Abstract

Some scholars have argued that ideas of coloured identities are in flux: being constantly made and re-made. This presentation explores how race can be used as an interpretive lens through which to understand and read the music of Stereo Zen, a funk-rock band based in Cape Town in the mid-2000s. In discussing how Stereo Zen construct and reconstruct their relationship with their coloured identity, this presentation aligns itself with scholars who argue that academic engagement with the construction of race is productive when race is seen as a “medium,” or a “method of interpretation.” As a regular guest artist appearing with the band, my position as scholar-musician has allowed me to gain unique perspectives on this music, and this presentation explores how the band repositions funk to a South African context through lyrical and musical imagery, as well as their critiques of colonial constructions of black musicality.

摘要

一些学者认为，有色人种身份的观念是在不断变化的：不断被制造和再制造。本演示文稿探讨了如何将种族用作解释镜头，通过它来理解和阅读 2000 年代中期总部设在开普敦的放克摇滚乐队 Stereo Zen 的音乐。在讨论 Stereo Zen 如何建构和重构他们与有色人种身份的关系时，本演讲与学者们保持一致，他们认为当种族被视为“媒介”或“解释方法”时，学术参与种族建构是富有成效的。 ” 作为乐队的常客艺术家，我作为学者音乐家的身份让我对这种音乐有了独特的看法，这个演讲探讨了乐队如何通过抒情和音乐意象将放克重新定位到南非语境中，