Punjab Sounds nuances our understanding of the region's imbrications with sound. It argues that rather than being territorially bounded, the region only emerges in ‘regioning’, i.e., in words, gestures, objects and techniques that do the region. Regioning sound reveals the relationship between sound and the region in three interlinked ways: in doing, knowing, and feeling the region through sound.
The volume covers several musical genres of the Punjab region, including within its geographical remit the Punjabi diaspora and east and west Punjab. It also provides new understandings of the role that ephemeral cultural expressions, especially music and sound play in the formulation of Punjabi identity. Featuring contributions from scholars across North America, South Asia, Europe and the United Kingdom, it brings together diverse perspectives. The essays use a range of different methods, ranging from computational analysis and ethnography to close textual analysis, demonstrating some of the ways in which research on music and sound can be carried out.
The essays will be relevant for anyone working on Punjab’s music including the Punjabi diaspora, music and sound in the Global South. Moreover, it will be useful for undergraduate and postgraduate students in the following areas: Ethnomusicology, Cultural Studies, Film Studies, Music Studies, South Asian Studies, Punjab Studies, History, Sound Studies among others.