 [2004/2005], 17–44), Omar Corrado proposes some central points that can frame future reflections. These include

a reassessment of “facts” as raw material that can transcend epistemological solipsism without relinquishing critical vigilance; a greater emphasis on music-specific thinking, inclusive of sonority and expressivity; the need to historicize the discourse on music-specific parameters, thereby averting the danger of absolutism in analytical excess; and a recovery of discussions on value, namely on the aesthetic dimension of music in its broadest sense (39).

Malena Kuss, Coordinator, ARALC/IMS
Cold Spring, New York, April 18, 2013

In the context of the 14th edition of its Prize in Musicology, Casa de las Américas calls for papers for the 8th International Colloquium on Musicology, which, this time, will be held in conjunction with the first conference of the IMS Regional Association for Latin America and the Caribbean (ARALC/IMS). Founded in 2012, ARALC/IMS promotes a greater integration of perspectives from scholars in the region into communication networks of global reach. 

Casa de las Américas invites the participation of musicologists, performers, pedagogues, and other specialists interested in advancing scientific knowledge and preservation of musical cultures in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The Colloquium’s program of activities includes lectures, round tables, panel discussions, concerts, and the presentation of recordings, books, and journals, as well as art exhibits and documentary film screenings.

Members of the Jury awarding the Casa de las Américas Musicology Prize and members of the Directorium of the International Musicological Society, as well as other invited guests, will deliver lectures and participate in round tables. Proposals for panel discussions and papers should address research on musical cultures in Latin America and the Caribbean, focusing on the following themes:
•	Latin America and the canon
•	Musicology as locus of disciplinary intersections

Those interested in presenting papers should send their proposals to Dirección de Música de la Casa de las Américas <[log in to unmask]> before July 15, 2013.
Proposals should include 1) title of the paper; 2) abstract of no more than 250 words; and 3) a summary of the author’s professional activities, including institutional affiliation and contact information. 

Proposals will be evaluated by a single Program Committee of ten musicologists from Latin America and the Caribbean chaired by Professor Egberto Bermúdez. If deemed necessary, this Committee shall request additional information about the proposed paper (whether related to its theoretical framework, bibliography, text version, etc.). Casa de las Américas shall communicate the Program Committee’s decisions before September 30, 2013.

The papers must present unpublished research and range between 3000 and 6000 words (from 10 to 20 pages), including musical examples, illustrations, footnotes, and bibliographic references. A digital version of the text in a system compatible with PC should be submitted when participants complete their registration in the Colloquium. 

Panel discussions and free papers will be assigned 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for discussion. 

The registration fee of US $50.00 should be paid personally at Casa de las Américas at the beginning of the event. Participants from Cuba will pay the same amount in national currency.

Casa de las Américas cannot defray costs of travel or lodging for participants. However, official letters of invitation will be sent to those requesting them in order to facilitate requests for funding from other sources. Institutions providing financial support to participants in this event will be recognized in writing. 

Participation must be confirmed in writing to Casa de las Américas at [log in to unmask]  before January 31, 2014.

For more information on the Musicology Prize and International Colloquium, please visit our web site, at www.casadelas americas.org/premios/musicologia/index.php


CASA DE LAS AMÉRICAS
3a y G, El Vedado, Ciudad de La Habana, Cuba
Phones: (537) 830-9484, 552706/09
FAX: (537) 334-5654 / 832-7272
Email: [log in to unmask]
http://www.casa.cult.cu