When the Mbira’ká Sings

Plural Knowledge of “WOMEN’S VOICES” in Music Therapy

Abstract

This study presents a reflection on my journey supported by Social and Community Music Therapy in women’s circles. Based on the musicality and care that comes from affectionate gestures, poetic-ancestral indigenous singing, and words felt and sung collectively, I discuss important aspects of my practice, whose meaning and relevance seek references that aim to deconstruct stereotypes imposed on original sound-musical knowledge. This writing is qualitative in nature and is based on research into intangible culture that is transmitted from generation to generation through oral tradition and memory, based on informational literature and related texts. Reflections and proposals are presented for music therapy experiences carried out in women’s circles, which particularly consider cultural diversity and promote the validation of community knowledge.

Editorial Comment

We resonate with the questions Silviane brings us, written in the first person: How can I create spaces of care based on non-hegemonic professional without taking into account issues of race, gender, and social class? How do music therapy programs (undergraduate and graduate) recognize the subjectivities of Black, Indigenous, and marginalized people? What is it like to be a student and develop a professional career when you do not feel represented in training and work spaces? Are we open to other knowledge, from other cultures, or are we trapped in a language that does not allow us to propose or imagine new possibilities for connecting people with each other and with their environment?We believe that, with these questions, the author challenges many of the positions of privilege that we take for granted on a daily basis. She encourages us to reflect not only with our analytical tools, but also by making room for ancestral, mythical, andpoetic knowledge and experiences.