The archaeology of knowledge as presented by Michel Foulcault provides and an exploration of language and description of culture. Rather than integrating different concepts of unity in describing historical ideas structurally, he explains why discontinuity is a common feature in discursive statements. Foucault explains that the system of dispersion is the underlying reality in all discursive statements, rather that chains of inferences, which are used in the unification of historical ideas. This paper will explore the discursive formation in exploring the changing conventions in the world of music, which has been commonly referred to as Ethnomusicology.
The role of music in the social phenomenon presents a diverse subject matter beyond the realms of conventional musicology, presenting a stimulated and eclectic environment for analysis. Over decades, there has been an increased attention focused on the world of music making music worth of discursive formation analysis. Additionally, there has been an increased internationalization of the global music presenting the evolution of music shaped from the past to the current reincarnation. Since the onset of recording technology in the early 19th century music has been shaped by the relationships in the industry. However, there has been contradictions between academic and the industry spheres due to the use of commercial recordings. However, there are numerous instances of mutual relationships, which promote musical activities. These mutual relationships have informed and influenced the development of music relatively.
The discourse formation analysis in this paper will explore and manifest the practices of different industrial actors. In this analysis, a qualitative framework based on ethnographic tradition and discourse analysis will approach the world of music from the angles of construction and deconstruction. Ethnography will facilitate the analysis of different processes of discourse construction, focusing on different actors who play different roles in the construction of the world of music. From the other angle, tools of discourse analysis will be adopted in surveying and deconstructing generated discursive materials. This approach adopting different angles will facilitate the illuminating of cultural ideologies and different conventions in the contemporary world of music. Additionally, it will facilitate implicit and explicit discourses in the world of music at play presently. On the process of illumination, various themes of discourse formation will be analyzed based on prevailing Ethnomusicology thought.
The developments in the world of music have attracted discursive formations that have circulated the world of music in the recent past. However, the majority of the studies focuses on the general constructions of the world of music meta category. In addition, the majority of these discourse formations is based on deconstructive approaches rather focusing on active processes adopted by different actors in the industry. For example, rather than adopting a general judgement in the world of music one can explore a case study of a single music world. For example, the case of Cheikh Lo a Senegalese music artist. In this case, we focus on a discourse analysis and formation perceiving it as an object of particular forms of knowledge targeting institutional practices in the world of music. Therefore, the artist qualifies and can be described as a discursive formation.
Therefore, discursive formation adopts the knowledge, ideas, associated practices and conventions, which are of particular interest in the subject of study. This study evaluates different actors in the world of music and hence a constructive process is adopted in evaluating Cheikh Lo’s music producer and recorder. Cheikh is signed by World Circuit, and special focus is laid on Dave a publicity coordinator at World Circuit and adopting a constructive approach perceive him as a central actor in the discursive formation of Cheikh Lo.
The discursive formation in the world of music has well been documented resulting from the wide set of practices, conventions and processes. These have all merged contributing to the assembling of ideological formation and new industrial aesthetics. In addition, the participation of academicians writing journals and independent labels transferred some of their activities in the world of music. For example, the cofounder of GlobeStyle Record Ben Mandelson provides a description of how he introduced a background of the British Punk scene into the music domain. Therefore, the complex discourse emerges as a manifestation of different individual experiences in the music industry. The increased commercialization of world music also led to diversity in the manifestations of discourse, demonstrating an exponential increase in press publications, music journalism and academic commentary among others. Therefore, the authors of the discourse were relatively related with the number of actors in the industry. As a result, the world of music has become multifaceted, and as the constructive process continues, the discursive process continues to evolve.
Foucault expresses that a proper description of discursive statement involves an ignorance of any kind of discontinuity. Discursive breaks, limitations and thresholds have to be ignored since analysis of statements will be limited if there are pre-existing assumptions of continuity. Therefore, in the music industry discursive formation includes inclusion of all players and actors in the industry, which will prevent breaks and limitations. As a system of dispersion, discursive formation also includes correlated statements with different order and positions. The developments in the world of music are characterized by different players especially after commercialization bringing diversity, based on different positions and statements.
The propagation of capitalist thoughts and commercialization of the music industry has led to the development of music as a market commodity produced and distributed under market conditions. The modern perception and conceptualization of the music industry is different from the traditional thought and concepts. The traditional perception perceived record companies as monolithic entities with static and solid concepts. However, the modern perception illustrates the industry as a fluid, dynamic with working social practices. The discourse formation is characterized with complex analysis and participation of different actors in the industry. For example, the case of Cheikh Lo and Dave the publicity coordinator at World Circuit presents complex relations in the constructive process of discursive formation. For example, Dave acted as the central mediator between Cheikh Lo and the audience, which places him at core position in the discursive formation of Cheikh Lo.
In conclusion, Foucault introduced a new approach of exploring language and describing culture, different from the structural methods of inquiry. This approach has been used in exploring the changing conventions in the discursive formation of world music. The field referred to as Ethnomusicology has experienced interdisciplinary growth. The discursive formation includes different players in the industry adopting a construction and deconstruction approach. Therefore, this process includes a complex interaction between different players in the industry resulting in the discursive formation like in the case of Cheikh Lo and Dave.
Reference
MUSICINDEVELOPMENT . "“How do we make the story”: Changing conventions in the discursive formation of “World music”." 17 SEPTEMBER 2012. MUSICINDEVELOPMENT . 2 October 2013 <http://musicindevelopment.com/2012/09/17/how-do-we-make-the-story-changing-conventions-in-the-discursive-formation-of-world-music/>.
