Aeromobilities, brands, and sounds of lusophony: an interview with Bart Vanspauwen

Abstract

The interview with researcher Bart Vanspauwen, affiliated with the Institute of Ethnomusicology at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, brings to light debates on aeromobilities, music, and national identities. Conducted as part of the extension project O Mundo do Turismo (The World of Tourism), the conversation took place in podcast format and was subsequently transcribed, revised, and contextualized. Drawing on a multicultural background shaped by his own territorial displacements, Vanspauwen offers attentive observations on the sounds, markers, and memories of different localities. With regard with the themes explored in this dossier, his contributions highlight a visuality of national traditions, constructed not only through images but also through attire, gestures, and sonic expressions. Cultural production, as he notes, exposes relations of power and political tensions. Contradictions and disputes emerge in the making of photographs and playlists. Which songs define Brazil? What is Portugal’s quintessential rhythm? Can we speak of a “Lusophony” that connects culturally and geographically distant territories? By reflecting on these questions, the interview illuminates the ambiguities between “Lusophony” and “Portugality,” revealing how communication and music function as instruments of diplomacy and as means of constructing imaginaries and senses of belonging.