Epilogue: Cultural Diplomacy, Some Discontents

The most likely function for an epilogue to any scholarly volume would be to share additional or novel perspectives on the main subject matter. In the present case, on the Middle Eastern musical initiatives and issues explored in the preceding twelve essays, the writer would probably be expected to express complimentary views on the essays, albeit perhaps not wholly, since there is always a place for constructively critical judgements. However, as I have scant expertise in the ethnomusicological domain, although I am a fervent music-lover and concertgoer, and also an anthropologist by training, it was understood that my contribution would focus on cultural diplomacy, which is the second term in the binomial that constitutes the volume’s title and subject matter.