The largest single-sporting event in the world is giving a Memorial University researcher plenty of material to work with.
Dr. Luis Achondo, an assistant professor in the School of Music, studies how sound — from fireworks to music-making — is used by soccer fans.
And in a historic year for this country, Canadian soccer fans are louder than ever.
‘Heart of the soccer world’
Though his work primarily focuses on South America, where soccer fandom is a transnational and sonically rich culture, he says the ongoing World Cup amplifies the musical diversity of the world.
“South American fans have brought their sounds to North American spaces, and the same can be said of other sonic cultures: we hear African, Asian and European musical traditions, among others, in a single match,” explained Dr. Achondo, who joined Memorial last July as an expert in ethnomusicology and musicology.
Originally from Chile, his research has focused on Latin American sound cultures in contexts of violence and precarity, including a decade-long ethnographic project examining the use of sound among soccer fans.
The main insight he’s gained?
South American fans see themselves as the heart of the soccer world.
“They argue that the sport wouldn’t have its global economic, social and political impact without them,” he says. “And amid the dramatic corporatization and commercialization soccer has experienced in recent decades, they remain the true keepers of sporting authenticity.”
Dr. Achondo says soccer clubs in South America are century-old institutions that have only recently become corporations.
He points out that the clubs have historically operated as civic organizations in which fans engaged in social, cultural and political activities.
Fans find soccer a space for expression and belonging.
“Sound helps create a shared energy among fans, pushing them to sing and sound even further.”
He says sound influences fans and fan engagement in the sport. Alongside violence, he says, sound is probably the most important way fans assert their place within soccer.
“Through carnival drums and rhythms, fans sing popular music melodies with altered lyrics non-stop throughout entire matches: musical performance woven together with fireworks, shouts, whistling and other sounds,” Dr. Achondo said. “Sound helps create a shared energy among fans, pushing them to sing and sound even further.”
He says beyond cheering for their teams, fans play music and make noise for other reasons, such as politics. He says sound is also entangled with the fandom’s violent side: lyrics are filled with slurs and histories of violence, and sound is often weaponized to silence rivals and sometimes even peers.
“All in all, sound-making among fans is ultimately a political practice through which they engage in fan, sporting and societal conflicts.”
He explored the topic in his book, The Sounds of Aguante, an ethnographic study of hinchas (football fans) in the Latin American southern cone’s use of sound.
Exploring N.L.
With this year’s World Cup taking place in Canada, Mexico and the United States, Dr. Achondo says he’s noticing some differences in fan behaviour while watching the games.
He says soccer fandom differs from North American sports soundscapes, particularly those of hockey, basketball and football, in that the production of sound is ultimately led by fans themselves.
“No one from the club dictates what fans sing or shout, whether through organs or recorded music,” he said. “In fact, the few times music is blasted through speakers, before a match starts, for example, fans actively try to outshout those corporate sounds.”
As a lifelong soccer fan and as a musician, Dr. Achondo says he grew up intrigued by the rich soundscapes of soccer.
When he began his doctoral studies in ethnomusicology at Brown University, his advisor encouraged him to combine those interests.
He plans to find ways to further incorporate them here in this province.
“I’ve already been to a Newfoundland Regiment game, and I’m hoping to explore the sports soundscapes of this region.”
Course offering
While he’s trying to take in the World Cup craze and excitement, he’s also looking forward to the fall.
He is teaching a course called Music and Sports that is open to all students, with no musical or athletic background needed.
Dr. Achondo says the course explores the intersection of music and sports across the world through case studies including haka ceremonies in rugby, soccer fandom in Europe and South America, basketball soundscapes in North America, sports video games and Super Bowl Halftime Shows.
“It ultimately investigates the musicality of sports, the athleticism of music and how each shapes the experience of the other.”
Interested in Music and Sports or other School of Music courses? Learn more.
