Nuta po nucie. Lokalność muzyki popularnej a miejska tożsamość

Abstract

Popular music is an indispensable part of peoples’ lives, shaping not only their aesthetic sensitivity and providing entertainment, but it also has the potential to construct their identities. Often having a strictly local character, it tells stories about regional specificity, creating its image and influencing its perception, while constructing the identity of its listeners. In this context, musical pieces directly related to the uniqueness of cities, some of which are often perceived as culturally distinctive from their surroundings, seems particularly interesting. The purpose of this paper is to analyse the topic of locality in music and its influence on the construction of urban identity. By studying cultural studies’ texts with particular emphasis on the concept of world cities, the research concentrates on the examples of urban centres, where their musical heritage suggests its strong influence on the construction of local identity. Moreover, the issue is extended to the role of locally-oriented artistic works and the ways in which they can build urban identity. The paper also poses the question about the role of music in shaping local identity and the degree of its participation in the process.