Article

Gender and Culture: Revoicing Traditional Song in Context

Lillis Ó Laoire

Published in: Ethnomusicology Ireland 6 (2020)

Pages: 26-40 | Published Online: July 2020

https://doi.org/10.64208/AENX6388

Abstract

Music and song remain powerful indicators of socially gendered ideologies in Ireland, revealing both dominant and transgressive trends. The paper briefly outlines the dominant trends of music and song in society before proceeding to unearth and explore dissenting voices, giving a number of notable examples. The concept of intersectionality emerges as a productive approach to understanding the hegemony of heteronormative identities expressed through music and song performance. It also helps to identify challenges and divergent trends. A broad diachronic framework shows how tradition has never been monolithic across time.

Keywords: Social continuity, change, LGBTQ voices, keening, Gaelic song, performance, tradition, intersectionality

Author: Lillis Ó Laoire