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Paper short abstract:

Since the end of the 20th century, some Czech musicians have been using elements of folk music to create a sense of stability in uncertain times. The paper explores motivations for such creative choices and the ways elements of traditional music are incorporated into contemporary popular genres.

Paper long abstract:

Since the 1960s, musicians in various genres of popular music in the Czech lands have been looking for inspiration in traditional folk music. Even after the fall of communism in 1989, when new creative possibilities emerged, musicians keep turning to this kind of inspiration. Even though their sources might be similar, the ways they combine traditional music with elements of global popular music, be it rock, jazz, or electronic, vary considerably. Similarly, the motivations for such combinations can be varied. However, the role of traditional music as a symbol of stability and connection to “timeless roots” in complicated and uncertain times appears frequently. In my paper, I would like to show several examples of this approach and analyze how traditional music is used to invoke “good old times”, and familiarity, or to confirm the national or regional identity.

The research for this paper is based on analyses of the music itself, its lyrics, its visual presentation, and the discourse surrounding it. Examples were selected from the period between the 1990s and 2020s and include rock bands, singer-songwriters, and music used for commercials. These examples can show that the emotions carried by the elements of folk music can be sincere, but that they can also be used as a tool for commercial purposes.