REDEFINING GENDERED SPACES: THE CASE OF THE INDOFIJIAN FEMALE QAWWAL

Authors

Vicky V. Shandil, Victoria University of Wellington

Abstract

Qawwali, an IndoFijian musical performance, links directly to first generation Indian indentured laborers brought to Fiji by British colonizers between 1874 and 1916. The form of qawwali considered in this paper is performed as a challenge between two vocalists both assisted by musical ensembles, respectively. Firstly, this paper describes IndoFijian qawwali and its connections to South Asia and then pays attention to IndoFijian identity because the female qawwal’s ethnic identity precedes her performance-based identity. Through Qawwali female performers created a new public identity, that of a female qawwal. This transpired through the inclusion of females on a stage traditionally exclusive to male performers. In the process, a highly gendered space was deconstructed and reconstructed to include the female voice. The article concludes that qawwali performances, particularly those that feature an intersex singing competition are sites of gender rebellion and performativity through which at least one nonnormative gender identity is articulated.

Recommended Citation

Shandil, Vicky V. (2020) "REDEFINING GENDERED SPACES: THE CASE OF THE INDOFIJIAN FEMALE QAWWAL," Pacific Studies Journal: Vol. 43: No. 2, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcollections.byuh.edu/pacific-studies-journal/vol43/iss2/5