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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 6d

An online archive of Armenian culture on the eve of the 1915 genocide
stephenjones.blog/2025/10/02/a...

A recent talk at the Orient-Institut in Istanbul, when Ara Dinkjian (son of the great Onnik) and Vahé Tachjian introduced early recordings of Armenian classics, led me to the impressive website Hou…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 8d

Serendipitous courtesy
stephenjones.blog/2025/09/29/s...

Serendipitous courtesy

In our modern world, the flight booking reference consists of a seemingly random combo of six letters and numbers, so on booking my recent flights for Istanbul I was impressed to find the last thre…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 14d

As well as this sketch of Shan Fuyi, another main source for our material on the early and modern history of Gaoluo
stephenjones.blog/2019/09/25/v...

https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 15d

A village elder, before and after Liberation
stephenjones.blog/2019/07/11/v...
Part of my series on the modern history of Gaoluo

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 17d

A new collection of essays on rebetika
stephenjones.blog/2025/09/21/n...

A new rebetika volume

After my dabblings with Songs of Asia Minor, Road to rebetika, and Folk traditions of Greece, I’m browsing the new volume The SOAS rebetiko reader: a selection of papers associated with the H…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 22d

In memory of the great ethnomusicologist David Hughes
stephenjones.blog/2025/09/16/i...

https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 24d

Recopying the Li family Daoist ritual manuals
stephenjones.blog/2018/12/31/r...

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 24d

Li Qing’s Daoist uncle Li Peisen had already anticipated the ravages of Maoist campaigns by moving to the safety of his wife’s natal village, preserving the family ritual manuals—as explained in this post on Women of Yanggao
stephenjones.blog/2017/06/13/w...

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 24d

Nuances of Maoist society: the great Daoist Li Qing takes refuge from the famine by joining a state Arts Work Troupe
stephenjones.blog/2019/01/19/d...

A Daoist serves a state troupe

My post on the folk–conservatoire gulf reminds me of the brief sojourn of the great household Daoist Li Qing in the grimy coal city of Datong as a state-employed musician. Indeed throughout China, …

stephenjones.blog

https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · 27d

Since my film on the 1995 New Year's rituals in Gaoluo won awards at the Chinese Musics Ethnographic Film Festival in Shanghai, I reflect further on the gulf between ethnography and reified glamorisation, and issues in discussing politics
stephenjones.blog/2025/09/11/g...

Prizes for Gaoluo film!

I’m most gratified that my film Seated at the altar, on the 1995 New Year’s rituals in Gaoluo village, was awarded two prizes at the Chinese Musics Ethnographic Film Festival (CMEFF) In…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Sep 7

An upcoming international conference at Oxford in honour of Craig Clunas brings together leading scholars in the field of Ming studies and art history
stephenjones.blog/2025/09/07/e...

Echoes of Great Brightness

An international conference in honour of Craig Clunas will be held on 16–17 September at Lincoln College, Oxford, bringing together leading scholars in the field of Ming studies and art history. Fr…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Apr 30

2) for Gaoluo village, subject of my most detailed historical ethnography:
stephenjones.blog/2025/04/30/d...

Donors’ lists 2: Gaoluo

Towards a dynamic approach to material artefacts in diachronic social context Further to my previous post giving background on material support for amateur ritual associations on the Hebei plain, I…

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Thor Benson @thorbenson.bsky.social · Sep 1

It's often been debated if Trump could pull off a fascist takeover of the United States, because he's clearly not very smart.

I talked to @anneapplebaum.bsky.social about that for my newsletter

Fascism and stupidity are not mutually exclusive

People have often said Trump is too stupid to lead an effective fascist takeover of the United States. Not so fast.

madness.ghost.io

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Sep 1

Djokovic's celebration reminds me to document some of the diverse ways of playing the violin
stephenjones.blog/2024/08/31/w...

Ways of playing the violin

A companion to Indian and world fiddles. Image: Paul Childs/Reuters. Source. This summer, after yet another victory, Novak Djokovic paid homage to his daughter’s early steps learning the viol…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · May 24

Survey of village ritual associations on the Hebei plain
stephenjones.blog/sects-hebei/

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Aug 27

Collected posts on Mahler, soundtrack to all the anguish and elation of the 20th century: symphonies, chamber arrangements, piano rolls, Alma and Anna...
stephenjones.blog/2022/09/06/m...

https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Aug 26

Mahler at this year's Proms!
stephenjones.blog/2025/08/26/m...

Mahler at this year’s Proms!

By way of reminding you of my series on the great Gustav Mahler, some brief comments on the three symphonies of his performed at this year’s Proms, while I consult Norman Lebrecht’s han…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Jun 15

A noir plot suggested by a Japanese phrasebook!
stephenjones.blog/2017/01/21/j...

That is the snake that bit my foot

If you’re thinking of dabbling with Japanese, then as a more practical guide than the sketch “How to learn Japanese in three easy lessons” (freezing cold, constipated, and absent-minded—available o…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Aug 19

*Don’t miss* the late lamented Nicolas Robertson's astounding series of anagram tales, based on composers’ names, Mozart operas, and so on!!! My index can only hint at the riches contained within them…
stephenjones.blog/2021/08/30/a...

https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Aug 16

Ravel and Stravinsky at the Proms, with copious links—and a party game...
stephenjones.blog/2025/08/16/p...

Proms: Ravel and Stravinsky

Ida Rubenstein leading the original 1928 production of Boléro. Source. Ravel’s Boléro and Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring have become concert “classics”, but they are challe…

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https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Aug 5

www.theguardian.com/music/2025/j...

David Watkin obituary

Cellist who co-founded the Eroica Quartet and won awards for his recording of Bach’s six solo Suites

www.theguardian.com

https://stephenjones.blog/ @stevejonesblog.bsky.social · Aug 2

The catchy Taco taco no fubá, including versions by Orquestra Colbaz (1931, Ethel Smith, Carmen Miranda, the Andrews Sisters, and the Bahia Youth Orchestra!!!
stephenjones.blog/2025/08/01/t...