Voices passing through time: Intergenerational voices performing gospel music as everyday life religion in Paramaribo, Suriname

This multimodal thesis applies a phenomenological approach towards singing gospel music as lived religious practice in a contemporary and post-colonial Latin-American context. The research addresses the lived experiences of Afro-Surinamese vocalists part of the Maranatha Choir Community, performing gospel music as part of their everyday religious lives in Paramaribo, Suriname. The article shows how different generations of choral vocalists shape and negotiate performances of gospel music, embedded in the socioreligious and postcolonial context of contemporary Paramaribo. Through studying discourse and embodied performances, I encountered intergenerational tensions and dialogue regarding the use of voice in religious singing practices. The ethnographic film provides a sensory experience, showing how each choir constructs its own vocal sound and socio-religious space. Narrated from the perspective of youth, the film highlights how young vocalists negotiate religious music traditions...Show moreThis multimodal thesis applies a phenomenological approach towards singing gospel music as lived religious practice in a contemporary and post-colonial Latin-American context. The research addresses the lived experiences of Afro-Surinamese vocalists part of the Maranatha Choir Community, performing gospel music as part of their everyday religious lives in Paramaribo, Suriname. The article shows how different generations of choral vocalists shape and negotiate performances of gospel music, embedded in the socioreligious and postcolonial context of contemporary Paramaribo. Through studying discourse and embodied performances, I encountered intergenerational tensions and dialogue regarding the use of voice in religious singing practices. The ethnographic film provides a sensory experience, showing how each choir constructs its own vocal sound and socio-religious space. Narrated from the perspective of youth, the film highlights how young vocalists negotiate religious music traditions and modern pop culture, giving new meanings to everyday life religion and making songs their own.Show less

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Voices passing through time: Intergenerational voices performing gospel music as everyday life religion in Paramaribo, Suriname