The importance of Digitizing Archives in Ethnomusicological Research. Case study: Archives Internationales de Musique Populaire (AIMP), Geneva, Switzerland

This article wishes to investigate the phenomenon of folk music research in relationship to archive-specific activities, more precisely to the context of the technological development that led to the digitalization of archives. The importance of this endeavour is reflected by the multiple benefits offered by an archive comprising folk music content that goes through a digitization process. In the introduction, I offer an explanation of certain terms that describe the central points of this research, as well as some neologisms that are frequently used in the process of technological development (digitalization vs. digitization). I provide a brief descriptive framework of the beneficial effects brought about by the involvement of digital technologies in the ethnomusicological research, which are related to the study of an archive. Thereafter, I highlight the contribution made by by means of his professional pursuits, to the development of folkloristics, referring mainly to the founding of Archives Internationales de Musique Populaire. Based on my personal experience, I present the research conducted in the Geneva archives and present its content. By describing the "steps" that preceded the visit, the by providing personal observations, we can regard this paper as a brief handbook, the perusal of which may be helpful before a research visit to this important archive.