Paper Short Abstract:

This paper presents arguments seeking to undo the official discourse around intangible cultural heritage. The paper contrasts this discourse with an experience of collaborative research and artistic intervention through the painting of murals in P’urhépecha indigenous communities.

Paper Abstract:

In 2003 the UNESCO adopted the Convention for the safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage. Since then, important criticisms have been made both towards the notion of intangible heritage as well as ongoing processes of heritagisation in many countries. The 2003 Convention, far from being an instrument for strengthening communities and social groups has instead fortified institutions of the nation state, as well as other powerful agents, principally from the tourist industry. This paper aims to undo the official discourse and offer alternatives to this global tendency. With this objective in mind, we will analyse the safeguarding strategies of the Convention, like the international lists and national inventories. We will also analyse different government interventions carried out by Mexican state institutions in the area of traditional music such as festivals, competitions, museums, archive records and audio libraries. The paper contrasts these institutional actions, national and international, with an experience of collaborative research and artistic intervention through the painting of murals in three P’urhépecha communities. The elaboration of these murals involved participation of P’urhépecha children who interviewed composers and then made drawing as part of a process focusing on the valuation of the lyrical-musical tradition of this indigenous people located in the state of Michoacan, western Mexico.