Understanding cultural appropriation: kaloob Philippine Music and Dance Ministry

Abstract

In the creation of an art work, artists often appropriate content, styles, or motifs in creating a new work of art. Artists can and often do take inspiration from other artists. It is an often occurrence in art. When the appropriation involves minority culture, it is often branded as a form of cultural appropriation, one of the most pressing issues in popular culture today. In the scene of Philippine dance, various folk dance groups research and study indigenous dances for them to present these outside the community, or even perform these for contemporary purpose. With the involvement of the indigenous, these groups may be labeled “cultural appropriation.” KALOOB Philippine Music and Dance Ministry is one of the folk dance groups that does research on indigenous communities to study their dances and present them for contemporary purposes. Is this a form of cultural appropriation? Three main issues have been identified as ownership, representation, and authenticity. If yes, can there be further documentations about KALOOB’s representation of indigenous material? To arrive at a clearer understanding of what aspects of cultural appropriation KALOOB Philippine Music and Dance Ministry and its activities are, this research uses the concept of James O. Young on Cultural Appropriation and the Arts as it is a primary source on the discussions of cultural appropriation. Young discussed the concerns on aesthetics and ethics of appropriation but this study will only focus on ownership, representation, and authenticity.