Between Estrangement at Home and Marginalization by the Host: Tracing Senses of Belonging through Music

This paper discusses the twofold role of music as a means to manifest border-induced (cultural) difference and simultaneously foster alternative modes belonging. The author draws on her ethnographic research, consisting participant observation, desktop interviews, reflects auto-ethnographic recordings engaging with refugee musicians. discussion unfolds around vignettes that exemplify moments musical encounters among refugees between people from host society. are narrated interlocutors’ point view, who engaged in musicking instances listeners It how they devise cope their estrangement home articulate narratives illuminates challenge stereotyped representations themselves, reinforcing terms under which can become “visible” “audible.” Finally, article argues refugees’ suggest understandings reality continuum ways linear reifications produced by nation-state bordering practices displacement-induced ruptures These embedded music’s mobilities intersections human movement, informal networks, cultural industry