Product Description

In Balkan Fascination, ethnomusicologist Mirjana Lausevic, a native of the Balkans, investigates why so many Americans actively participate in specific Balkan cultural practices to which they have no family or ethnic connection. Going beyond traditional interpretations, she challenges the notion that participation in Balkan culture in North America is merely a specialized offshoot of the 1960s American folk music scene. Instead, her exploration of the relationship between the stark sounds and lively dances of the Balkan region and the Americans who love them reveals that Balkan dance and music has much deeper roots in America's ideas about itself, its place in the world, and the place of the world's cultures in the melting pot.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #490789 in Books
• Published on: 2007-01-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 310 pages

Review

"Mirjana Lausevic's lively account of Balkan music's transplantation to the United States and its development as a quirky musical subculture deftly links the Balkan music scene to broader currents in American social history. Lausevic's insightful analysis comprises a first-rate contribution to current scholarship on the role of transnational culture and affinity communities in America today."--Theodore Levin, Dartmouth College
"This thorough examination of the facets of Balkan music in America gives it a very human side, and although it's hard to reach truly definitive conclusions about anything in this area, Lausevi marshals her facts and ideas well, and presents them cogently and readably. The result is a fascinating window opened on an American subculture that looks beyond its own borders."--Sing Out!
"After decades of American researchers studying the music practices of 'other' cultures, it's about time someone studied us. This book deals with many important and relevant questions, interpreted by an unusually observant and insightful investigator: Why do we fall in love with particular kinds of music and dance, to the extent that a first hearing/seeing changes the course of our lives? And even more crucial: How are many of our personal life decisions (that we believe are totally self-motivated and independent) influenced by historical forces beyond our awareness? Finally, and most broadly: What motivates us to do anything? This monograph may be focused on a particular topic, but the ideas and methods presented here are applicable to numerous aspects of sharing and learning in our globalized music world."--Mark Levy, University of Oregon

About the Author
Mirjana Lausevic was Professor of Ethnomusicology at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. She came to the United States from her native Sarajevo in 1991, where she was a musician, ethnomusicologist, and music commentator on Bosnian radio and television.

Customer Reviews

Balkan Fascination isn't for the masses, but it IS fascinating for many!
Many folks have found their niche in the Balkan Music craze...dancing, singing, and playing the instruments of the Balkan countries even though they may have no connection to these ethnicities at all! This book explores the reasons and the history behind this exploration and its development here in the US. A enclosed CD/DVD helps the reader to become a Balkan fan also! HIGHLY recommended!