Sonic Revolutions: Commemorative Issue on the 50 years of African Independence

Abstract

To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the independence of Guinea-Bissau in 1973, and of Mozambique, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe, and Angola in 1975, we were challenged to organize a special issue of Cadernos de Estudos Africanos dedicated, in particular, to the theme “Sound Revolutions.” This special issue is based on a conception of sound as a polysemic form of expression, capable of encompassing the widest range of sonic experiences and subjectivities linked to historical processes of political and social transition and/or transformation. The articles collected in this issue span different time periods—late colonialism, liberation struggles, post-independence processes, and contemporary debates on memory, heritage, and national belonging. Taken together, they demonstrate that sound practices not only accompany political processes but also render them audible, intelligible, and open to debate.