South African Society for Research in Music

SASRIM supports and disseminates research across all musical traditions in Southern Africa. It prioritizes research engaging with South Africa's cultural and historical context, especially apartheid. It encourages disadvantaged South African researchers who are underrepresented in academia to participate.{{Cite web |title=SASRIM | The South African Society for Research in Music |url=https://www.sasrim.ac.za/ |website=SASRIM}}

Prior to SASRIM, the Musicological Society of Southern Africa and the Ethnomusicology Symposium operated as separate entities, each catering to different branches of music scholarship.Muller, 2005 In the past, this divide manifested in both disciplinary and ideological tensions between the two forums.Struwig, 2024:181 The push for music research culminated in a joint congress held at the University of Cape Town in 2005. Delegates voted for the formation of a single, inclusive society for music research. SASRIM was established in 2005 through the merger of the Musicological Society of Southern Africa and the Ethnomusicology Symposium.

An executive committee whom membership elects governs SASRIM.https://www.sasrim.ac.za/ Leadership includes a president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, and representatives of academic subfields. Musicologist Christine Lucia https://scholar.google.fr/citations?user=fBEYmvQAAAAJ&hl=en served as the founding editor of South African Music Studies under SASRIM's banner.

The idea of a musicological society had been discussed at Committee of Heads of University Music Departments (CHUM) meetings since the mid-1970s. However, initial attempts to finalize a constitution for the society were delayed several times due to disagreements and amendments proposed by CHUM members.Struwig, 2024:100-101, 157 In 1979, a group of individuals led by Marianne Becker, Bernard van der Linde, Albert Troskie, and others, drafted a constitution. This culminated in a meeting attended by 35 people, where the constitution was ratified. Following the efforts of CHUM to create a governing body for musicological activities, the South African Musicological Society was established on October 20th 1979. Its first executive committee included Douglas Reid as President, George King as Treasurer, Marianne Becker as Secretary, and Mary Rorich as an additional member.Struwig, 2024:157-158

In its early years, the Society held regular meetings and organized smaller scholarly events, such as lecture-recitals and academic talks. By the end of 1980, membership reached 80 members. One of the Society’s major achievements was the founding of SAMUS: South African Music Studies in 1980.

In 1989, the Society adopted a new constitution and was renamed the Musicological Society of Southern Africa.

The Symposium on Ethnomusicology was first held in 1980 at Rhodes University by Andrew Tracey, with support from Rupert Mayr of the Rhodes University Music Department (featuring Andrew Tracey and Johnny Clegg as speakers). The symposium's proceedings were published by the International Library of African Music (ILAM).Struwig, 2024:176, 179 The Ethnomusicology Symposium focuses on the musical traditions of South Africans.Struwig, 2024:180 There were thus both disciplinary and ideological tensions between the two forums.

• Muller, S. (2005). ‘Chronicle’, South African Journal of Musicology, 25, 159-175.{{Cite journal|url=https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/EJC97741|title=Chronicle|date=January 27, 2005|journal=SAMUS: South African Journal of Musicology|volume=25|issue=1|pages=159–182|via=journals.co.za (Atypon)|doi=10.10520/EJC97741|doi-broken-date=6 March 2025 }}
• [https://www.sasrim.ac.za/ South African Society for Research in Music. (n.d.). Home].
• [https://www.sasrim.ac.za/about/ South African Society for Research in Music. (n.d.). About].
• [https://www.sasrim.ac.za/sasrim-18th-annual-conference-2024/ South African Society for Research in Music. (2024). 18th Annual Conference].
• Struwig, M. (2024) An Intellectual History of institutionalised Music Studies in South Africa. PhD Dissertation. Stellenbosch University.{{cite thesis | url=https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130248 | title=An intellectual history of institutionalised music studies in South Africa | date=March 2024 | last1=Struwig | first1=Mieke }}
• Titus, B. (2008). ‘Report: The First Congress of the South African Society for Research in Music – Music, theories, practices: Focus on South Africa’, An “outsider’s view”’. South African Music Studies, 26/27, 172-173.{{Cite journal|url=https://journals.co.za/doi/abs/10.10520/EJC-7365bf7b6|title=Report: The first Congress of the South African Society for Research in Music - 'Musics, theories, practices: Focus on South Africa', ii: an 'outsider's view'|first=Barbara|last=Titus|date=January 27, 2006|journal=SAMUS: South African Music Studies|volume=26-27|issue=1|pages=172–173|via=journals.co.za (Atypon)|doi=10.10520/EJC-7365bf7b6|doi-broken-date=6 March 2025 }}

{{Reflist}}

• {{official website|https://www.sasrim.ac.za/}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.musicinafrica.net/fr/node/444|title=South African Society for Research in Music (SASRIM)|date=June 2, 2014|website=Music In Africa}}
• {{Cite web|url=https://www.music.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1044:south-africa-society-for-research-in-music&catid=109&Itemid=101|title=South Africa Society For Research in Music}}

Category:South African musicologists

Category:Academic journals published by learned and professional societies