What’s race got to do with it?: ‘Racialized voice’ and ‘vocalized race’ in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical

This article reflects on the interplay between voice and the ‘racial imagination’ in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical . Drawing upon an interpretive study of the play, encompassing both its literary and musical elements, as well as my experience working at Aldwych Theatre in London’s West End between late November 2018 and early May 2019, this ethnomusicological study aims to evaluate the reception of the show among the general public and Front-of-House co-workers. The article also considers the notions of ‘racialized voice’ and ‘vocalized race’ in order to address some of the challenges that arise from the interpretive discrepancies between voice, timbre and ‘racial imagination’.