A RETURN TO BROTHERHOOD: NATIONALISM, GLOBALIZATION AND THE NEGOTIATION OF IDENTITY IN ROMANI BRASS BAND MUSIC IN SERBIA By Matthew James Kay A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Musicology-Master of Arts 2019 ABSTRACT A RETURN TO BROTHERHOOD: NATIONALISM, GLOBALIZATION AND THE NEGOTIATION OF IDENTITY IN ROMANI BRASS BAND MUSIC IN SERBIA By Matthew James Kay This thesis tells a story, or more accurately, many stories: The story of the Romani people who have been famed for their musicianship for centuries, but have also been despised and persecuted for their differences and lack of a singular homeland. It tells the story of Serbia; its trials and tribulations; a country keen to be known for its hospitality rather than its wars. There is also my story, and my family’s story, the friendships that we made along the way, and how our lives were touched by the Serbian people. There is also the deeper story of human experience through music. One only has to watch the news to feel cynical about the merits of human nature, but this thesis tells the story of a people who were not so long ago torn apart with war, xenophobia, and genocide, now welcoming outsiders and celebrating styles of music that they once sought to eliminate. This thesis will show how Romani brass bands bridged the divide between East and West, local and global, urban and rural, pure and ethnic, and how the Roma, a marginalized race of people, helped rebrand the Serbian identity. Copyright by MATTHEW JAMES KAY 2019 This thesis is dedicated to my wife, Alyn. Thank you for all your support and inspiration. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Thank you to all who played a part in my research and thesis. In no particular order: the people of Serbia, especially Nenad and Stefan Mladenović who taught me many tunes, and shared their experiences through their interviews. The rest of the Mladenović family: Ekaterine, Antonia, Martin, Jovanka and Fabijan, and “Baba” who always served us coffee and loved on our children. Thank you also to the other members of Bakija Bakić, who made us feel so welcome. Thank you to Mirko, Ana, Nikola, and Marko Stefanović who showed us warmth and hospitality and introduced us to aspects of Serbian culture we would have otherwise never seen. Thank you to Dejan Stanković for translating. Thank you to Ismail Lumanovski who gave me new insights on Romani music. Thank you to Carol Silverman and Alexander Marković and all at the East European Folklife Center at Iroquois Springs who were instrumental in developing my knowledge of Romani music. Mike Romaniak for his help in starting a Balkan-style band. Members of Slavistar for their friendship and support: Jonathan Evans, Jonah Magar, Dan Palmer, James “Mocha” Waller, and Aaron Wright. Thank you to all the professors at Michigan State University who supported me and encouraged me throughout my research: Rich Illman for his constant encouragement and belief in me; Michael Largey for preparing me so well for fieldwork; Michael Callahan for challenging me and provoking me to think deeper; Etienne Charles for all of his help transcribing, discussions about world music, learning to play and interpret music aurally, and introducing me to more music from the Balkans; Ken Prouty for guiding me through the process of writing my thesis and his constant encouragement. Thank you to my wife, Alyn, and my children, Elsie, Lili, v Ezra, and Carys who won the hearts of many Serbians, and patiently loved and supported me throughout my research. Finally, thank you to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gives me the strength and joy each day to persevere. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ..................................................................................................................... viii Introduction..................................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1. Research and Methodology........................................................................................... 6 Reflections on Identity History and Methodology ............................................................ 10 Challenges of Research..................................................................................................... 14 Hybridity ........................................................................................................................... 16 Colonialism and its Impact on Brass Bands ..................................................................... 17 Serbia - A Brief History and Background, and its Relations to Neighboring States ........ 21 Roma - Historical Background ......................................................................................... 27 Chapter 2. Guča, Traditions, and Injuries ..................................................................................... 30 Guča.................................................................................................................................. 38 Chapter 3. A Musical Crossroads ................................................................................................. 74 Conclusion. Diplomacy and Friendship...................................................................................... 100 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Čoček rhythm used in “Ederlezi” .................................................................................. 34 Figure 2. Čifteteli .......................................................................................................................... 57 Figure 3. Čoček rhythm ................................................................................................................ 58 Figure 4. Structure of “Izgubljeno Jagnje” ................................................................................... 65 Figure 5. Nakriz makam ............................................................................................................... 66 Figure 6. Opening of “Izgubljeno Jagnje”.................................................................................... 66 Figure 7. Ajam trichord in context of the makam......................................................................... 67 Figure 8. Pre-dominant, dominant, tonic voice leading................................................................ 67 Figure 9. Modulation to F major................................................................................................... 68 Figure 10. Harmonic analysis of the first A section ..................................................................... 68 Figure 11. Harmonic and melodic variation in A1 section............................................................ 69 Figure 12. Second cadential point................................................................................................. 69 Figure 13. Initial performance interpretation of C section ........................................................... 70 Figure 14. Second performance interpretation of C section ......................................................... 71 Figure 15. Idiomatic form of Romani embellishment .................................................................. 72 Figure 16. Čoček rhythm .............................................................................................................. 90 Figure 17. Hijaz Hümayun............................................................................................................ 90 Figure 18. “Underground Čoček” A section................................................................................. 91 Figure 19. Taksim - First Phrase................................................................................................... 91 Figure 20. Taksim – Second Phrase.............................................................................................. 92 Figure 21. Chromatic “side-stepping” .......................................................................................... 98 viii Introduction 27 July 2015 – Vranje, Serbia It was a bright sunny morning in Vranje, a town in the south of Serbia close to the borders of neighboring Kosovo, Bulgaria, Macedonia and Albania, and home to the largest Roma community in Serbia. I took my customary walk to the local bakery to buy burek, a cheese pastry, for my family’s breakfast. On the way back a man standing in his backyard greeted me. He asked who I was and introduced himself as Ivica. Ivica told me he was a policeman and was a translator for people crossing the border. He was excited to meet someone who was English and asked what I was doing in Vranje. I explained how I had arranged to meet a Romani trumpet player in Vranje through Facebook and take lessons from him. Ivica asked if he could help and I asked if he could call the trumpet player for me and arrange a meeting with him, as my Serbian was limited. He called the trumpet player and there was no answer. “Tonight,” he said, “I will take you to the Gypsy village.”1 That evening, my wife, Alyn, our four children, and I squeezed into Ivica’s old Mercedes and sped off listening to “Vrtlog”, a huge hit by Dejan Petrović, a non-Romani trumpet player from western Serbia. As we fumbled with the seatbelts, Ivica waved at us to not worry about the seatbelts; “I am the police”. We went through the bustling downtown, which was already alive with people drinking and eating in cafes, and headed up the hill past the police station and hamam (Turkish bath) to Gornja