Transformations in the Interpretation of Music Folklore: From the Protection of Everyday Culture to the Emergence of a Music Genre (Using the Czech Republic as a Case Study)
Uhlíková, Lucie; Pavlicová, M.
2023 - English
From the 1960s onwards, efforts began to develop in Czech ethnology, which gradually began to include folklore manifestations in their second existence in professional research. The field of folklorism sometimes overlapped with the existence of folk traditions, sometimes built on them, and sometimes was only inspired by them to varying degrees. The distinction in such defined categories was not easy even in the past, and with the increasingly rapid development of society, it became blurred in the general consciousness. Within this scope, a contemporary broad music genre, music folklore, has emerged that is not easy to define in terms of content. In this paper, the authors outline its historical formation, show model moments of its development, and deal with its polyfunctionality: many collectives present themselves not only on stage (together with dancers) and in concert settings (independently), but also participate in local ethno-cultural traditions, dance parties, family celebrations (weddings, birthdays), and commercially focused events. To illustrate this, the paper uses archival source material, and field research based on interviews with selected musicians.
Keywords:
Music folklore; transformations of folk tradition; music genre; folk revivalism in the Czech Republic
Fulltext is available at external website.
Transformations in the Interpretation of Music Folklore: From the Protection of Everyday Culture to the Emergence of a Music Genre (Using the Czech Republic as a Case Study)
From the 1960s onwards, efforts began to develop in Czech ethnology, which gradually began to include folklore manifestations in their second existence in professional research. The field of ...
The Folk Song Cultural Heritage in the Context of Political Correctness: When hep, hep is not hop, hop
Uhlíková, Lucie; Pavlicová, M.
2022 - English
The paper explores folk songs written down in what is present-day Czech Republic from roughly the beginning of the 19th century to the 1970s. It shows how song lyrics were treated in the past when they did not conform to the social conventions, aesthetics, ethical ideals, and patriotic goals of the time. When such songs were written down by collectors, their lyrics were often modified, some parts being omitted, others changed. This practice was followed from the early 19th century until the fall of the communist totalitarian regime in 1989. At present, these authentic folk song lyrics seem non-controversial by some performers, but many lyrics are far from it. One of the components of tradition is social memory, which is associated with cultural stereotypes—the generally fixed ideas that people have about themselves and members of different groups. These “Others” are usually members of a different ethnicity, religion, or social class. Their image in folklore involves certain ideas, ideological views, evaluative attitudes, and historical experience. Using the example of otherness, which in Czech folk songs is mainly associated with the negative image of members of the Jewish minority, the paper shows the possible results of misunderstanding the historical context: the anti-Semitic motifs of some older songs and dances resented in public may not be evident to those who perform them today.
Keywords:
folklore; cultural stereotypes; cultural heritage; phenomenon of otherness; political correctness
Fulltext is available at external website.
The Folk Song Cultural Heritage in the Context of Political Correctness: When hep, hep is not hop, hop
The paper explores folk songs written down in what is present-day Czech Republic from roughly the beginning of the 19th century to the 1970s. It shows how song lyrics were treated in the past when ...
Romani Studies at the Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University
Uherek, Zdeněk
2021 - English
An overview of research in the field of Romani studies at the Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and at the Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University.
Keywords:
Romani Studies; Charles University, Faculty of Social Sciences; Institute of Etnonology, Czech Academy of Sciences
Fulltext is available at external website.
Romani Studies at the Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and the Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University
An overview of research in the field of Romani studies at the Institute of Ethnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences and at the Institute of Sociological Studies, Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles ...
“Play What I Sing”: Economic Potential of the Bearers of Music Tradition in the Cultural Memory of the Czech Lands
Uhlíková, Lucie; Pavlicová, M.
2021 - English
The economic conditions of folk musicians or their remuneration have been mentioned rather inconsistently in sources and literature of the Czech lands. The participation of musicians in ceremonies, traditions and customs of the calendar, or family occasions was one of their natural activities in rural communities. There are relatively frequent references to paying for a song (which involved leading the singing) and playing according to a demonstrated song, which was widespread in the context of folk dances. Musicians played not only for money, but also for food, drink, or special benefits in kind. For itinerant musicians and singers, musical performances were a major source of their livelihood. Many outstanding rural musicians also earned a living by teaching various instruments. From the end of the 19th century, folk musicians and dancers found more occasions to present themselves to the public, which increased an interest in the financial issue of their production. With the coming of brass music bands and other novelty groups, older traditional rural music groups lost not only their cultural capital, but their economic capital as well. Gradually, however, the emerging folklore movement strengthened the position of folk musicians, including their financial rewards. The question of the remuneration of folk musicians has resonated in cultural memory, thus adding to the unbiased image of traditional folk culture.
Keywords:
folk music and dance; transforamtion of tradition; cultural capital; social capital
Available at various institutes of the ASCR
“Play What I Sing”: Economic Potential of the Bearers of Music Tradition in the Cultural Memory of the Czech Lands
The economic conditions of folk musicians or their remuneration have been mentioned rather inconsistently in sources and literature of the Czech lands. The participation of musicians in ceremonies, ...
European Forests. Our Cultural Heritage
Johann, E.; Kusmin, J.; Woitsch, Jiří
2021 - English
Proceedings of the international conference European Forests. Our Cultural Heritage (4-7 December 2018, St. Georgen am Längsee, Austria), brings both thematically and theoretically diverse mix of studies, which connects thinking about European forests as an important and hitherto neglected sphere of cultural resp. biocultural heritage.
Keywords:
cultural heritage; forest history; landscape history
Available at various institutes of the ASCR
European Forests. Our Cultural Heritage
Proceedings of the international conference European Forests. Our Cultural Heritage (4-7 December 2018, St. Georgen am Längsee, Austria), brings both thematically and theoretically diverse mix of ...
Between the Countryside and the City: Changes of the Living Space of Folk Traditions and the Development of the Folklore Movement in the Czech Lands in the Second Half of the 20th Century
Uhlíková, Lucie
2020 - English
The folklore movement in the Czech lands is not related only to the development of cultural policy after the communist coup in Czechoslovakia in February 1948. It is also connected to the period of enthusiasm that immediately followed the ending of World War II in Europe, although its importance is rooted in the inter-war development of Czechoslovakia and older activities. Gradually, a new stage and musical genre were developed that were represented by outstanding personalities, who became role models for the way they worked with folklore. This related predominantly to rural culture, however, very soon the city became its new environment. Various activities of folk ensembles contributed to the fact that in the second half of the 20th century, folk traditions became not only a space for artistic self-realization, but an important form of sociocultural capital at the local and regional levels.
Keywords:
Folklore movement in Czechoslovakia; folk ensemble; culture and politics; tradition as a political capital; revitalization of tradition
Fulltext is available at external website.
Between the Countryside and the City: Changes of the Living Space of Folk Traditions and the Development of the Folklore Movement in the Czech Lands in the Second Half of the 20th Century
The folklore movement in the Czech lands is not related only to the development of cultural policy after the communist coup in Czechoslovakia in February 1948. It is also connected to the period of ...
From Folklore to World Music: Music and Space. Introduction
Toncrová, Marta
2020 - English
Introduction to the 17th annual conference “From folklore to world music”.
Keywords:
folk music; ethnic music; music and space; folklore; cultural studies
Fulltext is available at external website.
From Folklore to World Music: Music and Space. Introduction
Introduction to the 17th annual conference “From folklore to world music”.
Partial Memory Loss: Sacred Folk Songs of the Czech Lands
Uhlíková, Lucie; Toncrová, Marta
2019 - English
The paper deals with religious folk songs of the Czech lands, their origin and development. It illustrates how sacred songs came into the folk singing tradition, how they spread within it and how they were transformed, commenting also on their primary religious function.
Keywords:
Czech religious/sacred songs; folk songs; religion and folk culture; variational process and sacred songs; totalitarian censorship; folklore and communication memory
Fulltext is available at external website.
Partial Memory Loss: Sacred Folk Songs of the Czech Lands
The paper deals with religious folk songs of the Czech lands, their origin and development. It illustrates how sacred songs came into the folk singing tradition, how they spread within it and how they ...
Partial Memory Loss: Sacred Folk Songs of the Czech Lands
Uhlíková, Lucie; Toncrová, Marta
2019 - English
The paper deals with religious folk songs of the Czech lands, their origin and development. It illustrates how sacred songs came into the folk singing tradition, how they spread within it and how they were transformed, commenting also on their primary religious function.
Keywords:
Czech religious/sacred songs; folk songs; religion and folk culture; variational process and sacred songs; totalitarian censorship; folklore and communication memory
Fulltext is available at external website.
Partial Memory Loss: Sacred Folk Songs of the Czech Lands
The paper deals with religious folk songs of the Czech lands, their origin and development. It illustrates how sacred songs came into the folk singing tradition, how they spread within it and how they ...
Formal or Informal? Folk Music, Folklore Revival and Music Education
Kratochvíl, Matěj
2018 - English
Traditional folk music in the Czech Republic was usually connected with an informal way of knowledge transfer from generation to generation. Personal contacts with experienced musicians played an important role in transmission of repertoire, style, and skills to younger ones. During the 20th century and especially in its second half, with the development of the revival movement, this system changed. While some of its aspects have remained, the transmission process was strongly influenced by a formalized and institutionalized system of public music education. Music education both in grammar schools and in the network of so called “Basic schools of arts” (Základní umělecké školy), where children learn music as a hobby, has had an impact on the way traditional music is taught today. These changes include the emphasis on different aspects of musicianship, drawing inspiration from other genres of music, and a different way of organizing ensembles including a higher representation of girls in them. In my text, I am presenting findings from my own experience as well as from interviews with musicians from several generations. I am trying to demonstrate how their particular experience with learning and teaching traditional folk music has informed their approach to the way they perform, listen to and think about music.
Keywords:
traditional music; music education; Czech Republic; improvisation; folk song collections
Available at various institutes of the ASCR
Formal or Informal? Folk Music, Folklore Revival and Music Education
Traditional folk music in the Czech Republic was usually connected with an informal way of knowledge transfer from generation to generation. Personal contacts with experienced musicians played an ...
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