Call for Papers: Rhyme and Rhyming in Verbal Art and Song

Rhyme and Rhyming in Verbal Art and Song  

Helsinki, Finland, 22^nd– 24^th May 2019

During Medieval times, end rhyme became a key device for demarcating poetic lines in European and Arabic cultures. Besides characterizing a longstanding literary tradition, end rhyme and rhyme patterns became central structural and sonic elements in oral and oral-literary traditions worldwide. In oral performance, rhyme stands for aesthetics, creativity and memory: memorization as well as the exploitation of working memory in lyrical improvisation. In verbal art and song, rhymed registers continue to deploy the poetic potential of language for situated communication and meaning over changes in fashion and the coming of new musical styles.

This conference is intended to promote cross-disciplinary analysis and understanding of the role and aesthetics of rhyme in the poetics of sound and meaning. Our focus is especially upon the history and universality of rhyme as well as its particularities in various performed oral and popular registers.

The keynote speakers will be:

• Nigel Fabb, Professor of Literary Linguistics, The University of Strathclyde, Glasgow
• Dwight Reynolds, Professor of Arabic Language & Literature, Uni. of California, Santa Barbara
• Seppo Heikkinen, Senior Lecturer in Latin, University of Helsinki, Helsinki

We invite scholars to engage in analytic discussions on rhyme as a poetic device and rhyming as a cognitive practice. Proposals with abstracts of 300–500 words should be sent by 15^th November 2018 to: rhymeconference@gmail.com

We welcome proposals including, but not limited to, the following themes:

• POETICS: forms, patterns, aesthetics; language/culture-specific versus universal characteristics
• TRADITIONS: cultures, genres, registers; oral/popular/sacred; the interface of oral and literary
• HISTORY: historical continuums, developments and transformations; poetic ideologies/currents
• COGNITION: methods of oral composition; reception, perception, memorization

The conference Rhyme and Rhyming in Verbal Art and Song will be held 22^nd–24^th May 2019 at the Finnish Literature Society (SKS), Hallituskatu 1, Helsinki, Finland. https://www.finlit.fi/rhymeconference

The event is organized by Folklore Studies of the University of Helsinki and the Academy of Finland research project Letters and Songs: Registers of Beliefs and Expressions in the Early Modern North (2016–2020) of the Finnish Literature Society. A registration fee (approx. 60 €) will cover lunches and coffee/tee. For more information, please contact rhymeconference@gmail.com

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Rope A Dope 4: Hip-Hop Studies Symposium in Bristol, UK

Adam de Paor-Evans and Justin Williams are hosting a symposium on hip-hop studies as part of ROPE-A-DOPE 4 (27-29 July) at The Rope Walk pub in Bedminster, Bristol. On Friday 27 July, the symposium features speakers on graffiti, grime, Grenfell, drill, early electro in the UK, and much more. Discussion panels will include hip-hop in other parts of the world, graffiti and hip-hop’s social responsibilities for academics and practitioners. The event coincides nicely with the 10th anniversary of UPFEST (the largest graffiti/street art festival in Europe- Saturday 28th – Monday 30th July 2018).

The symposium will run on the Friday (27th July) from 10am-6pm followed by DJs spinning the finest in rare funk, hip hop and boogie from 7pm till late. Saturday and some of Sunday will be plenty of live performances there as well, including live graffiti by local artists on the Saturday. The Rope Walk, B-Line Recordings, University of Bristol, UCLan, and the Arts and Humanities Research Council are stakeholders in this super dope event.

Events are free and welcome to all.

Hope to see you there!

HipHop Education in the UK: #HipHopEdUK

Since 2012, Daren Chetty and his colleagues have been running free, open-access sessions for hip-hop artists, educators, youth-workers and anyone else interested in thinking about the relationship between hip-hop culture and education. A round-up of their events organized in 2017 can be found at the HipHopEdUK Newsletter.

Check out their important work!

Is German Rap Music Anti-Semitic?

The German battle rap scene is currently under scrutiny because the duo Farid Bang and Kollegah received the Echo music prize for their album Jung, Brutal, Gutaussehend 3 which contains anti-semitic lyrics. Rappers such as Retrogott, Ben Solomon, Sun Diego, commented and news outlets reported on the incident:

• English-language articles in the Guardian and New York Times.
• German-language article in Die Zeit
• German-language WDR documentary “Die dunkle Seite des Rap”

This controversy raises complex questions about transgressing genre boundaries, freedom of art, the commercial nature of battle rap, and the larger rise of anti-semitism and right-wing populism in Germany and Europe. What do you think about this controversy? Sound off in the comments section!

Breaking and Disability

At first glance, breaking and visual impairment do not seem to go together. Nathan Geering, UK hiphop scholar and artistic director of the hiphop theatre company Rationale explored the benefits of dance for people with disabilities. Truly fascincating work. Check out this Vice article.

Thanks to Nathan Geering.

Congratulations, Kendrick Lamar!

The European Hiphop Studies Network congratulates American rapper, composer, poet, lyricist, and dope artist to the Pulitzer Prize! We could not agree more with the jury who stated that it is “a big moment for hip-hop music” and global Hiphop Studies.

Here is to you, Mr. Lamar!

Check out more information in the New York Times.

The Inaugural EHHSN Meeting @ German Sports University

Please check out the article on the European Hiphop Network Meeting at the website of the German Sports University in Cologne!

Thanks to Frieda Frost for the link.