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Songs, Sounds and Sentiments in Translation: The Transnational Travels of Corsican and Georgian Polyphony

Abstract: This article considers the concept of translation as applied to the phenomenon of amateur singers in the West learning songs from ‘other’ cultures. Following an examination of the reasons why some people may prefer to sing in a language that is not their mother tongue, I go on to explore the processes involved in learning a new musical language, taking as my case study traditional polyphonic songs from Corsica and Georgia. I consider the roles of the native practitioner as teacher and transmitter and the nonnative teacher as transmitter and intermediary, examining the methods developed by particular teachers to help students reach a deeper cultural understanding while also finding an ‘authentic’ sound. Pursuing the notion of social relations being implicit in the acts of both translation and music making, I conclude by reflecting on the kinds of transformations—personal and political, as well as musical—that may result.