Longing for a place that does not exist

The importance of kitsch for the Estonian Singing Revolution

Bibliographic Data

ID11264163
AuthorsMax Ryynänen (Aalto University), Eret Talviste (0000-0003-4791-0899, Department of English Studies, the University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia, corresponding author)
Year2023
Volume54
Issue3
Pages641-657
Publication date2023-07-03
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueJournal of Baltic Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0162-9778 • E-ISSN: 1751-7877
PublisherInforma UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1080/01629778.2023.2172440
OpenAlexW4318769270
LanguageEN
References cited31

This article proposes that popular forms of art and affect-driven culture initiate historical, cultural, and social change. The Estonian Singing Revolution between 1987 and 1991 offers an example of cliché-driven sentimentalism that contributes to political change. Although the concept of kitsch tends to have a negative connotation, in this article, we reconsider it as a politically productive concept, by contemplating its affective powers in creating a sense of nationhood. We do so by providing an example of how some musical aspects of the Singing Revolution became important elements of affective nation-building to gain independence from the Soviet Union

Aesthetics · Art · Connotation · Economics · Estonian · Independence (probability theory · Kitsch · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Singing · Sociology · Diverse Musicological Studies · Law · Music History and Culture · Musicology and Musical Analysis · Philosophy

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