Study in Lund: Q2 Swedish folk music today in society and contemporary popular music. // LUND UNIVERSITY - Swedish Society and Everyday Life 2016

In the world, Sweden is known as one of the most innovative countries, therefore, ever-changing nations nature to “give a new life and energy to something” could be Swedish music’s success also. Revitalization has been observed as a retrospective process, focused on solely towards an undefined past, it has been defined as reviving or keeping abandoned cultural elements with a new function, it is tightly associated with “folklorism” which used to reinforce regional or national identity, etc. (Åkesson 2006:5). The concepts are not supposed to be seen as isolated categories, as these concepts are very broad and inclusive. Therefore each concept overlaps and combines which Åkesson claims that it might be because of unconscious forgetfulness, which results in each concept shaping (Åkesson 2006:8).

According to Åkesson’s article, it explains the contemporary Swedish folk music’s development using three concepts: recreation, reshaping and renewal, to make things more difficult, between each concept includes combination and overlap. In this paper, I describe how Åkesson has defined each concept of still living traditions in popular music now.

Recreation as the “source” as the traditional is the base of Swedish music revitalization process as this music is the first recorded and can be found in archives. Yet, no one knows how “Old” is this “source” music or how actually close to the source? In hypothesis, maybe when the first records of “recreation” were made, this our “the source” to that time people meant our current time music which is concept “renewal”? As we lack a lot of knowledge of how singers of the past thought about their singing (Åkesson 2006:11). This is only my personal question, which is not argued in Åkesson’s paper, as it states that “tradition has always been exposed to change and variation” (Åkesson, 2006:4), therefore, that tradition must change to remain (Hagström, 2016). In general, today recreation as a concept is the “source” the traditional music with folk costumes and old instruments, and often both other concepts include elements from recreation concept.

Between changes to the second revitalization from recreation to reshape overlaps with adding to traditional music more foreign folk music instruments, but keeping the “source” folk costumes. Reshape means consciously changing traditional music and its form, and it influences from foreign country genres of music. this concept is in between as “the new and traditional styles exist simultaneously” (Åkesson 2006:8). Åkesson claims that it is rather easy to hear reshaping, yet it occurs in many forms. She uses for example of reshaping a herding call transformed into a contemporary aesthetic phenomenon (Åkesson 2006:9). I think this is an interesting concept which might be wildly liked in the world, as it includes the elements of the “source” mixing with the new instruments, new melodies, influences from other cultures, yet keeping “traditional”. This concept “modern” as it creates the balance between “old and new”, and in recent years this type of performance has been observed.

The most complex concept is the renewal. To clearly hear the traces from recreation, one must have a good musical hearing and knowledge. Highlighting the concept the renewal, Sandgren explained that the renewal music doesn’t have to be a traditional song, but that it uses some parts and traces from “the source”, but it is entirely modern (Sandberg 2016). Also, Åkesson states that the renewal is based on and uses some elements of traditional, the recreation leaves traces, but this concept is reshaped in a very modern way with new melodies and cross-genre mixing, which is also the process of mediazation. Renewal is the modern popular music, which in some contexts become a commodity (Åkesson 2006:11). As discussed before that tradition must change to stay, currently, modern musicians “study” the “source” music to understand it and create something new from old, the pre-knowledge of the roots shapes more genres and styles, therefore there are overlapping between concepts of reshape and renewal.

To clarify the role of Swedish folk music today in society and contemporary popular music, I personally find it difficult as I am not exactly a person who knows which is which Swedish world known artist currently, or not that I listen to music much. But from my personal experience travelling around Sweden, I get to know some musicians who might be representing the reshape concept. I notice that in mainstream media the traditional folk musicians are not represented that much as the mass popular music artists. In Sweden, the folk music is still alive, and played not only on special occasions as in lecture we learnt, but there are still Swedish artists who represent revitalization process and across the country the folk music festivals are still appreciated and wildly attended, such as, Urkult and some smaller freestanding festivals with folk music and traditional music motives. As there is still interest in “the source” and “the roots”, meanwhile the “traditional” music will maintain. As I view the 20^th century being a time where it was trendy to switch from one to another musical taste, then currently contemporary society chooses what music they like and I have observed that it is still likely that each musical taste creates small communities around the “music-genre”. As Åkesson claims that folk music traditions are viewed more as style and musical language and is accessible to anyone to learn that it represents cultural roots and personal affections of the musicians of older times (Åkesson 2006:12). Which I would claim it is a matter of individuals view of life, that Swedish people I know who tends to more play and listen “reshape” folk music, collectively lives also a lot more “pre-modern” lifestyle. It is my personal observation.

In conclusion with Åkesson words about the role on Swedish folk music today, she states that “Swedish folk music milieus or arenas is that now, in the beginning of the twenty-first century, layers or revitalization co-exist with layers of established microculture, and with layers of living tradition. A period cannot be defined in only one way (Åkesson 2006:7).

Literature.

Enevold, Jessica (2016) Gender equality and play 1&2 [Lecture to SASH60], Lund University. 21^st and 28th November.

Hagström, Charlotte (2016) Folklore and traditions [Lecture to SASH60], Lund University. 9^th December.

Sandberg, Patrik (2016) Swedish music [Lecture to SASH60], Lund University. 2^nd December

Åkesson, Ingrid (2006): “Re-creation, Re-shape, and Renewal among Contemporary Swedish Folk Singers. Attitudes toward Tradition in Vocal Folk Music Revitalization” In STM Online. Vol. 9. ISSN: 1403-5715.