Banjoes and Line Dances

Listen below or at bit.ly/3bn0sUI • Collab 11 • 14 May 2021

Notes On Notes is a monthly listening exchange series. One collaborator creates a customized playlist, and the other listens and responds with a selection of non-musical pairings. Collaborators don’t know the themes or motivations beforehand, which helps to keep the process focused on discovery and surprise.

“Banjoes and Line Dances,” the May 2021 collaboration, features Matthew Knisley as playlist curator and Eunike G. Setiadarma as respondent. Through music and video, the playlist explore silences in our narratives about the past and present. The response takes the form of a series of “YouTube comments,” which deepen and personalize the music videos’ themes. Together, the collaborators prompt us to confront the colonizations that have shaped the modern world—with both seriousness and humor.

Eunike’s notes appear following the videos they comment on. Content warning: several of these videos depict violence and abuse.

Playlist by Matthew

I don’t know much about music—outside of a youthful dalliance with that most romantic of instruments, the trombone—but I love music videos, and, like Yacht, a neon-soaked dance floor is my “preferred autonomous zone.”

This is a selection of music videos that I play at the beginning of my classes in the Colonizations sequence at the University of Chicago. This sequence explores the interlocking dynamics of conquest, slavery, and colonialism, as well as their reciprocal relationships with resistance, freedom, and independence in the making of the modern world.

In recent years, I have incorporated more film and artwork into the courses, but I did not regularly share music videos until Spring Quarter 2020. I had been scheduled to teach an intensive version of Colonizations I in Hong Kong, but over a matter of weeks, the course was relocated to London, Chicago, and, finally, everybody’s bedrooms. I initially used the videos to create mental space for our daily meetings during the early days of the pandemic, but they were such a rich addition to our conversations that I now regularly include music videos in my classes.

My approach to the course follows the approach outline by the first chapter of anthropologist and historian Michel-Rolph Touillot’s Silencing the Past (1995). We explore the gap that Trouillot identifies between “what happened” and “what is said to have happened” through various case studies. Central to his project is the notion of “archival silences,” or the material and ideological factors that shape historical reconstruction and narrative. Although he focuses on textual records, his argument is relevant to any media: artifacts, genres, oral histories, songs, and dance. All can reveal something about the past if we approach them both critically and with humility.

During our first meeting, we review terms such as (post-)colonialism and (anti-)imperialism. “Wildest Dreams” by Taylor Swift is a quintessential example of what historian Nancy Shoemaker calls Romantic Colonialism. We then read a debate between anthropologist and historian Ann Laura Stoler and historian and ethnic studies scholar Ramón Gutiérrez about whether we should foreground intimacy or violence in colonial studies. The answer to that question is probably both/and, and Rihanna’s “We Found Love” exists in that space.

We usually spend a day or two reading about the “Columbian Exchange,” with texts that challenge the relationship between “natural” and “social” histories. This song tends to elicit strong, negative reactions (I personally love it), so “Intruders” by Jessie Reyez was a welcome addition.

For “Jerusalema,” the artists are from South Africa, the lyrics are in Zulu, and the dance was developed by a troupe in Angola. The symbolism of the song resonated with people as they faced increasingly long lockdowns and imagined what life might be like on the other side. I was particularly struck by videos produced in Jerusalem by groups that promote solidarity between South Africans and Palestinians. The dance scholar and dancer Ananya Jahanara Kabir described the music and dance as “a product of a long conversation across the two sides of the Atlantic world” that “showed people a simple way to connect to each other, and build a community out of contact at a time when we are all hungering for these possibilities.”

I enjoy showing students how particular songs or styles circulate, and there are several examples in this list. Kuduro developed in Angola in the 1980s, drawing on musical trends happening in Europe and the Americas at the time. The dance style is said to reference the movements of people who lost limbs because of the land mines used in Angola’s long civil war. We compare “No Buraco” to “Dancar Kuduro” by Lucenzo (a Portuguese artist, with a video filmed in Havana) and “Danza Kuduro” with Don Omar (a Puerto Rican artist, with a video filmed in St. Martin).

The changing status of Africans in early colonial Virginia is a historical question with many ambiguities. We know the ultimate outcome—the Virginia Slave Codes of 1705—but we explore how various lines of evidence do or don’t align with characterizations of this time period in the 1619 Project and the 1776 Commission Report. We start by looking at the painting, The Old Plantation, believed to be the first depiction of a banjo-like instrument in the US. We then watch Daniel Jatta playing an akonting and the controversial performance of “Daddy Lessons” at the Country Music Awards by Beyoncé and the Chicks.

The second part of the course examines Old World precursors to the sugar plantation. The eastern Atlantic archipelagos served as a “testing ground” for using slaves to grow sugar at a large scale. Batuque is a style of music from Cape Verde, and Madonna recently included an homage to it on her most recent album, Madame X. By chance, I saw her tour for that album in Chicago in 2019. I was happy to see that the women in the video accompanied her on tour, but I seem to be the only person who thought the production was an Orientalist fever dream. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

In the latter half of the 1800s, the economy of Barbados saw a rapid switch from tobacco to sugar and from indentured servitude to chattel slavery. The Barbados Landship was performed by friendly societies of emancipated slaves but may have emerged as a form of dance that reenacted the Middle Passage. I am struck by similarities between Landship and the send-up of elite Cameroonian soldiers in “Zamina mina (Zangaléwa / Waka Waka).” Shakira remixed (honored? stole?) the song, which became the official song of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but eventually reached a settlement with the Golden Sounds.

“Another Brick in the Wall” might seem like an outlier but it’s obviously the best accompaniment to our readings about sugar and the rise of the British working class.

The final part of the course examines contemporary legacies of colonialism. “Coolies” from southern and eastern Asia were brought to the Americas as indentured servants after slave emancipation to provide labor for plantations in the Caribbean, railroads in the US, and elsewhere. Death rates were high and abuses rampant. Some descendants of these laborers feel that their contributions to contemporary Caribbean culture are overlooked. South Asian instrumentation is central to Caribbean musical traditions, and “Coolie Bai Dance” reclaims the derogatory term.

Next, we read about the 1893 World’s Fair alongside the rise of scientific racism and changing forms of Euro-American imperialism (including westward expansion) in the latter half of the 1800s. Dr. Rebecca Graff gave the class a lovely presentation about her archaeological research in the former fairgrounds. I can’t find a decent live performance of Part I of Sufjan Stevens’ “Come on Feel the Illinois! (The World’s Columbian Exposition),” but it’s fun, so I included it anyway.

“Apeshit,” filmed in the Louvre by the Carters, pairs well with our readings about the colonial legacy of museums. Dr. Morag Kersel once joined our class to discuss the antiquities trade and the politics of displaying objects.

If there’s time, I incorporate sci-fi at the end of the term. “Djula Dance” is a recent contribution to a long tradition of funky music that taps into Afro-futuristic themes. There’s a huge amount of scholarship and artistic work around the ambiguous futures promise by space exploration (and those concerns might even be making it into mainstream discourse).

Jennifer Lopez’s rendition of “This Land is Your Land” at the inauguration left out the verses critical of the US, and the song has also been criticized for erasing the struggles of indigenous peoples. It provides a jarring contrast to the rawness of “This is America” by Childish Gambino.

Finally, we reach “Overcome” by Laura Mvula. I love her music. The imagery in this video seems to be inspired by the horrors of the Middle Passage, but I haven’t come across any interviews to confirm that hunch. I’ve shown this video when reading debates about the effects of the Atlantic Slave Trade on African societies, but I think its mix of heavy and hopeful is a great way to bring the course (and this playlist) to a close.

I am indebted to my colleagues on the Colonizations teaching staff and my students for helping me with this constantly growing playlist.

Matthew Knisley is an anthropologist and archaeologist who studies foraging in Africa.

Listen to the playlist below or at bit.ly/3bn0sUI.

Response by Eunike

I listened to the playlist on Sunday around noon, after I finished some work. While listening, I jotted down my thoughts and feelings about each song. The notes look like YouTube comments: unfiltered, fragmented, and full of interruptions. I often paused the playlist, especially for songs with a lot of historical background, since I thought I needed to know more about them, rather than just listening and watching in passing. I rarely listen to music while doing something else. It has long been my habit to always pause everything I do and truly listen to the sound (not as an expert, but because I like enjoying the details).

Taylor Swift: “Wildest Dreams”

When I saw Taylor Swift’s song is the first song on the playlist, I only remembered two of my favorite drag queens, Violet Chachki and Katya Zamolodchikova, who lambasted Taylor’s red-carpet fashions on Fashion Photo Ruview. Katya: “What do you think about the hair?” Violet: “I don’t think of it.” They do not care about Taylor Swift, neither do I. I never really listen to her songs.

Rihanna: “We Found Love” ft. Calvin Harris

I love Rihanna. But I barely remember when I first listened to this song. Ten years ago? While I was listening to this song, my mind wandered: where are those college “cool” kids now?

Jessie Reyez: “INTRUDERS”

Reyez’s voice is heaven, and the animation does justice to the song. It is quite sad actually.

Fenomenos do Semba: “Jerusalema” Dance Challenge

I laughed. Dancing with a plate is what I used to do everytime I attended someone’s wedding and the band played my favorite songs.

Costuleta: “No Buraco”

I just finished the first draft of my research paper, and No Buraco made me smile.

Lucenzo ft. Big Ali: “Vem Dancar Kuduro”

I wrote something on my planner…ah another tough week.

Daniel Jatta: An Akonting Tune Written by His Father

I truly enjoy Daniel Jatta’s video!

Beyoncé and the Chicks: “Daddy Lessons”

Aaa I watched this Beyoncé performance with Dixie Chicks years ago before I moved to the US for my PhD. And now that I’ve learned better about this country, this song’s lyrics makes me unsettled. It’s good seeing them having fun though.

Tradison di Terra: “Nós Bandera”

I love the women choir in Nós Bandera and Cape Verde’s flags. I Googled Cape Verde. “People also ask: What race is Cape Verdeans.” A journal article popped out: “Contested Identities: Narratives of Race and Ethnicity in the Cape Verdean Diaspora.”

Madonna: “Batuka”

What’s with Madonna’s autotune thing? The voices and dances of women of Orquestra Batukadeiras are gorgeous. And the ghostly ships at the end of the video is quite a powerful image about the slave trade. Did people on Twitter have a debate whether this song is cultural appropriation or appreciation? I paused the playlist and searched on YouTube: “Orquestra Batukadeiras.”

“Barbados Landship”

I have no knowledge about Barbados Landship. So, again, I paused the playlist and read an article.

Camerunense Zangalewa: “Waka Waka”

I knew Waka Waka, of course, from Shakira. And this kind of version also says so much about how song “covers,” especially when supported by big record companies and giant associations like FIFA, always sell.

Pink Floyd: “Another Brick in the Wall”

LOL. A YouTube comment on Pink Floyd’s “Another Brick in the Wall” said “This song isn’t just about education system. It’s about the whole system. Think!” I just want to give a thumbs up emoji and a poker face to this comment: “kaybro.”

Mystic: “Coolie Bai Dance”

What’s with some YouTube commenters and their condescending “let me educate you”? Anyway, Coolie Bai Dance makes me want to watch those old three-hour Bollywood movies.

Sufjan Stevens: “Come On! Feel the Illinoise! (The World’s Columbian Exposition”

Illi-noise. The lyrics are so good?! He talks about World’s Fair in Chicago: “Great intentions, covenant with the imitation.” And the second part of the song asks, “Are you writing from the heart?” lol no.

The Carters: “Apeshit”

Apeshit has always been Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s grand gesture to say they made it.

Ibaaku: “Djula Dance”

Woaaa. Ibaaku’s Djula Dance is sooo good. Click, subscribe.

Jennifer Lopez: “This Land is Your Land” and “America the Beautiful”

I’m sorry, America. I’m not interested in your inauguration, except, J-Lo’s “Let’s Get Loud” and Bernie’s meme.

Childish Gambino: “This Is America”

Who can’t say no to Childish Gambino’s This Is America (except racists and white supremacists)? Still one of the most powerful MVs of the past three years. Some friends and I often use the phrase “This is America” to express our grievances living in this country.

Old Crow Medicine Show: “I Hear Them All”

I think, what I truly like from country songs is the harmonica sound.

Laura Mvula: “Overcome” ft. Nile Rodgers

Laura Mvula’s Overcome is so beautiful! Such a perfect song to close the playlist.

At the end of the playlist, I recalled an article about dangdut (a very popular genre of Indonesian music) from The Jakarta Post a few years ago: “The United States of Dangdut: A Struggle to ‘Shake’ America.”

Eunike G. Setiadarma is a PhD student in History at Northwestern University.