8 th Euroseas conference Vienna, 11–14 August 2015

Panel: Theorizing Translation: Southeast Asia as Vantage Point 
conveners: Eloisa May Hernandez (University of the Philippines), Aileen Salonga (University of the Philippines-
Diliman)
panel abstract
Translation has been traditionally conceived of as involving two languages and two cultures in which what is consid-
ered the source language in one culture is translated into a target language in another culture, resulting in a copy that 
is accessible to the new culture but retains the meaning of the original. In recent years, this definition has been chal-
lenged to account for more contemporary forms of translation that are both transmedial and cultural, acknowledging 
that translation is not only linguistic but crosses media as well (e.g., from text to film to dance to art installations) and 
that a translation of form necessarily involves a translation of culture. In effect, this move challenges notions of ‘source’ 
and ‘target’ and the target’s supposed ‘fidelity’ to the source, advancing a view of translation that is always already 
there, at the very moment of exchange between, or expression in, all semiotic forms. This move also proposes that 

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translation takes places in physical, conceptual, and virtual spaces as it makes use of and is influenced by advances in 
technology and digital media.
 This panel locates itself in this more contemporary theorizing on translation, and explores the possibilities of such 
movements in contemporary Southeast Asia. It asserts that given the multilingual, multicultural, and multimodal 
nature of Southeast Asia, it is a rich and productive site for studying these new directions in translation studies. This 
panel therefore seeks papers that would demonstrate the transmedial and cultural elements of translation in different 
facets of Southeast Asia.
— Borrowed Plots, ‘Local’ Stories: Translating European Koridos into Komiks into Films
Joyce Arriola (University of Santo Tomas)
The 1950s had been considered as one of the golden eras of comics-film relationship. Aside from radio dramas, serial-
ized komiks stories provided a steady supply of storylines and source texts for cinema. A great number of the sources 
of materials for komiks treatment were drawn from corridos or metrical romances, which originated from Europe 
and became popular among the natives during the Spanish colonial years in the Philippines. The European metrical 
romances became a major part of local popular lore in 19th century Philippines. Influences of the basic plots and mo-
tifs of the korido found their way in traditional theatre, radio dramas and komiks in the 1950s. For this reason, major 
film studios such as LVN, Sampaguita and Premiere sourced out stories that retold familiar storylines of koridos but 
as these were first rendered in the komiks format in the pages of Liwayway and other magazines.
 Three of the identified extant komiks series from the 1950s are Sohrab at Rustum (1950), Haring Solomon at Reyna 
Sheba (1951), and Rodrigo de Villa (1951). These komiks renditions were adapted into films by LVN Pictures. Said 
movie production company was known to have produced a substantial number of adaptations of metrical romances 
on account of its matriarch Doa Narcisa Buencamino’s enthusiasm for traditional and/or colonial, literary forms. In 
the course of translating the korido into komiks into films, the following transmediation issues are found to be salient: 
(1) The European plots were borrowed and localized through allegorical mediation; (2) The foreign mise-en-scene 
and characters were indigenized and local versions of genres such as melodrama and the epic were invoked; and (3) 
The meanings and values in the original were vernacularized through the use of Tagalog language in the film versions; 
the utilization of cinematic tropes specifically identified in the musical genre; and the embedding of medieval ethos 
and family values. This paper then explores the nature and method of transmediation involving 1950s komiks and film 
and the postcolonial hybridities that they implicated in the process
— Translating Conceptual Art: Three Works from Cheo Chai-Hiang, Roberto Chabet and Po Po and Their Re-
Articulations
Isabel Ching (University of Heidelberg)
In Southeast Asia, conceptualism enjoys recognition as an important art trajectory of the 1970s, leading to the plural-
ity of contemporary art forms in the region. Cheo Chai-Hiang, Roberto Chabet and Po Po may be framed as early con-
ceptual art practitioners from Singapore, the Philippines and Myanmar respectively who mediated understandings of 
conceptual art and other artistic tendencies circulating in the post-Duchampian, post-Fluxus milieu to varying local 
contexts and audiences. Studied together as cultural brokers, they encompass a multiplicity of mobilities, subjectivities 
and modes of practice, from the UK-trained Cheo living largely abroad to the Buddhist, self-taught Po Po in isolation-
ist Myanmar. Using translation as its analytical framework, this paper examines a seminal work of each artist from the 
1970s–80s and their re-presentations in the 1990s–2000s in different forms. In so doing, it investigates the agency of 
the artist-translator and the multi-faceted processes of modification, adaptation and reception of ideas and modali-
ties surrounding conceptual art by the artists themselves as well as other practitioners. Against the characterization 
of conceptualism as yet another belated “Western” art import, this analysis attempts to capture the contemporary 
urgencies in the negotiations and renegotiations of the meaning(s) of a conceptually-driven approach to art, thereby 
divesting conceptualism in Southeast Asia of any integral “source” or clear “borders”.
— Translating Time: Digital Cinema in the Philippines
Eloisa May Hernandez (University of the Philippines)
Translation scholar Michael Cronin posits that translation studies have taken a “technological turn.” This paper will 

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explore how a shift in technology, or a “technological turn,” in Philippine cinema, from celluloid to digital, enabled 
filmmakers to explore new aesthetics. Specifically, this paper seeks to explore how cinematic time has been translated 
by Filipino contemporary filmmakers with the use of digital technology. Introduced in the Philippines in the late 
1990s, digital technology not only changed how films are produced, distributed, and exhibited, it also gave Filipino 
filmmakers the opportunity to experiment on the notion of cinematic time - how films are told and narratives unfold. 
This translation of cinematic time occurs on several levels. For instance, world-acclaimed Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz 
challenges “film time” by deviating from the traditional feature film length with digital films that extend to more than 
five hours. Liberated from the limitations of analog filmmaking, Diaz and other Filipino filmmakers have also utilized 
long shots, scenes that extend for thirty to sixty minutes long. In addition, other Filipino filmmakers such as Jeffrey 
Jeturian (Kubrador) and Brillante Mendoza (Foster Child, Kinatay, Tirador) employ “natural time” (formerly known 
as “real time”), a cinematic time mode designed to tell the story of the place. Espoused by writer Armando Lao, it 
focuses more on the story of the setting in a particular period. Raya Martin has also explored the notion of historical 
time with his film Autohystoria by conflating the past and the present.
— Translating Space: Linguistic Landscape as Translation 
Aileen Salonga (University of the Philippines-Diliman)
Linguistic landscape (LL) is a fairly new development in the field of language studies. Its aim is to examine the distri-
bution of languages in public spaces (for instance, as present in signs and signages found in the area) and what such 
distribution may mean vis-à-vis a particular region’s or territory’s language policies, attitudes, beliefs, and ideologies. 
LL renders itself particularly well to the analysis of multilingual spaces where different languages and codes exist side 
by side and are utilized in strategic ways. This paper proposes that in studying the linguistic landscape of a particular 
area, it not only shows the indexical and ideological value of languages but also reveals how the languages in the area 
and their use and distribution are very much implicated in how space is translated such that it means in particular 
ways to particular groups of people. This paper specifically investigates the linguistic landscapes of the University of 
the Philippines-Diliman, University of the Philippines-Manila, and University of the Philippine-Los Banos and their 
translation into different kinds of campuses, each with a unique character, of one university largely because of how 
English, Filipino, and the other regional languages, as well as a number of other codes, are deployed in these spaces. 
Ultimately, the paper argues that LL is a translational endeavor precisely because of how it changes space and renders 
it meaningful and coherent, and should therefore be examined from the point of view of translation.
Panel: Patterns of Change in Southeast Asian Traditional Music
convener: Giovanni Giuriati (Università di Roma “La Sapienza”)
panel abstract
Recently, researches in SEA ethnomusicology have taken new force, and several young researchers have dealt with 
various musical tradition of the region (Indonesia, Burma, Cambodia, Viet Nam, Laos). For example, in Italy such re-
search has been undertaken within the framework of a MoU signed by La Sapienza with ISI Yogyakarta and the Royal 
University of Phnom Penh, and through some Dharmasiswa scholarships of the Indonesian government. The panel 
intends to further such research on traditional and contemporary music in Southeast Asia in a comparative and inter-
disciplinary perspective focusing especially on the important patterns of change that are occurring in contemporary 
Southeast Asian music both in functions, in the musical performing practice, and in the processes of patrimonializa-
tion, as well as in a dynamic relatioship between traditional and popular music. With the assumption that, through 
music, it is possible to infer social, historical, and cultural dynamics from a particular (and privileged) point of view. 
The panel will foster comparison among different local contexts as well as different approaches to ethnomusicologi-
cal research, aiming at involving scholar from different European countries, starting with experts in Italy and France.
— Patterns of Change of Traditional Cambodian Wedding Music
Francesca Billeri (School of Oriental and African Studies)
This talk presents part of a research on traditional Khmer wedding music conducted in Phnom Penh. Wedding is 

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considered to be one of the most important ceremony for the Khmers and it is believed to be of mythical origin. The 
Khmer wedding consists of a succession of rituals which symbolize different aspects of marriage such as eternal union, 
magical blessing, success, happiness and fertility. 
Wedding music is called phleng kar and it belongs to the phleng khmer genre which is considered by Khmer musi-
cians the most autochthonous since it accompanies the rites of passage and the “private” ceremonies of the Khmers. 
Phleng kar music is the lifeblood of the wedding ceremony since it not only accompanies the wedding rituals but also 
describes and prescribes the ritual scene.
 Although, nowadays, the vital role of phleng kar music within the wedding ceremony context is preserved, the advent 
of sound technology and mass media have led to a de-contextualization and a process of Westernization in terms of 
musical instruments and repertoire. In fact, it is performed not only during wedding ceremonies, but also in television 
competitions and commercialized through a production of CDs and DVDs promoted by local institutions. On the one 
hand, NGOs aim to promote phleng kar music by producing CDs; on the other hand wedding music is commercial-
ized and performed as a tourist souvenir for fund-raising events. This paper aims to discuss the changes of Khmer 
traditional wedding music across the XX and XXI century in terms of repertoire, ensembles, length and structure of 
the ceremony as well as the role of phleng kar music in contemporary Cambodian society.
— “Because We Like That Song!” Traditional Rhythmic Patterns and Modern Songs in a Burmese Possession 
Cult Ceremony
Lorenzo Chiarofonte (La Sapienza)
In Myanmar (Burma), traditional animist ceremonies of the nat pwe are still wide popular. Even in the biggest cities, 
the devotees pray and summon the local spirits, the nats, in order to obtain health and wealth through their help. Dur-
ing the nat pwe celebration, the medium (nat kadaw, “nat’s wife”) performs possession dances and songs, together with 
the support of the nat hsaing, the traditional Burmese outdoor ensemble composed by drums and gongs. In order to 
call the spirits, the nat hsaing ensemble performs traditional songs, and it entertains the audience playing Burmese 
court songs or modern songs. During a nat pwe, the musicians can easily switch from one musical context to another, 
but it is also possible for them to mix traditional ritual songs (specifically, rhythmic patterns) with new melodies and 
“popular” songs. This paper investigates how these different musical contexts are linked together. It refers especially to 
the nat pwe performances of one nat hsaing group based in Yangon (Rangoon), the Kyi Lin Bo Mingala Hsaing Pwe.
— Dynamics of Change in the Musical Heritage of Contemporary Laos
Veronique Delavenere (Institut de Recherche en Musicologie France)
I wish to approach the diversity of the musical heritage and the pluri-ethnicity of contemporary Laos by studying of 
some specific musical practices, among which are mouth organs. This research and analysis surrounding the changes 
at the heart of repertories reveals the coexistence of a strong affirmation of identity by permanent practices and / or 
mutations, transformations and creations which stem from the dynamics of change.
This communication proposes, by an analytical ethnomusicology, a study of musical spécific repertories from Khmou’, 
Hmong, lolo and lao (the dominant population of the country). We will see that the music seems to have “a power” 
of innovation and / or institutionalization on the one hand and on the other hand, it participates in the construction 
of “ethnic and religious nationalisms” . the analysis of this music will bring here, a new look, allowing a better under-
standing of the dynamics of changes in social practices of the contemporary multiethnic Laos.
— “Show-Time” for the Sindhen, or the Time of Limbukan: New Performing Practices and Musical Repertoires 
in the Comic Interlude of Yogyanese Wayang Kulit 
Ilaria Meloni (La Sapienza)
Wayang kulit (shadow puppet theatre) has been continuously developing across the centuries, since the Majapahit 
Empire (ca. 9th century) until nowadays. During the Dutch Rule (ca. 17th-20th century) the performance practice of 
wayang kulit had undergone a standardization, thus crystallizing into the “classical” form. However, wayang kulit has 
continued to evolve, and still now external influences determines interesting changes in its performance practice. The 
two comic interludes (Limbukan and Gara-Gara) offer the greatest possibility to insert innovations in the “classical” 
format. In particular the Limbukan, the most recently added, constitutes the highest breaking point of the “classi-

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cal” structure: it represents an open sequence, not linked with the mythological narration of the wayang. Here, new 
humorous spectacular practices and musical repertoires lead by female protagonists (sindhen) take place. This paper 
investigates the most relevant changes happening in this comic interlude, related to the more and more preeminent 
role of these female singers. Starting also from my personal experience as a “sindhen bule” (foreigner sindhen), I will 
analyze on one hand the interaction between the female singers and the dhalang (puppeteer); on the other hand I will 
investigate the changes in the musical repertoires, especially for what concerns the mixing of traditional and contem-
porary genres. These musical changes are connected with the female preeminence in what I call the “show-time”. In 
order to show these innovations, I will take as an example the Limbukan performed by the famous dalang Ki Nugroho 
Suseno on March, 2015 in Yogyakarta.
— Smiling Pain: A Healing Ritual Among the Wana People of Morowali, Indonesia
Giorgio Scalici (Durham University)
When somebody has the “inner ill”, the Wana people of Morowali, Central Sulawesi, still choose to officiate a night-
long ritual known as Momagu to face the disease. In this lengthy ritual, the community gathers to express the kasin-
tuwu, the Wana sense of community, to receive the shaman’s treatment, but also to eat, drink and flirt. This ritual, and 
the manifestation of the shaman’s power, will not be possible without the presence of music. Once the people gathered 
and the night is fallen the music, produced by two gongs and a drum, can start and with it the Momagu. The music 
consists of four different rhythms that permit the reactualization of the mythical time, the use of the shamanic pow-
ers, a festive atmosphere and the trance. The gongs are now bought by the community but, in the past, these rhythms 
were played on a bamboo zither called tetebua, now used for leisure. Moreover the female rhythm seems disappearing 
because of the changing methods of courtship inside the Wana community. These changes, as many others, demon-
strate that the Wana culture is not a static expression but is able to adapting to new environments. The presence of 
technology, pop music, new forms of labour and world religions is strongly influencing the Wana ritual and musical 
life casting many questions about their future. Through analysis of ethnographic data this paper explores how the 
ritualistic music is changed and what could be a possible future development of Wana ritual music.
Panel: From Viet-Muong to Viet and Muong: Vietnamese and Muong 
convener: Nina Grigoreva (National Research University Higher School of Economics, Saint-Petersburg)
panel abstract
In modern Vietnam, the Viet (or the Kinh, the ethnic Vietnamese) and the Muong are considered to be two different 
peoples, the Viet (Kinh) being the majority and the Muong a minority. In the not so distant past, however, when Viet-
nam’s population did not see itself in ethnic categories, the only difference between the Viet and Muong ancestors lay 
in their places of residence – the inhabitants of the capital city and the surrounding plains were named ‘Kinh’ while 
those who lived in mountain villages were called ‘Muong’. Otherwise, they were the same people, spoke nearly the 
same language and shared nearly the same traditions. Their commonality is emphasized in the term they are referred 
to by, i.e. the Viet-Muong.
This interdisciplinary panel explores the Vietnamese and Muong languages, dialects, legends, epics and folk songs in 
a comparative perspective to reveal their similarities, discrepancies, influences and politics. The panelists’ goal is to 
identify phenomena which are specific for the Viet-Muong community as a whole and those that divide them into two 
separate groups - the Viet and the Muong.
— The Muong Epic of ‘The Birth of the Earth and Water’ in a Viet-Muong Comparative Perspective
Nina Grigoreva (National Research University Higher School of Economics, Saint-Petersburg)
The Muong are a minority people of Vietnam (more than 1.3 million) and the closest relatives and neighbours of the 
ethnic Vietnamese (Kinh). Unlike the ethnic Vietnamese, the Muong have, indeed, maintained their oral tradition 
to this day, or, to be more precise, some pieces of the Muong folklore are still closely connected with rituals and are 
performed in specific circumstances. Such are the stories that constitute the epic cycle of ‘The Birth of the Earth and 
Water’. These stories are narrated during days-long mourning rituals by the Muong shamans, who remember them by 

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heart and recite in a special manner.
As a complete cycle, the Muong epic was discovered only in the 1970s. Its two main variants – from the Hoa Binh 
and Thanh Hoa provinces – were collected and recorded in both Vietnamese and Muong for the first time during that 
period. However, while many Muong stories are quite comparable with the Vietnamese folktales, the Muong epic cycle 
is still underestimated in Vietnamese studies. Thus, it is worth to consider the Vietnamese origin myth not only in the 
context of Chinese sources (as has been recently brilliantly done by L.Kelly), but also in comparison with the Muong 
stories of descent, which demonstrate both similarities and discrepancies with the Vietnamese variant. Another point 
of interest is the Muong ruler Dit Dang (or Yit Yang, where Dit/Yit reflects the Muong pronunciation of the term 
‘Viet’), who is widely featured in the Hoa Binh variant of the epic.
Altogether, studying the Muong epic of ‘The Birth of the Earth and Water’, with all possible influences on it, could 
contribute to a wider, more true-to-life vision of Northern Vietnam, whose image so far has been formed in a very 
‘Viet-centric’ way.
— The Muong Features in the Written Ancient Vietnamese 
Masaaki Shimizu (Osaka University)
In the historical linguistics concerning Viet-Muong branch of Mon-Khmer family, the languages of Muong, which 
contains not only the Muong group but the more conservative ones such as Chut, are generally compared with Viet-
namese to reconstruct the Proto Viet-Muong (Thompson 1976, Ferlus 1991, etc.). In the course of the development of 
Vietnamese philology, internal evidences of a number of old features of Vietnamese have been revealed based on the 
Chu Nôm materials and quite a few features of them could be found in the present Muong languages. In this study 
through the analysis of the Sino-Vietnamese text of a Buddhist sutra Phât Thuyêt Dai Bao Phu Mâu Ân Trong Kinh, 
which we suppose is the document compiled in the 15th century, we could find a fair number of old characteristics of 
Ancient Vietnamese both in terms of phonology and vocabulary which were also found in the languages of Muong 
and Chut groups of Viet-Muong branch. From the phonological viewpoint, many words in the text preserve the disyl-
labic structure: presyllable major syllable, which is quite characteristic for the Proto Viet-Muong and still alive in the 
languages of Chut group. As for the lexical items, some ancient words found in the text are attested in the languages 
of Muong group and others in some Chut languages. These correspondences will be the evidences which can allow us 
to trace the development of Vietnamese phonology and lexicon in the course of its history.