Dr Nanette De Jong
Senior Lecturer in Music
- Email: nanette.de-jong@ncl.ac.uk
- Telephone: +44 (0)191 222 6752
- Address: International Centre for Music Studies,
School of Arts and Cultures, University of Newcastle,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU
Research Interests
De Jong's research broadly explores the African diasporic experience through the combined lenses of music and culture. More specifically, it examines the identities forged by diasporic groups, including the cultural continuities and adaptations which contribute to their construction, and the ways in which these identities find expression in music. In addressing these complexities, she stresses three main themes: the cultural emergence of identity; the reshaping of identity; and the interaction of identity and cultural memory.
Her work has focused on two general areas: (1) jazz, with a focus on the avant-garde of the 1960s and 70s; and (2) Caribbean music, with an emphasis on Curaçao, the largest of the Netherlands Antilles. These two areas, although often considered separate, overlap under the broad rubric of diasporic studies and, when viewed together, offer valuable opportunities to examine from different angles the complexities shaping Black identity.
Other Expertise
De Jong is an accomplished classical and salsa flautist, serving as substitute flute with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and performing with such salsa greats as Johnny Pacheco and Celia Cruz.
Current Work
Through a recent Fulbright Fellowship, De Jong conducted year-long research in South Africa, concentrating on the trans-Atlantic journey of Afro-Caribbean and jazz rhythms returning to Africa through globalization. Her current research and teaching interests are expanding to include African popular music as well.
Selected Publications
- De Jong, Nanette. Tambú and the Politics of Memory. Bloomington: University of Indiana Press, 2010.
- de Jong N. The (Cuban) Voice of the (Curaçaoan) People: The Making (and Taking) of Collective Memory. Journal of Historical Sociology 2009, 22(3), 351-365.
- De Jong, Nanette. South Africa, Black America, and Jazz: A Trans-Atlantic Dialogue. Jazzforschung / Jazz Research 2009, 41(1).
- De Jong, Nanette. The Tambú of Curaçao: Historical Projections and the Ritual Map of Experience. Black Music Research Journal 2009, (In Press).
- De Jong, Nanette. Tambú: Commemorating the Past, Recasting the Present. Transforming Anthropology 2008, 16(1), 32-41.
- De Jong, Nanette. Women of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians: Four Narratives. In: Eileen M. Hayes and Linda F. Williams, ed. Black Women and Music: More Than The Blues. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2007, pp. 134-152.
Future Research
Future research goals include a musical study on the Winti religion among Surinamese living in Amsterdam, conducted as part of a larger book project on the diaspora, ritual and womanism; and the musical construction of place among Latina/os in northern England, pursued as part of a larger book project on Latina/o music and visual arts.
Esteem Indicators
Fulbright Fellowship (2006-2007). Awarded for travel to South Africa, conducting research on the trans-Atlantic interaction and creation of a cultural African Diaspora through mutual influences in music.
Bildner Fellow (2002-2005). Awarded for commitment to curriculum development and interdisciplinary learning.