Week 4

The author states that in order for their performances to be truly authentic the performers themselves must believe that the performances true to their culture. It is not hard to convince uninformed people such as the audience that these musical pieces are "authentic", however convincing the performers are a different story because they know the truth. The performers know that these musical pieces are performed not for merely ritualistic reasons, but rather to cater to the visitors who come to "learn" about their culture. It is performed for more commerical reasons. These tourists visit to see something different and the Naxi take this into consideration when they are performing their pieces. In addition, the author states that the piece cannot be a copy, but it is a copy from another Chinese group.

The Chinese orchestra is being accused of not being "authentic" because according to Western scholars the Chinese orchestra is incorporating Western influences into their music. Western instruments as well as Western-sounding compositions have been added that are not traditionally associated with Chinese music. I think that both sides of the arguments have a point. On one hand, the world is becoming increasingly globalized and it is inevitable that cultures affect each other and incorporate the aspects they like into their own. However, I also do think that it is important to stay true to one's heritage. If you incorporate too many outside influences, what is left is something that is not original and "authentic". Authenticity is on a continuum; in other words there are a lot of gray areas. Just because one culture adds aspects of another does not mean that it loses its entire credibility. The authenticity depends on the extent of borrowing other culture's elements.