Navigating the change: a creative work on a novel gusle repertoire

Abstract

Centuries old gusle practice in Serbia preserved valuable sonic and cultural heritage, centred mainly on the performance of the epic poetry, but also including contemporary topics and changes to an extent. Lullabies have not been a part of the common gusle repertoire, but in this artistic research, composed and authored gusle lullabies are presented as a contribution to the building of contemporary gusle youth culture, which is in a delicate position in-between the practices of the older generations and the potential involvement of the young people on a wider basis. The idea to include the infants and to bring the soothing effects by the means of the sound of gusle is a novelty which the artistic project aspires to introduce, by re-reading the ideas of the folk heritage and exploring the borders and possibilities of the artistic freedom in that context. The supporting personal stories are given in order to contrast or supplement the usual representation of the practice of gusle playing. The gusle lullabies study offers a re-examination of dominant narratives and argues for the new possibilities in creative, educational, and research work related to this practice in Serbia, the Balkans, aspiring also to reach the audiences worldwide.