Alumnus Caetano Santos wins African Libraries Student Paper Prize

Alumnus Caetano Santos has been awarded the African Libraries Student Paper Prize by the Society for Ethnomusicology (SEM). The prize recognises the most distinguished student paper on African or African diasporic music presented at the SEM annual meeting.

Caetano’s paper, 'The Brazilian Dream? Migrant Epistemologies in the Songwriting of Haitian Artists in Brazil', draws directly on research developed during his doctoral studies at Merton College and the Faculty of Music. 

The African Libraries Student Paper Prize is awarded annually and includes a cash award for the winner, alongside a $150 donation to an African library chosen by the student. Papers are assessed on the strength of their content, including any accompanying audio or visual material used in the conference presentation.

This recognition highlights the impact of Caetano’s research and its valuable contribution to current ethnomusicological scholarship. The chair members' assessment of Caetano's article highlighted its richness in data and good engagement with theoretical literature, noting that it offers interesting insights and expansive perspectives on how immigrants retain cultural authority in their new homelands and engage with new cultural resources in receiving societies, key issues in African Diaspora studies.