Today’s image of the epic culture along with the gusle, is still very much focused towards a male dominance. As a consequence, appearance of young women, especially the ones who do not fit the image due to their age and their gender, hails as something interesting but also somewhat threatening. To that note, the mechanisms of non-inclusiveness, traditional selectiveness, and setting someone in position of uniqueness and representing an ideal type are still very much at play (Nenić, Radio Televizija Srbije, 2017, 17:45).
Dominant male perspective on musical practices in Serbia is not only related to the gusle but is part of the representational discourses related to a larger, patriarchal model of many instrumental traditions in Serbia such as aerophone frula (Nenić, 2019). In the first extensive research on the topic of female gusle players, approached from the ethnomusicological and feminist perspective, Iva Nenić (2019) further explains how the female gusle history has been left in shadows and put on a borderline of the official historical narratives through various forms of implicit ‘rules’. Entering the culture of public gusle playing was easier if hiding femininity (or claiming a non-typical femininity), as it was the case of blind women, the women with more masculine trats as well as those who played the gusle bypassing the midlife. Yet, blind female gusle players being present in continuation at least over 300 years (Nenić, 2019, p. 64) were a part of the public sphere, and after the 19th century, forgotten as their image didn’t fit newly forged narratives of nation building (Nenić, 2019, p.70). Additionally, negative undertone to femininity of the blind women gusle players came with the Western European culture arrival in the 19th century, where the higher classes wanted to distance themselves from what was perceived as the low-class remnant from the past, and instead forge a modern Serbian identity, closer to the bourgeois culture of Europe (Nenić, 2019, p.71). Acknowledgement and acceptance by the dominant culture is mostly seen if through the perspective of a woman becoming the symbol of the national identity (Nenić, 2019, p.193), demonstrating strong identification with the epic cycle, and the homeland, further connected with ethnoreligious apparatuses (Nenić, 2019, p.200). In addition to Nenić’s research, biographies and information on 71 female gusle players throughout the history, mentioned in the book by music pedagogue and publicist Dejan Tomić Apotheosis to Serbian gusle (2021) show that female gusle players participated in great number of local, regional, national occasions, many forms of gatherings, and that their presence was followed by remarkable impressions such as was the case with Olga Kovačević at her performance in Novi Sad (Serbia) in 1886.
…And then she quickly bowed and went aside but others went with: Again, Again!... The excitement was so strong that it was impossible to move on. The old people were whispering, and the young ones were squeezing their right hands, all were breathing simultaneously in coexistence of impressions. Democracy of Serbian gusle shine upon us, glory to her!(Kosovac as cited in Tomić, 2021, p.265).
According to the literature, a common thread for all female gusle players is for each to be perceived as the first and the only one (Nenić, 2019, p.203), as i.e., in the case of young Olga Kovačević from the 19th century, Dragica Radović as the first woman guslar with a cassette recorded for Croatian Yugoton in the late 20th century, and myself in the 21st century. Being cherished as a first and only one is a discursive gesture that divides and isolates a female player from embodying female lineage of the practice and holding her agency (Nenić, 2019, p.80). The 20th and 21st century have been marked by media curiosity, as well as the novel folk and world music approaches to the practice, offering more freedom for the personal, and artistic expression of women instrumentalists, and to gusle female players as well.
Although the gusle is considered the national instrument of Serbia and the region, its influence can also be seen worldwide beyond geopolitical boundaries. Notable thinkers and researchers of the 19th and 20th century devoted much attention to the legacy of Serbian gusle poets and poetry. Jackob Grim who describes Serbian poetry as surpassing everything known to its kind in its scope and moderation (Čurović 2014, p.114) or Goethe who had learned Serbian in order to feel the poetry in a more profound and natural way, are among these. Additionally, scholars such as Milman Parry from Harvard and his college Albert Lord who travelled to the Balkans in order to research aural tradition of singing with gusle in order to comparatively use the insights for the understanding of the Homeric epics, also left valuable data on the gusle culture. Many epic songs sung with the gusle have a universal character and topics that transcend the local cultural milieu, although the local values and memories are deeply engraved in them. Such is the song Jetrvica Adamsko koleno [Sister-in-law, Adam’s bloodline] where a woman named Koviljka embraces and adopts a child of her relative Vinka upon Vinka’s death, and even treats her child more carefully than her own. Following singing to the accompaniment of the gusle enrolment to UNESCO’s intangible heritage list of the world in 2018, Laić (2018) has also pointed out to contemporary potentials of gusle culture transcending national and regional boundaries: The archetypal humanistic values that gusle refer to are the basis for cultural diplomacy; the comparably large number of examples of the epic heritage of mankind presented in UNESCO’s ICH list indicates the potential for comparatively established representations of this kind of heritage at international concerts and festivals. (Laić, 2018 p. 97). Collaboration between a well-known and respected gusle player Boško Vujačić and notable operatic singer Jadranka Jovanović in the aria Andjelija from the opera Knez od Zete [Prince of Zeta] by Petar Konjović (Belgrade, Sava Centre Hall, 2006) can suggest one of the first intercultural placements related to the gusle. Works introducing gusle to cultural settings outside the Balkans, thus outside the more common cultural frames can be observed in the works of two Serbian composers living in The States. First work is Morgan's song by Milica Paranosić, composed as a part of the musical Goddess Chronicles in 2011, while the other composition including gusle is titled …hold me, neighbour, in this storm by Aleksandra Vrebalov,written in 2008 for the Kronos quartet (Nenić, 2011). Additionally, there are works for the gusle and orchestra, Symphony1804 by Ivan Jevtić (Serbia 2005), and Sacrificum (Germany, 2023) by Hristina Šušak. One can find a similar tendency in the work of actress and director Ivana Žigon, who conducted a theatrical production Njegoš Nebom osijan [Njegoš shine upon the sky] in 2013, and Stojte galije carske [Hold your ground imperial galleys] in 2015, combining gusle with ballet, hip hop, other genres of music and artistic expressions. Žigon’s events proved to be of a high interest for the large numbers of contemporary audiences and were perceived as a positive re-evaluation of the practice (Peković, 2020).
To conclude from a more global and comparative point of view, in relation to the gusle not only being significant to Serbia and the Balkans, the gusle is part of one string family instruments, as narration of stories with instrumental accompaniment of the one string exists in other cultures and parts of the world. One of the most similar instruments can be Ethiopian masenqo or Arabic rababa, both supporting archaic music expressions and having similar ergonomical features to gusle – e.g., the very body is made of wood, skin and horsehair, with predominantly one playing position. Furthermore, both traditions are commonly seen as male-oriented and solo-dominated musical cultures where ways of performing suggest codes of interaction between audiences and the players structurally similar to the gusle. Although differences can be seen, such as more rhythmical melodies or repertoire, musicians who play masengo or rababa are part of contemporary global music scene, in which gusle also started to take part in.
Nowadays, gusle repertoire is still tied to decasyllabic epic poetry, in its earliest outreach depicting the so called non-historic epic poetry cycle. A special group of songs consists of medieval heroic songs, and songs depicting Serbian nobility such as the songs about Saint Sava, known also as Enlightener, a member of the Serbian Nemanjić ruling dynasty born in the 12th century. Serbian prince, and later an Archbishop, Saint Sava is considered the patron of Serbian people and education, as he was the founder of the Serbian Orthodox church, as well as the founder of Serbian medieval literature. In addition to this, the largest part of the gusle repertoire is related to cycles of songs depicting events before, during and after the battle of Kosovo. Kosovo and Metohija is the place where the historic Kosovo battle occurred in 1389. year, which is the core event in this cycle, as the battle marks the beginning of Ottoman invasion and, later, conquering of Serbian medieval kingdom and lands, with a great impact on its culture, sacred places, and governance. In addition to Kosovo cycle, cycle of liberation of Serbia and Montenegro from the Ottoman empire after five hundred years, is also quite extensive. On the other hand, equally significant can be Marko Kraljević cycle. Marko Kraljević is remembered and depicted as the Serbian prince who mocked and fought the Ottoman Turks, although historically he was both a Serbian lord and a Turkish vassal. He is an exemplary historical figure who was through the centuries turned into a strong mythical and heroic character who in the songs often saved the common people and the people in need, fought and brawled, and in general portrayed faith towards goodness and greatness. To illustrate this, the cycle about Marko Kraljević includes songs where he fights against any form of injustice in favour of those oppressed, poor or in danger. Moreover, Marko Kraljević is depicted as a courageous, agile, strong, fearless, and intelligent, as in the epic poetry song Uroš and Mrnjavčevići and the line, as Marko is not afraid of anyone except the one true God. Some other gusle songs are about everyday life, faith, local and historical figures, national heroes during the first and the second Serbian uprising, World Wars, Yugoslav nation, and recent wars that marked the fall of socialist Yugoslavia.
All the segments of repertoire mentioned in the previous paragraph reflect on the most dominant representation of the practice still evident today. However, other forms such as lyrical and personal songs are also present along with those of the comic content. Additionally, there is reciting of epic poetry without the gusle or the songs that are played collectively, in which one gusle player leads with the gusle and the voice while other gusle players sing repeated lines, but the latter is a more recent phenomenon. Moreover, there are songs connected to other ethnicities and their poetic characters and inspirations. In terms of the structure of the verse, the songs might also be of eight but twelve, fifteen or mixed syllables, nevertheless, in a rhymed style, which is again found to a smaller extent in the contemporary practice. Aside of epic poetry from the past, today a common approach is also that the individuals order a song from contemporary epic poetry writers, later asking known gusle players to sing along with the gusle. Example of one such song, with a great number of copies sold is Smrt Branke Đukić [The death of Branka Đukić], in this case both written and sung by Božidar Đuranović. To summarize, the songs are receiving their meaning in relation to an actual historic context and ongoing social processes, and are fundamental to the communicational function of the practice, which according to Laić (2014) is its most dominant aspect.
Singing to the accompaniment of the gusle is centuries long musical practice rooted in the Balkan region (Golemović, 2008) dominantly carried by Serbs as a part of a long-standing tradition (Laić, 2014), but also including other Balkan people such as Montenegrins, Bosnians, Croatians, and Albanians (UNESCO, 2018). Fundamental expression consists of singing of epic poetry along with the one stringed, bowed, non-tempered instrument – the gusle. This largely aural practice is considered as a poetic and musical improvisation within traditional framework (Laić, 2014) that relies on musical and poetic formulae and codes of creation / crafting the lyrics and tunes, where storytelling is of a greatest importance (Golemović, 2008). The practice of singing to the accompaniment of the gusle had a significant role in everyday life (Šire, 1964), and throughout the yearly and life events and festivities such as births, weddings, religious celebrations, including also all sorts of cultural, and social gatherings. The standard gusle repertoire is based on a decasyllabic epic poetry that, among other topics, includes themes related to historical and local figures and events, everyday relationships, chivalry, strength, and dignity, as well as stories based or inspired by real or mythical origin. The practice draws from the patriarchal ethos and lifestyle, with gusle players serving the role of intergenerational mediators and keepers of the collective memory (Laić, 2018). Carriers of this musical tradition were predominantly men, and this instrument was played by the members of Serbian dynasties, people from middle class, as well as by those on sociocultural margins such as blind gusle players, although it is today predominantly related to village and city musical scenes and hence tied to different social and economic classes. The gusle practice helped preserve the memory of the Serbian medieval kingdom and its culture, articulate folk wisdom commonly connected to religious motifs, but also to reflected and praised the resistance to the Ottoman rule that lasted almost five hundred years in Serbia, starting from 1459, the year of the fall of the city of Smederevo, to the Serbian uprisings and winning of freedom in the 19th century, while the process lasted in some other areas of the Balkans until 1912.
In the context of the awakening of national identity and a desire to preserve the language and folklore, the important collections of epic songs were created in the 19th century by Vuk Stefanović Karadžić, a great reformer of Serbian language and grammar. He had collected epic poetry from the gusle players and other informants across Serbia, Montenegro as well as Bosnia and Herzegovina (Karadžić, 1985), writing down also other folk forms and genres. Due to the published collections of folk songs, the 19th century also saw the change of epic poetry transmission mode, from aurality towards learning through books, that as a consequence made gusle players less of creators of their own poetry, but interpreters of already existing songs (Laić, 2018). Today, Karadžić’s collection of epic songs is one of the most representative repertoires of the gusle players (Laić, 2014), and the epic poetry is part of the study of literature program in primary and high schools in Serbia. By the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, after the liberation from the Ottoman empire, a rebirth of national identity was in a process, followed by the formation of a new country, The Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Yugoslav King Aleksandar I Karađorđević was himself a president of the gusle jury in the fourth gusle competition in 1931. year, held in the capital city, Belgrade, which showed the importance of the evolving gusle practice in a new political and ideological context. The beginning of 20th century was also marked by the arrival of a new recording technology and ways of transferring the practice through the first gramophone records by notable gusle players such as Vladimir Zimonjić, Petar Perunović Perun, Jevrem Ušćumlić, and Ilija Vuković (Laić & Đorđević, 2016, p.206). Media had brought tradition on the place of being exemplified and reshaped as influencing changes such as the length of the poetry, exclusion of nonverbal communication, placement of this practice in urban areas and professionalization of the practice (Laić & Đorđević, 2016, p.222).
Simplicity as a part of the aesthetics greatly shapes musical elements of the gusle genre. According to Becking and Wünsch, most common range of songs is the interval of a diminished fourth such as c1+, d1, es1-, e-, f1 (Becking and Wünsch as cited in Laić, p. 266) predominantly performed in unison with the voice (Golemović, 2008). Aside of one playing position, common practice has been also singing the whole step below the open string, which makes the overall ambitus of a fifth. There is no use of scores or notes to this practice aside of ethnomusicological transcription done for the research purposes. According to Laić (2014), the traditional epic poetry structure consists of an instrumental portion being played before the singing enters, vocal-instrumental part in which small instrumental transitions take place in-between each verse of the song, and instrumental short ending. Musical dynamics is usually executed in a small range, the rhythm and tempo are not steady, while the ornaments are rich and determined by the individual technique (Laić, 2014).
Nowadays, gusle players are mostly self-organized in small non-profit gusle associations mostly based on ethnicity (Laić,2018). Gusle Union for Serbs gather over seventy gusle associations in Serbia, Montenegro and Republic of Srpska, all having the same statute and propositions. Gusle events and competitions are the most significant events in the Gusle Union calendar. Seminars, informal meetings, and other activities related to the gusle, such as publishing of The gusle magazine are also frequent. Yet, informal gusle schools, that many gusle associations have, are valuable for the keeping of tradition to another generation, as in all three mentioned countries there are just two public music institutions where gusle can be learned formally: one in the Serbian capital city of Belgrade, and the other in Kraljevo, a city in south central Serbia. The method of transmission in both, according to Laić (2012) is similar with the folk pedagogy where gusle players learn one from another through observing, listening, imitating, and playing on a daily basis (Laić, 2012). Both programs belonging to Stevan Mokranjac music school being introduced in the former case in mid 90s of the 20thcenturies, and in the latter in 2004. year. The program lasts four years either on the primary or the high school level, and it is highly dependent on the individual knowledge and skills of the teacher, as curriculum is still under development. Facing formal, pedagogical, and educational obstacles such as absence of educational gusle books, audio or video tutorials, official web channels or even YouTube or other platforms related on how to learn this musical practice and discern its history, is a relevant topic for the further change and improvement of it (Peković, 2021). Additionally, in terms of music theory, students attending only Western music theory and ear training, which to a great degree differs from non-Western local musical language in which gusle is rooted (Laić, 2012). Institutional support and cultural planning of preserving and promoting the culture calls for more actions (Laić 2014. p. 109). Pointed to the challenges of being a female, a child gusle player, and the one who pushes tradition’s boundaries, in my bachelor thesis (Peković, 2021) I argued for bringing a dynamic approach back, and stressed the urgency of re-examining and developing new artistic and pedagogical approaches to the gusle practice to create a platform for a greater creativity and inclusiveness (Peković, 2021).
Jela Kosorić (Јела Косорић), Stanija Bazovina (Станија Базовина), Marica Milić Ćetković (Марица Милић Ћетковић), Mara Ćeklić (Мара Ћеклић), Sofija Janković (Софија Јанковић), Ljubica Ardalić (Љубица Ардалић), Cvijeta Šuta-Bojović (Цвијета Шута-Бојовић), Krstinja Vujadina Ćetković (Крстиња Вујадина Ћетковић), Stoja Puletić (Стоја Пулетић), Milosava Popović (Милосава Поповић), Jela Bukvić (Јела Буквић), Kate Murat Paulinko (Кејт Мурат-Паулинко), Đula Đurković (Ђула Ђурковић), Milosava Popadić Pavićević (Милосава Попадић Павићевић), Stoja Džaković (Стоја Џаковић), Gospava (Moračka) Tomović (Госпава (Морачка) Томовић), Jagoda Lačković (Јагода Лачковић), Ikonija Ćetković (Иконија Ћетковић), Miluša Kosovac (Милуша Косовац), Ilinka Rakočević (Илинка Ракочевић), Ljubica Čakarević (Љубица Чакаревић), Milosava Dragojević (Милосава Драгојевић), Milosava Arsenijević (Милосава Арсенијевић), Ruža Kostić (Ружа Костић), Milosava Perunović (Милосава Перуновић), Stoja Marković (Стоја Марковић), Miluša Mileva Lopušina (Милуша Милева Лопушина), Živana Bučalina (Живана Бучалина), Anđa Božović (Анђа Божовић), Velika Ćuković (Велика Ћуковић), Gvozdenija Dukljanin (Гвозденија Дукљанин), Anđa Danilović (Анђа Даниловић), Ruža Gardašević (Ружа Гардашевић), Jovanka S. Šiljak (Јованка С. Шиљак), Vukosava Čubrović (Вукосава Чубровић), Hristina-Kića Knežević (Христина-Кића Кнежевић), Branka Mijuškovć (Бранка Мијушковић), Natalija-Maja Jovanović (Наталија-Маја Јовановић), Dobrinka Ristić (Добринка Ристић), Jovanka Đorovć (Јованка Ђоровић), Marija Ćulibrk (Марија Ћулибрк), Gorda Jovanović (Горда Јовановић), Dragica Drašković (Драгица Драшковић), Kata Odskolić (Ката Одсколић), Miluša Jovanović (Милуша Јовановић), Novka Milana Đukić (Новка Милана Ђукић), Darinka Radunović (Даринка Радуновић), Kata Milivojević Ajdučica (Ката Миливојевић Ајдучица), Darinka Dobrosavljević (Даринка Добросављевић), Atia Musakadić (Атија Мусакадић), Velika Rizinovinć (Велика Ризиновић), Leposava Zarić (Лепосава Зарић), Milena Lena Živadinović (Милена Лена Живадиновић), Stevanija Dragaš (Стеванија Драгаш), Marjana Maslovarić (Марјана Масловарић), Olga Kovačević (Олга Ковачевић), Jelisaveta Marković - slepa Іeca (Јелисавета Марковић - слепа Јеца), Slepa Živana (Слепа Живана), Slepa Stepanija (Слепа Степанија), Slepa iz Grgurevca (Слепа из Гргуревца), Matija Slipica (Матија Слипица), Stanislavka Cvetković (Станиславка Цветковић), Seva Tošić (Сева Тошић), Jorda Petković (Јорда Петковић), Tala Milka Stefanović (Тала Милка Стефановић), Rada žena Mikailova (Рада жена Микаилова), Đeva Jovanović (Ђева Јовановић), Jaglika Muškobanja (Јаглика Мушкобања), Rajka Josipović (Рајка Јосиповић), Tijana Škrnić (Тијана Шкрнић), Vidosava Vasić (Видосава Васић), , baba Juca (баба Јуца), Rajna Zareva (Рајна Зарева), slepica Ružica(слепица Ружица), slepica iz Jarka (слепица из Јарка), slepa Pava (слепа Пава), slepa Jela iz Vrdnika (слепа Јела из Врдника), Ruža Jolić (Ружа Јолић), Ruža Baćak (Ружа Баћак), Bojana Skočajіć (Бојана Скочајић), Gvozdenija Dubljanin (Гвозденија Дубљанин), Milenija Dužanić (Миленија Дужанић), Milica Bubnjević (Милица Бубњевић), baba Sovija (баба Совија), Dara Marinković (Дара Маринковић), Dragica Radović (Драгица Радовић), M.K, (М.К.) Jelena Joković (Јелена Јоковић), S.Ž (С.Ж), Mila Mijailović (Мила Мијаиловић), Kosana Marić (Косана Марић), Višnja Stašević (Вишња Сташевић), Jelena Živković (Јелена Живковић), Ljubica Cvjetković (Љубица Цвјетковић), Ivana Đorđev (Ивана Ђорђев), Bojana Peković (Бојана Пековић), Jelena Miljanić (Јелена Миљанић), Violeta Krajišnik (Виолета Крајишник), Марија Петрићевић (Marija Petrićević)…
What defines my artistry?
To me, an artist is: transmitter of being human, seeker of identity, sharpener of inner and outer worlds, a shelter for the truth, a texture of frequencies, the reflection of a captured present, future (Peković, diary, 4.10.2020, 2.4.2023, and 19.8.2023).
Diary, 13.4.2023.
What do I strive for, what do I love:
• Simplicity but also the integrity of nature
• Security, inner peace, beauty of expression
• Love and connection
What components I see as important for my artistry:
• Approach (to the practice, myself, people)
• Intuition, inspiration
• Knowledge
• Style
• Action
• Communication
My expression often goes further from a present gusle cultural and performative framework, ranging from my sound being based within the tradition, inspired from it, or perhaps, not much connected to the dominant gusle practice but rather a third liminal space arising from transcultural dialogues (Thomson, 2021, p.33). I find the tensions between archaic and contemporary aspect of music making as a source of inspiration. One such example is my master concert The raw impulse (9.10.2023) during which I combined the gusle with the electronics made by Timo Kaukolampi, a Helsinki-based experimental music artist and self-taught composer, producer, and meta-band leader. I see a dynamic approach to the gusle practice as fundamental to continuation, keeping the beat with who I am, and with the time I live in. I admire the stage, costume, the very process of creating a performative moment in which I express my own language both solo, with my group Art Family, other artists, or different projects such as theatres, orchestras, music festivals. I look upon people being in similar yet different musical backgrounds worldwide. One notable collaboration was with João Luís, a percussionist from Portugal, with whom I made a duo dedicated to exploring the dialogues between the gusle and percussions. I also collaborated with Adriano Adewale, a Brazilian percussionist with whom I explored the synergy of one-string Afro-Brazilian instrument berimbau with the one string gusle at his doctoral concert Hidden sounds (Helsinki, Music House in Helsinki, 6.6.2022). Yet, I often revisit the world of the epic poetry, as being the base of my extended paths, where I like to present something familiar in a new way, being close to the concept of defamiliarization known in theory of literature, as an important artistic device. One such project was Ep o Kosovu [Epic about Kosovo], my solo gusle CD published in 2022. by the Serbian national record publishing house and label PGP-RTS. In the epic song Smrt majke Jugovića [The death of Jugović’s mother] with my playing at 6:05-6:22min (Spotify) I anticipate an upcoming whine of a horse, representing sorrow of the horse returning home without his owner, a Serbian knight whose mother is waiting for his return from the battlefield in vain. This sound is not particular for the traditional expression, yet it seems close and relatable. Additionally, I found it interesting working on [new] models and pedagogy of transferring the gusle practice to children, youth, and senior citizens, of Serbian, but also international background. My pedagogy endeavours were applied in twenty-seven gusle workshops held in Germany, Finland, United States and Canada from September 2022 to November 2023, under the mentorship of a Finnish composer and music educator Soili Perkiö.
Desirable representation on femininity in the gusle practice today
Oh, poor him, perhaps he does not have a son, so his daughter has to sing, concluded a woman while watching me perform with my father, from the audience not knowing that my mother was sitting right next to her (The gusle evening event, Kraljevo, Serbia, December 15th, 2007).
According to my experiences, the expectation from gusle players on the engagement of female guslars is still observed through the patriarchal worldview. According to this, femininity should be harmless, sweet, joyful, fragile, strong, pure but wise, modest but unwavering in preserving the self through the identity of the collective in a deep historical-national context. Furthermore, femininity should be associated with protecting and nurturing traits but also women should be knowledgeable, patient, sonically and verbally skilful, yet not playful to the great extent, and orientated towards history and lore perceived as belonging to the male domain. The representation of femininity in the public sphere of performance of traditional music must be very content, almost perfect in order to be acknowledged, and positioned with respect in the practice, which is not always the necessity for male gusle players. The depiction of female characters in the Serbian epic poetry, on the other hand, puts them in the role of wise mothers, loyal sisters and beautiful young wives and lovers, but there are also women who challenge that narrative. Contemporary media shows great curiosity in representing female gusle players, especially differing to the conventional expectations. A growing part of the audience is showing a support for the woman establishing her interpretation and performance on gusle. Unlike at home, where her presence might be looked at from the expectations of being loyal to the codes of traditional femininity and not necessarily reflecting the complex nature of her individual identity, situating the performance abroad offers a different perspective. Yet, the codes of transmitting the message especially tied with lyrics, might be totally different in the settings outside Serbia. Lastly, in navigating what is meant to be a desirable representation, the greatest support is coming mostly from a place of female artist’s own vision, care, and artistic choices.
As there is no higher education for the gusle instrument in Serbia, and my attempt to study at the ethnomusicological department of the faculty of music in Belgrade resulted in a challenging time for navigating my artistry, I found the Global Music department at Sibelius Academy as a strong educational framework for my artistic needs and aspirations. Though experiencing, for the first time, usage of my instrument in music institution courses, such as classes of global orchestra, transcultural ensembles, music pedagogy, rhythms of the world, Arabic ensemble, instrument building, film composition, electroacoustics, management courses, and others, I was able to tap into progressive understanding of capabilities of my instrument, and ways I can maximize the expressiveness and the social relevance of my music. Being surrounded by a wide range of artists instilled in me a better understanding of the complexity of world cultures and artistic communities. Furthermore, finding myself in a different social, cultural, and political context from home has given me a valuable period of exploring new dimensions of my identity and artistic and personal agency. Having that setting, I was able to detect my own processes of conscious decision-making much faster and understand certain dynamics more clearly. Moreover, being a woman with an “ethnic instrument” in that environment is seen as not uncommon or necessarily tied with the expectation of traditional aesthetics of playing that I often face at home. More informal and balanced student-professor level provided a relatable environment for artistic exploration and growth. Global Music department and life in Finland led me to fundamental in-depth work on myself and endowed me with the strength for reaching out to an international context along with preserving my gusle audience, collaborations and acknowledgement of the gusle players.
What I bring with me prior to entering the Sibelius Academy in 2018:
• A spark, curiosity and hope to continue my music path,
• My strong sides, creativity, experience on and off the stage within the gusle practice,
• Great people’s network,
• Basic English skills,
• Bojana who is also vulnerable.
After graduating at Sibelius Academy in 2023 I have:
• Better artistic, pedagogical, social, and performative experiences,
• Greater knowledge on the gusle history, female gusle history, the gusle in contemporary terms, other cultures,
• Desire for constant learning and improvement,
• Ease in seeing my visions and listening to the world,
• A larger network of people, and experience of living abroad,
• Desire to influence gusle carriers, the way I wished I was,
• Enjoying both local and the global,
• More stable well-being,
• Embracing my vulnerable sides,
• Bojana who loves cultures and loves what she did not previously consider.
Unlike some other music traditions of the world that have raised the popularity of traditional expression and sometime promoted it to the field of the mainstream culture, such as griots and djembe players in West Africa, the contemporary gusle playing does not belong to the mainstream culture in Serbia. The practice is not particularly tied to modern multimedia, nor does it take part in multicultural collaborations often, although some changes in these directions can be observed in the last 15 years. People see the gusle practice as an important aspect of Serbian cultural heritage, and one of the fundamental “sonic cards” of their ancestral identity. On the other hand, there is still a large audience attracted to this music in Serbia today. The audience occupies the social spaces ranging from local scenes to the most prestigious cultural hall in the capital city of Belgrade, Kolarac, where the gusle events are visited in great numbers. There can also be observed an interest in portraying the gusle through the dynamic approach or outside the conventional framework. An example of such an approach happened in 2012, when a competition I have got talent, a nationally streamed show in Serbia, included my brother Nikola and myself winning the competition. Our participation and winning the show was followed by public re-examining of the perception of the gusle, including its expressional range, gender dynamics and audience outreach.
Carriers of the gusle practice, the gusle players, are the most important actors in passing this form of expression, covering music, language, poetry, as well as drama, theatre, and journalism. As gusle players in Serbia can take part in thirty-six non-profit organizations, their work is seen through various forms of officially organized community events across the country. Most of the contemporary gusle players admire epic poetry, the canonical form of singing along with the gusle. However, there are some aspects which require strategic thinking and further changes such as the establishment of official joint spaces or representative buildings, the issues of youth and female inclusivity, budget management, connecting to various ethnic gusle associations in the Balkans, and a better collaboration with other institutions and media.
Given my twenty-one years of experience, it seems that the friction between the rapid and constant changes connected to values, ideologies, technology, and geopolitical positioning, in comparison to centuries’ old storytelling culture, makes both the carriers of the tradition, and a new audience hesitant or confused. Regarding the latter, I see young people as a key factor in portraying their views and serving a role as cultural and intergenerational mediators. In Serbia, currently, there is a need to highlight and support the informal gusle teachings by the non-profit gusle associations, and to put forth more effort in the urgent support in establishing methodology of existing public gusle programs. As far as the latter, a further question can be, why do children in Serbia have the right to find piano and saxophone, Mozart and Bartók, in all music schools, but not the gusle? And where would they find the gusle if not in Serbia to begin with? There are countries offering excellent examples of preservation, promotional and educational actions in regard to traditional music. In Finland, much work has been done with jouhikko and kantale, as those instruments have been introduced in a range of educational programs, from public preschools up until the doctorate level. Youth culture connected to the gusle needs more opportunities and directions for self-actualization through the prism of professional and academic expertise and work in relation to the gusle. I suggest that offering young people to meet and create their future can be a surprising asset to the cultural development both in Serbia and abroad. Additionally, the bridge between the scholarship and practice often lacks a stronger bond. Furthermore, the lack of gusle players’ perspective in the academic world brings up the next question of what if critical thinking and contribution should come from the first-hand carriers of the practice in the first place, and what can we do to make that happen?
Gusle opened an unbelievable world from my early age, and exploring its depth and scope has been a process through which I continue to grow. By being a female gusle player, I interact with many different communities and people, and the very connection and exchange with them give rise to memories which I find inspiring and moving. Serbian national culture gave me the strength, guidance, and a sense of belonging which is also important for obtaining autonomy and individual expression. Yet, I was not aware of the history of women’s involvement with gusle, as such was not available in gusle circles and in the official discourses, until recently. Initially, as my musicianship has always been plentiful, I did not feel alone, as I was guided and protected by my father Radovan, a gusle player, involved in the Serbian Gusle Union for many decades, as well as my brother, and later on many collaborators. However, I was missing something along the way, needing to see similar women for the past or the contemporary role models. Seeing my culture, country, art, and artistic position from another angle upon my arrival to Helsinki in 2018, and observing female position in the gusle culture from a distance for the first time, I became able to ask myself questions. The answers on the position of women as gusle players in historical and contemporary contexts I found in works about female gusle players by Nenić (2019), and Tomić (2021), and to an extent, also Laić (2014). The scholarly perspective offering knowledge about traditional styles and women’s role in traditional Serbian culture helped me find a spot to improve, situate myself or perhaps depart from.
I’m so surprised the female gusle player exists! My family told me my hair will fall off if I touch the gusle, said one middle aged woman to me on my visit to Niagara, Canada, after the gusle workshop as a part of my master studies’ fieldtrip (June 15th, 2023.)
I undoubtably had moments of experiencing gender bias and gender-based stereotyping. A flashback of my own experience occurred on July 1st, 2023, where a young female gusle player J.M who was supposed to take part in the youth gusle competition in Montenegro was supposed to be banned on the base of her “wrong” gender by an official of the competition. I experienced the same repeatedly through many years being a child, but witnessing it from the side this time, it hurt even more.
In those moments when the institutional or social structures above you are larger than the given position you have, I always have in mind the words of my father in the context and environment you are at, you can only succeed if you talk through your actions, and works. However, from the perspective of a female artist and a promoter of positive change, the answer should also be to change those very structures that still reproduce outdated gender constraints and prevent women from taking part in this cultural and artistic practice on a larger scale.
Voicing personal experience
This subjective part of the thesis shows my own thinking on the topics connected to the gusle practice or on my own expression. With the voices of the gusle players themselves being often silent throughout history, and having in mind my personal journey and position in the practice for more than twenty years, my mentor Iva Nenić suggested to have a diary as part of supporting the work on the thesis. The diary was written from April until November 2023. I chose to portray some of my thoughts combined and blended in the chapters below with the hope that those insights can offer another layer of information to those interested on how does the gusle practice look like in Serbia today, what is the desirable representation on femininity in the gusle practice today, and what defines my artistry and role in that context.
