In Global Sonic Cultures we recently discussed and analysed decolonisation, and its affects on culture. Decolonisation references writing back and giving emphasis towards histories that have been affected by colonialism. Emphasising culture, decolonisation is not just about learning or establishing cultures, however, it is also about bringing the world away from the periphery, and centralising all countries on the same perspective of influence, and importance. More specifically the decolonisation of sound focuses on bringing forward other sonic cultures to light other than western style music. This could include diversifying school programs to include other scales and styles, encouraging media discussion and significance of other music styles, and internationalising music curation discussions, as highlighted by George E. Lewis.

My interest in international music, specifically eastern music, began through traveling and placing myself into as many musical situations as I could. Most notable, was the time I stayed with my friend’s family in Turkey and learned how to understand and play the Saz I purchased. The Saz is a 7 string Turkish instrument that utilises microtones in its fretting system.

Alongside the discussion on April 14th I watched this discussion on the decolonisation of sound objects.

https://www.praksisoslo.org/events-calendar/2020/8/chattopadhyay