Domesticating the foreign: singing salvation through translation in the Australian Catholic Chinese Community

Abstract

In present-day Sydney, Chinese music may be heard in the form of various traditions and genres, each representative and an integral part of its respective (sub-)community. This discussion concerns my fieldwork experiences to date with members of the Australian Chinese Catholic Community. I will outline issues of transformation versus preservation in musical transmission, innovation versus conservatism, and generational change within the context of a transnational diasporic 'Chinese' identity.