Research Articles

Assessing music shift: adapting EGIDS for a Papua New Guinea community

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Abstract

It is no secret that ‘lesser-known’ communities around the world are changing. Language shift is receiving increasing attention internationally – and rightly so. Although mechanisms of language shift are becoming clearer, changes in other cultural traditions are less understood. Daniel Nettle and Suzanne Romaine explain that the purpose of their book, Vanishing voices, is ‘to inform the wider scientific community and the public of the threat facing the world’s languages, and, by extent, its cultures’ (Nettle & Romaine 2000: ix). As an ethnomusicologist, my primary interest lies within the phrase ‘by extent, its cultures’; a statement that assumes a close relationship between a shift in language and a shift in other cultural domains. I have lived and worked in Papua New Guinea (PNG) since 2002. In my interactions with villagers I have been struck by the lack of a common, obvious connection between language strength and the strength of expressive arts traditions. Some communities, in which vernacular language use is very strong, show little continuity in local artistic traditions. While intergenerational transmission of language in the home may be happening, local singing traditions have all but given way to Western-influenced styles. I would have assumed a more significant connection between...

Keywords: Papua New Guinea, Alamblak, language shift, music shift, EGIDS, ethnomusicology, endangered languages

How to Cite:

Coulter, N., (2011) “Assessing music shift: adapting EGIDS for a Papua New Guinea community”, Language Documentation and Description 10, 61-81. doi: https://doi.org/10.25894/ldd190