Musical Minorities

Lonán Ó Briain has done his homework meticulously.... [This] monograph is written in a clear prose that avoids arcane semantics. It offers a perceptive, heart-felt, and accurate analysis of the persistence of un-normalized thoughts and practices by people under strong state and market domination.... Very few such deep-rooted studies are being conducted, let alone published, on these peoples and places, making this book a must-read to anyone caring about the richness of marginal cultures and their power of resilience. * Asian Ethnicity *
Ó Briain offers a work of great intellectual integrity and transparency, based on empirical work illustrated by case studies, discussing the research of other scholars and presenting his own interpretations based on his personal experience and his informants' perceptions. The numerous case studies, discussions of the states of the art, and the described musical analyses make the book accessible to a larger audience, from the ethnologist working in the area to others willing to learn more about Hmong and related musical cultures in Southeast Asia. * Asian Music *
This book is a fascinating, wide-ranging and deeply intriguing account of Hmong musical and cultural life in northern Vietnam in the early years of this century. It is the product of very careful and thoughtful scholarship, sensitive fieldwork, and musical acuity. Congratulations are due to Ó Briain for producing such a valuable addition to our knowledge about the sonic world of the Hmong in northern Vietnam. * Hmong Studies Journal *
This is an important ethnographic contribution regarding the performing arts of the Southeast Asian Massif and its upland ethnic minority residents. Focusing on the music-making of an ethnic minority group in Vietnam, and based on three years of meticulous fieldwork — the permissions for which are challenging to acquire, especially for the northern borderlands where this book is based — Lonán Ó Briain is to be commended for this carefully documented account. * SOJOURN: Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia *
Musical Minorities remains a highly commendable ethnomusicological study with important ramifications for ethnic relations, tourism economies and the politics of representation in Vietnam and beyond. More than that, this book provides a model for those wishing to conduct interdisciplinary research on the performing arts of marginalised groups. * NewBooks.Asia *