Music and Musicians in Crete: Performance and Ethnography in a Mediterranean Island Society (Europea: Ethnomusicologies and Modernities)

the long version

"The lyra appears to have tremendous symbolic power and significance in Crete, yet Cretan lyra music is hardly known outside of the Greek diaspora. Music and Musicians in Crete: Performance and Ethnography in a Mediterranean Island Society - the first book-length study of this topic - documents working musicians in Crete during the 1990s and explores the many facets of their lives and music, including what it means to be a man and a musician in Crete, Cretan notions of musicianship as an engendered practice or collection of skills and core values, and ways in which performance elements correlate with activities in daily life. Kevin Dawe explores the concepts of "tradition" and "modernity" in relation to lyra music by comparing technology, music, and instrument making; examining the effects of globalization on the Cretan musical landscape; and investigating aspects of the music's continuity and change in relation to culture and society." "Taking an ethnomusicological approach involving fieldwork and participant observation among performers, teachers, producers, and consumers of lyra music, both at live celebrations and on commercial recordings, Music and Musicians in Crete analyzes the relationship between relevant musical, verbal, and visual paraphernalia, including poetry, dance, iconography, and promotional materials. Having experienced lyra playing himself, Dawe also investigates the basic lyra repertoire, analyzing the music and noting pedagogical issues that arise. An introductory chapter sets out the ethnomusicological approach to the work, and a bibliography, discography, and index complete this study."--Jacket.