Musical enchantment. Affective pragmatics and the making of intersubjective grief in lăutari funeral performance

Abstract

This paper contributes to the expanding body of ltierature on affective performance by examining, from a semiotic perspective, the role of live musicians (lăutari) in the expression and shaping of grief during funeral ceremonies among members of the Roma in Romania. By conducting de detailed analysis of two funeral performances by Florin Salam, drawn from publicly available sources, this study illustrates how musicians utilize lyrical content with inherent affective potency, and exploit sound iconicity to imbue their vocal communication with emotional resonance. Additionally, the paper explores the use of various forms of pronominal deictic ambiguity by musicians, enabling them to indirectly engage either the entire audience or specific individuals. I show how the pragmatic function of the verbal and non-verbal strategies employed by performers is to transform the affective potentiality of a funeral event into actualized emotions. Furthermore, I emphasize the influence of local social aesthetics on both the actions of musicians and the modes through which participants articulate their emotions. Ultimately, I argue that the emotional impact of an affectively charged performance emerges from a confluence of factors, including vocal technique, discursive practices, musical instrumentation, and social dynamics. This paper contributes to the expanding body of ltierature on affective performance by examining, from a semiotic perspective, the role of live musicians (lăutari) in the expression and shaping of grief during funeral ceremonies among members of the Roma in Romania. By conducting de detailed analysis of two funeral performances by Florin Salam, drawn from publicly available sources, this study illustrates how musicians utilize lyrical content with inherent affective potency, and exploit sound iconicity to imbue their vocal communication with emotional resonance. Additionally, the paper explores the use of various forms of pronominal deictic ambiguity by musicians, enabling them to indirectly engage either the entire audience or specific individuals. I show how the pragmatic function of the verbal and non-verbal strategies employed by performers is to transform the affective potentiality of a funeral event into actualized emotions. Furthermore, I emphasize the influence of local social aesthetics on both the actions of musicians and the modes through which participants articulate their emotions. Ultimately, I argue that the emotional impact of an affectively charged performance emerges from a confluence of factors, including vocal technique, discursive practices, musical instrumentation, and social dynamics