The Modern Era
The 1980s and 1990s are defined in most eastern European countries by a loosening of the government leash and an influx of modern culture and technology. Most were highly influenced by western bands in the 1970s and blended their more modern, electronic sound with traditional folk styles. Some countries experienced a surge in nationalism and others opened themselves to new cultural influences. Often, what was popular during the Communist era was now (unofficially) banned and vice versa. Many bands that were ostracized, ignored or jailed enjoyed success in the 1990s.
The immediate heroes after Czechoslovakia 's Velvet Revolution of 1989 were the musicians penalized or jailed because of Charter 77, as the country turned away from their Communist past. At the same time and for the same reason, many of the dance groups and ensembles in former Czechoslovakia , as well as academic collaborations, disappeared. Western influences prevailed, such as the American cowboy and the 1960s folk singer. Country dance balls appeared in Moravia , where they relived a past they had never known. This “nostalgia without memory” (Kurkela, 1993) is also an apt phrase for the post-Communist ignorance of pre-war music traditions. The Czech Republic and Slovakia were soon inundated with western culture and reacted against it by turning again to regional folk traditions and festivals. By 1994 there were more than 12,000 active members of folklore ensembles, according to the Folklore Association of the Czech Republic .
Hungary 's ensembles began to proliferate with the 1970s dance house scene, though most of those kicking, twirling and stomping until all hours are ordinary teens and adults. The Opening Dance House Ball in late September packs hundreds into several rooms until five a.m. With food, liquor and swarms of teenagers in drenched Metallica t-shirts shouting unintelligible phrases in unison, it could be any rock club. Dance houses also benefited from the surge in nationalism after 1989, a reaction to the influx of foreigners (Sadie, 2001) .
Several locations throughout the week host smaller Romanian, Serbian, Bulgarian, Greek and Turkish dances – many taught by young people from those countries. No similar traditions were found in Serbia , Croatia or the Czech Republic (personal observations, Aug.-Dec. 2003). Not only do the Hungarians keep their own traditions alive, but they also participate in the musical heritage of other countries. Because they lack the antagonistic history with other eastern European or Muslim countries, they do not exclude them. Hungary 's interest in other cultures is also reflected at Fono – a record label, CD store, studio, performance space and dance house. On the outskirts of Budapest , it is the heart of the music and dance house scene. Their schedule and catalog include musicians from all over Europe . Many albums have songs from several countries played by an equally international group of musicians.
Serbo-Croatian songwriter Goran Bregovic popularized electronic versions of folk songs from all over the Balkans in the films of director Emir Kusturica. Kusturica's Roma-starring movies are Serbia 's biggest cultural export and have made their wedding bands an international commodity. At the Guca festival in Serbia , old-style military bands compete with boom boxes that blast Bregovic's brass-and-keyboard anthems.
Despite the nationalism that has caused endless violence in former Yugoslavia , there are efforts to promote the concept of the Balkans as a mix of cultures that all borrow from each other. Music that mixes folk, jazz, rock and multi-cultural influences can promote a new kind of political outlook. Belgrade radio (B92) put together a compilation of international Roma songs and two of Serbian music. They aim to preserve “ancient musical forms for the future” and record events of everyday people to transpose into myth (Ambrozic, Dragan. Liner notes. Srbija: Sounds Global 2 , 2002). This combines the early twentieth century notion of preserving folk songs with the original purpose of those songs – to capture and celebrate daily life.
Bulgaria finally openly embraced the sounds of its eastern neighbors, and one can hear elements of arabesk (Turkish folk-pop) and Roma music in their modern songs, as well as the electronic influence of the West. Ivo Papasov is on Amazon.com. Ironically, by 1989 the Turks were so exasperated with Bulgaria 's discrimination that several emigrated to Turkey . The folk traditions survive in groups like singers Trio Bulgarka and renowned musicians Bulgari, who play and sing traditional folk songs at a professional level.
Collectively, the state and presence of true folk music in these countries today is largely that of an heirloom – something valuable whose story has been partially lost along the way, something best kept tucked away for important or nostalgic occasions, yet something it is possible to borrow from the way everything from fashion to architecture makes the old new again. Altered continuations of traditional styles, such as Balkan wedding and Hungarian dance house music, incorporate foreign or personal aesthetic modifications. They create something new that is both a direct descendant of the past and relevant to modern life. This is in contrast to Communist ensembles or pop songs that take sonic bits and leave behind the basic structure and context.
As nationalism increases in response to tourism, American throw-away culture and a general awareness of ethnicity, the question arises again: how will traditional music be seen and used in the current socio-political climate? Many young people shun it as irrelevant or worse, a reminder of Communism and a dark past. Some enjoy it at home but do not like the public performance aspect of it. Some embrace it as is (whatever form that may be) and others use it for their own ends, dissolving it in a mix of styles and countries. This may most accurately reflect the kaleidoscope of cultures and eras that is modern experience.
Communist policies, from the destruction of village life to folk ensembles, drastically altered the musical landscape of eastern Europe, and their impact continues today. It helped to destroy the lifestyles that created and passed on traditional music; it falsified and rearranged its aesthetic and historical elements; and it soured much of the population on the version that remained. As societies continue to explore and exchange ideas, it is possible that regional, even national, differences may disintegrate. What will remain are only records of the songs, dances and stories preserved since the late 1800s, when the whole concept of nationalism began. The role of folk music and its modified iterations will continue to change. Those in control, be they governments or businessmen, may determine its style and function, but they can not control its meaning. Ultimately, “the song belongs to those who sing it” (Ambrozic, 2002).