A musical journey towards trans-border humanity

Music travels as people migrate from one place to another. As a shared human activity, music often appeals to peoples of different ethnicities living in different places, and transcends various boundaries that are often defined by ethnicity, nation and religion. In this sense, music demonstrates ‘trans-border humanity’ or bonds amongst human beings in the midst of differences, conflicts, and transformation. This essay searches trans-border humanity by tracing music that has travelled with migrating peoples around Northeast Asia, and beyond.