2020 Alan Merriam Prize for Best Book Published in Ethnomusicology, Society for Ethnomusicology

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Louder and Faster is a cultural study of the phenomenon of Asian American taiko, the thundering, athletic drumming tradition that originated in Japan. Immersed in the taiko scene for twenty years, Deborah Wong has witnessed cultural and demographic changes and the exponential growth and expansion of taiko particularly in Southern California. Through her participatory ethnographic work, she reveals a complicated story embedded in memories of Japanese American internment and legacies of imperialism, Asian American identity and politics, a desire to be seen and heard, and the intersection of culture and global capitalism. Exploring the materialities of the drums, costumes, and bodies that make sound, analyzing the relationship of these to capitalist multiculturalism, and investigating the gender politics of taiko, Louder and Faster considers both the promises and pitfalls of music and performance as an antiracist practice. The result is a vivid glimpse of an Asian American presence that is both loud and fragile.

About the Author
Deborah Wong is Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of California, Riverside. She is the author of Sounding the Center and Speak it Louder.


Reviews

"Wong's thick analysis of her sources has resulted in a book that effectively addresses all aspects of taiko. . . .Her exceptional skill at descriptive language and weaving together word, picture, and sound results in an engaging, entertaining, and relatable account."

* California History *



Book Information
ISBN 9780520304529
Author Deborah Wong
Format Paperback
Page Count 266
Imprint University of California Press
Publisher University of California Press
Weight(grams) 408g
Dimensions(mm) 229mm * 152mm * 23mm