Ово је Балкан: Конструисање позитивних стереотипа о Балкану и аутобалканизам

Abstract

This paper deals with ‘Balkan music’, a specific sound notion of an imaginary place of the ‘European inner Other’. It emphasizes a very significant role of music in the process of creating stereotypic images about the Balkans. The paper points to current acceptation and adoption of the socalled positive stereotypes that represent the Balkans as the European corner for fun and a place of exaggerated passion. By means of this process, the products of popular culture in Serbia are being converted into cultural resources leading to autobalkanism, i.e., understanding of self as a member of the Balkan culture as seen from the Western perspective. As an example of the mentioned adoption and use of stereotypes in representing own national identity combined with the Western identity, this paper analyzes the song Ovo je Balkan (This is the Balkans / Balkañeros), composed by Goran Bregovi=, as well as media coverage related to it.