Mediterranean Musicscapes in Contemporary Spain

This volume focuses on the musicscapes that contest, critique, and rethink Mediterraneidad (Mediterraneaness) in Contemporary Spain, and understands it as a fluid and elusive sociological, cultural, and artistic category. The volume argues that since the 1990s we have witnessed a shift in which the mythical image of “Mediterranean harmony” has been superseded by the net: a figure that represents the linking of urban nodes and trans governmental networks, migratory movements, and cultural fluidity.

Further, this book assesses how Mediterraneidad became, within the realm of music, the site and sign of a diverse array of social issues such as the formulation of Catalan, Valencian, Andalusian, and Mallorcan national identities, with the 2017 Catalan Independence process taking center stage. Using diverse methodologies – data-driven sociological approaches; ethnographic and anthropological tools; feminist and gender theories – the authors also address the rapidly changing social landscape that started in the 1980s due to global migrations as well as the dismantling of traditional gender dynamics.

This book contributes to a rich tradition of critical inquiry into Mediterranean music, which is seen as both a reflection and a battleground of Southern Europe. Kiko Mora has brought together an excellent team of contributors to thoroughly examine topics such as national identities, tourism, music festivals, migratory patterns, and other influential factors that shape the landscape of contemporary Spanish music. Sílvia Martínez, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

We commonly think of Spanish music in terms of heritage and tradition, but this groundbreaking collection of essays reminds us that Spain’s music is not just ‘then,’ it is also ‘now’! And nowhere is this more evident than on the country’s culturally vibrant Mediterranean coast. Leading experts take us on a wide-ranging voyage of discovery that charts a new and necessary course in music scholarship. Walter Aaron Clark, Distinguished Professor of Musicology, Director, Center for Iberian and Latin American Music, University of California, Riverside, USA

From an original perspective, the book explores current facets of music practices across the Spanish Mediterranean. Josep Martí, Researcher in Anthropology, Institució Milà i Fontanals CSIC, Barcelona, Spain