Ellen Hebden

Ellen Hebden is a third-year graduate student pursuing a Joint PhD in Cultural Anthropology and Ethnomusicology, and holds an MMus in Ethnomusicology from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. Prior to pursuing her doctoral studies, Ellen worked on the Archival Sound Recordings 2 project at the British Library, and taught English in Santiago, Chile. Her current research traces the role of music in the political process of state-building in Mozambique, and examines how governance practices can be heard through the construction of music heritage. Through the generous support of the Scott Kloeck-Jenson Fellowship, she will undertake pre-dissertation research in both Maputo and Ilha de Moçambique this summer. By conducting interviews, attending performances, and utilizing archival material, she will explore how heritage is constructed in the public realm, and what Mozambican heritage sounds like to a diverse range of people.