Performing Ethnicity: Identity Politics and Romani Musical Performance in Southeastern Siberia (Research Brief)

While highly valued for their skills, Vranje’s Roma musicians increasingly face new challenges in the wake of the Yugoslav civil wars of the 1990s.This research project examines the ways that Roma (“Gypsy”) musicians in Vranje, Serbia, negotiate their economic and cultural place in society through the performance of music.

My work examines how Romani identity is “performed” during celebrations, and I analyze local narratives concerning Romani identity and musical performances in Vranje. My analysis shows that current political and economic conditions in this border region have undermined the livelihoods and cultural prestige that Roma musicians enjoyed prior to the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.

Download the pdf at the top of this page for the full brief.

Alexander Markovic, of the University of Illinois-Chicago, was a 2009-10 Individual Advanced Research Opportunities (IARO) fellow.