About Tigers, Wolves and Hyena, or “Čalga” as the Ideal Self in Post-Communicst Bulgaria

Authors

  • Katerina Gehl

Abstract

This article deals with the so-called “Čalga” – the sound of the “new Bulgaria”, which today dominates the public and private sector of the country. Frowned upon during socialist times the musical style čalga, which back then was produced and performed mainly in rural environments, has grown since the end of the 1990s into a cultural complex with its specific behavioral patterns and values: scanty clothing; vulgar, almost pornographic speech; provocative poses, greed for money. Over the years čalga has reached national significance, becoming an identity-generating phenomenon and has matured into a cultural expression used even by the power elite. By analyzing different types of media this article attempts to find explanations for the unique triumphal march of an extremely popular phenomenon in postcommunist Bulgaria. 

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Published

2011-08-01

How to Cite

Gehl, K. (2011). About Tigers, Wolves and Hyena, or “Čalga” as the Ideal Self in Post-Communicst Bulgaria. Zeitschrift für Balkanologie, 47(1). Retrieved from https://www.zeitschrift-fuer-balkanologie.de/index.php/zfb/article/view/254

Issue

Vol. 47 No. 1 (2011)

Section

Articles

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