Notes of despair and consciousness: performativity and visibility of albinism in musical practices. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Brocco, Giorgio
• Is Part Of: Disability & society. Volume 35:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 67
• Page End: 88
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Albinism -- performativity -- visibility -- disability identities -- masculinity -- Tanzania; People with disabilities -- Periodicals; People with disabilities -- Social conditions -- Periodicals; Special education -- Periodicals; Rehabilitation -- Periodicals; 362.4
• DOI: 10.1080/09687599.2019.1609422
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0968-7599

Abstract

Abstract: Recent studies endeavour to shed light on the multiple ways bodily impairments and disability identities are defined, socially constructed and enacted in various musical practices. The majority of these analyses are from the Global North and do not examine the various entanglements of music and disability in other socio-economic, political and geographical contexts. This article therefore explores the intertwinement of notions of disability identity related to albinism and the enactment of social performativity, visibility and masculinity of the condition in musical productions. This scrutiny is based on both the song lyrics of two renowned artists with albinism, Salif Keita from Mali and Yellowman from Jamaica, and an ethnographic investigation of a Tanzanian musician, Ras Six.