Dr. Silverman is a cultural anthropologist and folklorist who has been involved with Balkan music and culture for over 30 years as a researcher, teacher, activist, and performer. Focusing on Bulgaria and Macedonia as well as on Balkan Romani immigrants to North America and western Europe, she has investigated the relationship among politics, ethnicity, ritual, music, and gender. She also explores the phenomenon of “Gypsy” music in relation to issues of appropriation, representation, and the negotiation of identities in the world music market. Her book Romani Routes: Cultural Politics and Balkan Music in Diaspora was released in 2012 (paperback, 2014) with Oxford University Press with an extensive accompanying website. It won the Alan Merriam Book Prize from the Society for Ethnomusicology. Her research has been supported by Guggenheim, IREX, NEH, ACLS, and NCSEER. She is also a professional performer and teacher of Balkan music, and works with the NGO Voice of Roma. Dr. Silverman is currently a Professor in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Oregon. She received a B.A. from CUNY-City College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Silverman's talk is part of the Gender and Transformation Workshop series.