István Povedák (Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design, Budapest) and Kinga Povedak (MTA-SZTE 'Convivence' Religious Pluralism Research Group)
In Hungary today, folk religio-cultural expressions are used to promote neo-nationalistic agendas and patriotism. In this presentation, we explore the construction and promotion of folkloresque and Christian(esque) popular music in Hungary as it is used to reinforce Hungarian nationalism, with a focus on how popular singers--previously inactive in the religious field—now embrace religious themes in their repertoires. Through our case studies, we disentangle this sudden incorporation of religious and Hungarian folk cultural elements into popular musical repertoires and analyze the “everyday nationalism” and vernacular populism as expressed through these artistic cultural forms.
Part of 06-13 Adversity, Advocacy, and the Politics of Vernacular Artistic Expression, Friday, November 03, 2:30 pm–4:30 pm