Nathalie Fernando Ph.D.

Her research involves shedding light on the predominant relationships existing at a number of levels between musical and non-musical phenomena.

Research relevance

Gaining an understanding of vernacular modes of categorization, the skills used in musical performance, and identity-building processes.

Musical Heritages, Musical Forms and Globalization

Today, no society - not even the most traditional ones - can in any real sense escape the impact of the worldwide circulation of cultural products or that of the tourism industry, which is growing rapidly in many countries. General attitudes toward these trends are ambivalent: on the one hand, there is hope that they will contribute to a mutual enrichment of cultures and an appreciation of their intrinsic values; on the other, there is concern that the trends may lead to the gradual erosion and homogenization of cultural heritages. The key questions raised in this context involve the balance of cultural exchange and the dynamic potential that each culture can harness to develop and renew itself.

Professor Fernando's research program revolves around three themes, which must be approached from a transversal perspective and will require the application of concepts and methods drawn from two disciplines - ethnomusicology and anthropology.

The three themes are (1) globalization phenomena, (2) the integration of musical heritage in tourism, and (3) the categorization of musical forms. The basic goal is to identify the processes at play in each phenomenon, analyse their changing characteristics and provide keys for interpreting how they function, identify and explain the contexts in which they operate, assess their impact within and outside a given culture, and bring out the underlying issues.