Publication details
Do I adapt? : Busker’s choice of the repertoire in the Czech area. Potential dis/connection between mass demand and own identity
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2015 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Musicult ´15 Local and Universal |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | Archaeology, anthropology, ethnology |
| Keywords | busking; repertoire; choice; mass demand; identity |
| Description | Fluidity is one of the characteristic features of public space, a fact that street performers are well aware of. Capturing the attention of passers-by is one of the challenges of performers. Undoubtedly, in addition to the personality of the performer, the choice of music itself is a powerful tool. In the consciousness of most musicians, there is rooted a kind of awareness of the potential popularity of music they chose to play. To what extent they benefit from this knowledge and how much they are willing to adapt to the social demands, and perhaps suppress their own identity as musicians, or if there is any necessity of such suppression, is the task for this paper to try to answer. The findings described in the article came from field research among particular performers in the Czech Republic. The article also provides a modest insight into the history, especially to the area of broadside ballads, which were, of course, set in different contexts. However, some of the principles stay evident. |