Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music
Malaysia is home to a sizeable ethnic Chinese community that speaks several Sinitic languages. As such, it is not only an importer of Sinophone culture, but also an important site of Sinitic-language cultural production. In the field of popular music, Malaysia has been a hotbed of many transnationa...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidad de Sevilla
2023-06-01
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| Series: | Comunicación |
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| Online Access: | https://revistascientificas.us.es/index.php/Comunicacion/article/view/23105 |
| _version_ | 1797784884734853120 |
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| author | Antonio Paoliello |
| author_facet | Antonio Paoliello |
| author_sort | Antonio Paoliello |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Malaysia is home to a sizeable ethnic Chinese community that speaks several Sinitic languages. As such, it is not only an importer of Sinophone culture, but also an important site of Sinitic-language cultural production. In the field of popular music, Malaysia has been a hotbed of many transnational Sinophone talents whose Malaysianness, however, has often gone unnoticed. Nevertheless, some international artists such as Ah Niu have consistently showcased their Malaysian identity. Through a close reading of his songs, I aim to show how the use of Sinitic languages conveys Malaysianness and presents local features, thus challenging the opinion that only culture expressed in Bahasa Malaysia has the right to be considered as having national value. Moreover, I demonstrate that the use of Sinitic languages in Ah Niu’s musical production is an example of how such languages can express a thriving local identity that goes beyond Chineseness and the center-periphery dynamics.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:47:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-3d331307bd1446799e20a153b80519bb |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1695-6206 1989-600X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-13T00:47:15Z |
| publishDate | 2023-06-01 |
| publisher | Universidad de Sevilla |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Comunicación |
| spelling | doaj.art-3d331307bd1446799e20a153b80519bb2023-07-09T01:42:49ZengUniversidad de SevillaComunicación1695-62061989-600X2023-06-0121110.12795/Comunicacion.2023.v21.i01.02Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop musicAntonio Paoliello0Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, España Malaysia is home to a sizeable ethnic Chinese community that speaks several Sinitic languages. As such, it is not only an importer of Sinophone culture, but also an important site of Sinitic-language cultural production. In the field of popular music, Malaysia has been a hotbed of many transnational Sinophone talents whose Malaysianness, however, has often gone unnoticed. Nevertheless, some international artists such as Ah Niu have consistently showcased their Malaysian identity. Through a close reading of his songs, I aim to show how the use of Sinitic languages conveys Malaysianness and presents local features, thus challenging the opinion that only culture expressed in Bahasa Malaysia has the right to be considered as having national value. Moreover, I demonstrate that the use of Sinitic languages in Ah Niu’s musical production is an example of how such languages can express a thriving local identity that goes beyond Chineseness and the center-periphery dynamics. https://revistascientificas.us.es/index.php/Comunicacion/article/view/23105Sinophone pop musicAh NiuMalaysian identitySinitic languagesMandopop |
| spellingShingle | Antonio Paoliello Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music Comunicación Sinophone pop music Ah Niu Malaysian identity Sinitic languages Mandopop |
| title | Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music |
| title_full | Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music |
| title_fullStr | Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music |
| title_full_unstemmed | Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music |
| title_short | Of Mamak stalls and Malaysian weather: Sinitic languages and identity in Ah Niu (阿牛)’s sinophone Malaysian pop music |
| title_sort | of mamak stalls and malaysian weather sinitic languages and identity in ah niu 阿牛 s sinophone malaysian pop music |
| topic | Sinophone pop music Ah Niu Malaysian identity Sinitic languages Mandopop |
| url | https://revistascientificas.us.es/index.php/Comunicacion/article/view/23105 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT antoniopaoliello ofmamakstallsandmalaysianweathersiniticlanguagesandidentityinahniuāniússinophonemalaysianpopmusic |