Sounding the Ethnic, Shaping the Nation

Abstract

In spite of recent critical literature about the role of French colonial anthropology in the conception of Malian ethnies, the current Malian conflict is often described as a consequence of ethnic reprisals that provoked the unsettling of national borders. In this difficult context, new musical representations of belonging are organized by local and international actors drawing upon ethnicity to heal national fractures and propose new models of “living together.” Based on long-term ethnography and analysis of musical projects in Mali (video clips, songs, bands, concerts), this chapter questions current reproductions of the colonial paradigm of African ethnicity that now model ideals of “peace” in national and international institutions. It examines how cultural differences contribute to reframing the national boundaries and reshaping peacekeeping politics. Furthermore, it considers the history of anthropological knowledge in light of contemporary power practices within the globalization of African conflicts.