EchoEs of Empire

Decolonial Sound Studies Linking Canada and Jamaica

Echoes of Empire: Decolonial Sound Studies Linking Canada and Jamaica is an original SSHRC funded interdisciplinary research project led by Dr. Freya Zinovieff. Her work employs sound as both theory and method to critically examine imperial histories connecting British Columbia (BC) and Jamaica. The research focuses on the sonic dimensions of British imperial violence in both BC and Jamaica, and the role of sound in navigating its ongoing legacies. The research seeks to remediate the legacy of Sir Anthony Musgrave (1828–1888), Colonial Governor in both BC and Jamaica. In particular, an aspect of his legacy as it is continued through place names such as Musgrave Landing on Salt Spring Island (unceded Saanich, Cowichan, and Chemainus territories), and Lady Musgrave Road in Kingston, Jamaica. These sites serve as living symbols of colonial oppression, through Indigenous dispossession in BC and ongoing Jamaican resistance to Musgrave’s commemoration. Through activist archival research, field recording, and soundwalking, Echoes of Empire investigates the intersections of sound, violence, and oppression at these sites. It develops sensory-focused narratives and sonic pedagogies that remediate Eurocentric historiographies, foregrounding the sonic as a critical medium for tracing imperial entanglements across geographies. The project also aims to support renaming campaigns in Kingston and develop models for settlers interested in ethically engaged research practices that foreground anticolonial activism without making claims to decolonize.

RESEARCH TEAM

PI: Dr. Freya Zinovieff
Postdoctoral Supervisor: Fiona P. McDonald, PhD (UBCO)

FUNDING