Original scientific paper
TEASING AS A SUNG SPEECH GENRE OF VLACH GYPSY COUPLES IN THE SUB-CARPATHIAN REGION
Katalin Kovalcsik
; Instutute of Musicology, MTA, Budapest, Hungary
Abstract
The article describes several aspects of a Sub-Carpathian Vlach
Gypsy teasing song genre, for the first time discussing Gypsy
groups living in this area. The speech genre of teasing in egalitarian
societies, as well as in Gypsy communities, is an important means
of exercising social control. The performers of teasing songs are
spouses or substitutes for spouses. Other members of the community
who are present accompany the singing or serve as scaffolders in the
event. The main purpose of these performances is to resolve the
couple's conflicts or to console in the case of the loss of one
partner. The main reasons for conflict in these songs is the
husband's drunkenness and the quarreling nature of the wife. The
words consist of both permanent and improvised elements which are
segmented by regulated formulas. The success of teasing, namely, to
avoid hurting one another, is ensured by a large variety of verbal and
non-verbal cues. Musically speaking, the teasing texts are sung to
typical Vlach Gypsy songs which are slow, lyrical 6-
-syllable songs with rich intertextual connections. The author
suggests that the popularity of this genre is a result of endangered
traditional family values due to the sudden prosperity experienced by
some communities as a consequence of perestroika. This genre
serves as a means to restore these values.
Keywords
teasing songs; Vlach Gypsies; Sub-Carpathian region (Ukraine)
Hrčak ID:
33475
URI
Publication date:
13.6.2000.
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