Re‐territorializing the city: Youth and the productive role of reggae music in Vanuatu. (28th July 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Kraemer, Daniela; Stern, Monika
• Other Names: Kraemer Daniela guestEditor.; Stern Monika guestEditor.
• Is Part Of: Australian journal of anthropology. Volume 33:Number 2(2022)
• Page Start: 192
• Page End: 209
• Publication Date: 2022-07-28
• Subjects: place‐making -- reggae music -- social transformation -- urban Melanesia -- urban Vanuatu -- young people; Anthropology -- Periodicals; 301.05
• DOI: 10.1111/taja.12437
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1035-8811

Abstract

Abstract: In Vanuatu, the popularity of reggae music has been on the rise since the late 1980s. Today, reggae music and reggae culture is ubiquitous. For many young people in Port Vila, Vanuatu's capital city, it is a fundamental component of their sense of belonging to the city. Their attraction to reggae derives from its messages of camaraderie, equality and justice. This paper argues that for many urban youth, playing, consuming and sharing reggae music and culture instrumentalises their urban place‐making activities and helps reterritorialise themselves in urban spaces. Drawing on ethnographic research, we demonstrate the extent to which its lyrics and messages resonate with youth who feel they are unable to express their social, economic and political discontent through other mediums. Furthermore, we show how for many youth, reggae conveys a sense of hopefulness that emboldens them to build a new life or 'father land' for themselves and their children.