Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.15176/vol57no205
“If not Us, then Who?”: The Applicability of DIY Concepts on the Singer-Songwriter Scene in Zagreb
Tanja Halužan
orcid.org/0000-0001-8130-9568
; Institut za etnologiju i folkloristiku, Zagreb
Abstract
This article explores independent music practices in the context of communities as observed through the theoretical-interpretive framework of ‘The scene (Straw 1991)’. With a focus on local interpretations of creating, performing, and consuming singer-songwriter music, the article discusses key features of the contemporary singer-songwriter scene in Zagreb: the musicians’ versatility and their application of do-it-yourself (DIY) principles, poetics and aesthetics. In addition to their importance in the creation and performing processes, these two ideas can also be detected in the areas of promotion and publishing. Observing how they are applied makes it possible to trace the development of the contemporary singer-songwriter scene in Zagreb. By presenting some of the formative DIY programs and projects that have served as a platform for promoting and connecting musicians, this article provides examples of the applicability of DIY concepts, but also questions the reasons for singer-songwriters’ resistance to the established forms of popular music production and consumption, as well as to some common social and economic conventions.
Keywords
Zagreb, independent music practices, singer-songwriter scene, DIY, music industry
Hrčak ID:
248314
URI
Publication date:
21.12.2020.
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