Goran Bregović, the Balkan Music Composer
Goran Bregović, the Balkan Music Composer

Summary/Abstract: This paper departs from ideas developed in the discourse on Balkanism and applies them to the analysis of interviews and articles about Goran Bregović, one of the most popular composers and performers of Balkan music. He frequently refers to this region in his interviews and relates to what could be defined as a Balkanized image of the region, mainly by making statements about the position and “soul” of the Balkans. Referring to symbolic, rather than physical landscapes of the region, Bregović utilizes elements of the Balkanist discourse in order to highlight his image as a “Balkan composer”. Instead of reassessing or challenging the Balkanized image of the area, his statements show that he is in fact using this image to justify his composing choices and his complex attitudes towards issues of authenticity, tradition and authorship.

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