Etnografia musicale e colonialismo italiano: contributi sul folclore dei territori d’oltremare dall’epoca liberale al fascismo

Abstract

This essay examines the Italian ethnographical studies of the African colonial domains’ musical traditions circulated from the liberal era to fascism. Published essays including ethnographical transcriptions prepared by ethnographers, officials, musicians and musicologists are my privileged sources of analysis. While rare and poor in scientific value, as well as immature in the methodology applied, these accounts are invaluable under at least three points of view: they are the only sources referring to the musical culture of those societies during the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century; they reflect an early interest by the Italian musical ethnography towards extra-national traditions; they are useful means to understanding the relationships between culture and politics during the Italian colonial era. The analysis of these sources will show how traditional African music was approached and represented by ethnographers. The main causes for the lacking of a wider ethnographical production during the Italian colonial period will also be investigated.