The music of 1990s

Great Come-Back

Side by side with the political struggle of the last ten years, there was also another, hidden but extremely important fight - a musical one. On the one hand: 'turbo-folk', 'diesel' and 'dance music' evolved to the status of the life style, and on the other hand: pop, rock, blues and jazz were totally forgotten. And in the middle there were people


By JOVANA MILOVIĆ
from Belgrade, SERBIA


Money, fashion and glamour are the general characteristics of the contemporary capitalistic-democratic society. Turbo folk presents demotion of an authentic Serbian music (originated) mixed with the "Asian folk music". This "cultural pattern" produced in the furnace of the former regime, was meant to distract people's attention from the political field, and generally to offer a compensation for everyday's misery based on the principle "less bread, more games."

There we could also find "diesel-dance" music of the nineties. The TV-show "See you in abituary" gives a huge media space to the criminals of the nineties. What kind of message is that to the youth? Did that create a new world? Or demimonde? The really stunning fact is that more and more youth still consider (that) "demimonde" to be their idols and ideals.

At the beginning of year 2000 and collapse of the communist regime, nothing had changed. However, the present authorities weren't ready then, and neither are ready now to change consciousness of the people.

"Diesel" dedicated evenings are popular again. It seems like that they seem to be coming back to the stage. Dance music will simply never die. The proof of that is the fact that every good club in Belgrade has a special night in a week for that kind of music and frequent guests there are all those "forgotten" singers. Does that music influence your life style, behaviour and other aspects of life? Of course it does. And here is the recipe for returning in the nineties:

1. Turbo folk appeared during Milosevic's reign

Turbo folk is a dominant music in almost all Arab countries but also in almost all Balcan countries. Did Milosevic rule in all this countries? When we take into consideration the fact that the society, a decade ago, was destroyed economically and under embargo, it's interesting to observe right now in the middle of this economic crisis, when thousands of workers lose their jobs, how again the culture changes and revives.

2. Urban vs. Rural

As time goes by, the meaning of these words changes in the modern world. The rhythm of turbo folk today is considered rural, and urban is called everything from the West. During the nineties we were the witnesses of the glorifying everything that comes "from the ordinary people". Music TV-shows, typified as "folk joy", attracted a million strong auditorium, and they continued to attract attention later, too. The TV-shows as "Grand", "Grand Parade" and "Grand Stars" enjoy a great majority of auditorium, and all other TV stations (would) envy them.

3. Women demotion

Closely connected to silicons, plastic surgeries and half-naked top singers. A perfect look is the imperative in the whole world, especially show-business. Even the most popular singers as Madonna and Sher had at least one or two plastic surgeries, so why would we be different?

4. Turbo folk and dance music are trash

Of course there is everywhere some bad quality, (but) also in other genres of music. However, the point is money. Who had the money to pay media performances, that person was creating the new culture. The predominant form of the stage performances meant naked girls and women, who very often just opened the mouth to sing the text which some other has sung. To be occupied with music (that) meant not just the matter of true talent, but also of the capital funds, and how much you have been ready to pay for your popularity. And in that way (the) producers made their profit (and) in (that) moment - they created an immense marketing space.

If you take a better look at all these parts, we can conclude that most of them are still in use, so we can ask a question if we have, taste-wise, generally changed (ourselves) and left the nineties. The music that culturologists earlier have marked as a utility product, today became (a) mainstream.


(Published: 10.01.2009.)