Negotiating Authenticity through Folk Singing Interpretations

Mojca Kovačič

doi:10.4312/mz.61.1.33-60

Authors

Mojca Kovačič Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Institute of Ethnomusicology, Ljubljana, Slovenia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4312/mz.61.1.33-60

Keywords:

authenticity, folk singing, interpretation, heritagisation, folk music revival

Abstract

This article explores how interpretations of folk singing in Slovenia reflect shifting concepts of authenticity within heritage processes. Drawing on historical analysis and ethnographic interviews, it argues that authenticity is not a fixed trait but a relational category shaped by institutional norms, historically informed aesthetics, embodied performance, and performers’ emotional connection to songs.

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