Reception of Neofolk Music in Slovenia: Identity Politics in the Beat of ‘Easy Listening Tunes’

Abstract

Namen prispevka je preučitev recepcije neo- in turbofolk glasbenega žanra v Sloveniji, da bi spoznali domet njegove razširjenosti in načine njegovega vrednotenja. Poseben poudarek raziskave v Sloveniji je namenjen obravnavi neofolka kot značilnega produkta t. i. južnjaške kulture (državljani Slovenije, doma iz »južnih« republik, zlasti Bosne in Hercegovine in Srbije). Gre za poskus povezave segmenta popularne kulture z etnično in socialno (avto)identifikacijo njenih porabnikov, tako da je neofolk obravnavan kot razločevalni označevalec pri ustvarjanju hierarhizirajočih diskurzov na osi med večinskim prebivalstvom (Slovenci) in »južnjaki«.

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This article examines the reception of neofolk and turbofolk music in Slovenia and establishes the breadth and evaluation modalities of this genre in this former Yugoslav republic. The study of this phenomenon in Slovenia places special emphasis on the research on neofolk music as a typical product of “southern culture” (i.e., from southern former Yugoslav republics, primarily Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia). The article establishes a link between this pop culture segment and ethnic and social (self-)identification of its consumers, considering neofolk music as a distinctive marker in creating hierarchizing discourse based on the majority population (Slovenians) vs. “Southerners.”