Sounds of survival, weaponization of sounds: Exploring sonic lieux de mémoire

Abstract

In this article, we argue that sonic experiences in contexts of organized violence can be understood as sonic lieux de mémoire (sonic sites of memory). Exploring how these sonic sites are indissociable from the individual and collective experience of places, we show how they form networks of relationships within which the memory of silences and sounds is constructed and actualized. We also argue that these sonic lieux de mémoire can be seen from two perspectives, representing the dark and bright sides of the same phenomenon. On one hand, sound, music, and silence are used as weapons in organized violence, for example, in detention facilities or during wars or political conflicts. On the other hand, they constitute symbolic resources, positive tools that contribute to the (re)construction of subjectivities and thus can serve as tools for survival and resistance. In both cases, sound and musical practices are essential facets of what makes us human.