探花直播

A lecturer from 探花直播鈥檚聽Centre for Media and Cultural Research (BCMCR) has released her debut book, a thorough and captivating examination of popular music in Bulgaria and its links to social, political and cultural contexts.

Personal and cultural perspective 聽聽聽 聽 聽 聽 聽

Asya Draganova, Lecturer of Media and Communication, has penned , which stems from Asya鈥檚 PhD project, which was completed in 2016. 鈥淚t鈥檚 something which is dictated from both my scholarly interests and my own history as a Bulgarian growing up in a post-communist era,鈥� she says. 鈥淏eing very engaged with music, as both a musician and a fan, my motivation and insight into this came from a personal and cultural perspective.鈥�

Contemporary research

While Bulgarian music has been researched in a traditional context, little work has been done on the contemporary side of things. 鈥淭he focus has previously been on things that have given us international recognition, linked more to music folklore,鈥� Asya explains. 鈥淚n terms of ethnography, it has been similar 鈥� researchers have focused on musicians who link to the notion of locality and authenticity, while popular music hasn鈥檛 been as central. I have tried to create a more general portrait.鈥�

Asya says there have been a number of surprises along the way. 鈥淥ne of the most prominent themes that emerged was that of post-communism,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 anticipate how influential it was and how both the cultural production in general and popular music sectors had been framed by this kind of transition. Many of my research participants 鈥� who comprised of music artists, business figures, cultural intermediaries and young audiences - had experienced this in both a professional and personal context, so that significance was something I didn鈥檛 expect.鈥�

Brexit, music and more

To celebrate the book鈥檚 release, Asya and BCMCR are hosting an聽 as part of the Popular Music research cluster. 鈥淚 have turned it into a thematic event concerning borders and hinterlands,鈥� Asya explains. 鈥淭here will be a number of external guests attending, offering views on Brexit and music, alternativity, how ethnographies can be used to study music and more.鈥�

Asya believes the book is evidence of a number of things BCMCR thrive in. 鈥淭here鈥檚 the popular music research aspect, but there鈥檚 also those links to heritage and history,鈥� she explains. 鈥淚n BCMCR, there鈥檚 an interest in studying social engagement and change, and the book certainly links to that on the basis of exploring how popular music culture creates rituals of resistance.鈥�