Singing contests in the ethnic enclosure of the post‐war Japanese‐Brazilian community

Abstract

This article examines the historical development and social organization of the amateur singing contests known as nodojiman among Japanese‐Brazilians, looking at how they contributed to the forging of Japanese‐Brazilian identity in the post‐war era, precisely the time at which Japanese immigrants realized that their residence in Brazil would be permanent. The singing contests operated within a highly structured hierarchical network, which linked Japanese‐Brazilians together into a broadly based ethnic enclosure. Within the competition setting, the negotiation of “Japanese‐Brazilian‐ness “ took place through intense debates over repertoire, the role of amateurs and professionals within the contests, and notions of art, entertainment and authenticity. Through the use of an exclusively Japanese repertoire, the competitions promoted the preservation of the Japanese language, the expression of Japanese sentiments and the cultivation of Japanese virtues. In this performative context, “Japanese‐ness” could be theatrically and musically over‐communicated, promoting strong affective experiences of belonging amongst participants.

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