Musicologist: An International Journal of Music Studies, Special Issue on “Music and Dance in the Balkans: Intersections of Tradition, Identity, and Innovation”

Deadline for submissions: 30 April 2025

The Special Issue will be published on 30 September 2025.

The vibrant music and dance traditions of the Balkans offer a unique window into the complexities of cultural identity, social interaction, and historical transformation. From shared cultural practices to more contemporary expressions in popular and experimental genres, Balkan music and dance reveal profound insights into the intersections of ethnicity, nationhood, and global flows.
In light of the diverse and evolving nature of the music and dance landscapes of the region, we invite ethnomusicologists, ethnochoreologists, and music/dance practitioners to contribute to this special issue of the Musicologist Journal. We seek articles that explore the rich cultural, social, and political dynamics shaping music and dance traditions in the Balkans, as well as how these traditions adapt to and engage with the contemporary world.

Topics of interest for this special issue may include, but are not limited to:
1. The Role of Music and Dance in National and Regional Identity Formation
• How do music and dance serve as markers of national and ethnic identity in the Balkans?
• The relationship between folk traditions and modern nationalistic movements.
2. Transnational Influences and Cross-Cultural Interactions
• The impact of Ottoman, Byzantine, and other imperial influences on Balkan music and dance traditions.
• Music and dance as expressions of diaspora and transnational belonging in the Balkans.
3. Music and Dance in Social and Ritual Contexts
• Performative functions of music and dance in social, religious, and ritual settings (e.g., weddings, feasts, religious festivals).
• The role of music and dance in contemporary forms of protest and political expression.
4. Gender, Performance, and Representation
• How gender roles are articulated and negotiated in music and dance performance.
• Gender and sexual identities in contemporary Balkan music and dance scenes.
5. New Forms and Hybrid Practices
• Contemporary innovation in folk music and dance: fusion with electronic music, jazz, rock, and other genres.
• The emergence of new dance styles and music genres (e.g., turbo-folk, Balkan pop, Balkan hip-hop) and their sociopolitical implications.
6. Music and Dance as Heritage and Commodity
• The role of music and dance in the tourism industry and the commercialization of Balkan folk culture.
• Issues of authenticity, preservation, and the politics of cultural heritage in the Balkans.
7. Music and Dance in the Diaspora
• The evolution of Balkan music and dance in diasporic communities across Europe, North America, and beyond.
• The preservation of cultural practices and their transformation in diaspora settings.
8. Soundscapes of the Balkans
• The role of sound in the representation of Balkan space, memory, and history.
• Approaches to fieldwork and ethnographic research on the soundscapes of Balkan communities.

We are aware of the growing interest in the intersections of cultural studies and digital technologies—how Balkan traditions are being transformed or revitalized through online platforms and global media. On the other hand, we believe in the importance of the exploration of Balkan music as a tool for post-conflict reconciliation and collective memory, especially in areas affected by the Yugoslav Wars.

We welcome proposals that engage critically with the topics outlined above and contribute to ongoing conversations about music and dance traditions in the Balkans. We particularly encourage interdisciplinary approaches, combining musicology, ethnomusicology, ethnochoreology, anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, and performance studies.
We look forward to receiving your proposals for this exciting and current representation of music and dance in the Balkans.

Submission Guidelines:
• Abstracts (250-300 words) should be submitted with the article proposals with max. keywords.
• The full paper (max. 8,000 words) should follow the abstract.
• All manuscripts must be in English and adhere to the Journal Musicologist formatting guidelines (available on the journal website and the Dergipark).
• Submissions should be sent via the Dergipark system with the selection of the “Special Issue, 2025”
For further inquiries, don’t hesitate to get in touch with musicologistjournal@gmail.com and visit our Dergipark page https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/musicologist

Mehmet Öcal Özbilgin and Velika Stojkova Serafimovska
Co-Guest Editors of the Special Issue

Musicologist Team
(On behalf of)
Abdullah Akat
Editor-in-Chief