Made in YUGOSLAVIennA: Balkan Music and Multiple Marginality

As one of the largest migrant groups in Vienna, people from the former Yugoslavia have made a deep and lasting impact on the citys culturally diverse soundscape. Scholars have long been interested in how Balkan difference the regions unique blend of sounds, styles and identities shapes musical expression in Vienna and Austria at large. Yet one aspect remains largely unexplored: the role of Balkan popular music in the life stories and self-expression of ex-Yugoslav migrants who face additional marginalization based on gender or sexuality. This project shines a spotlight on two such groups within Viennas ex-Yugoslav scene. The first includes women musicians active across various Balkan music genres. The second centers on queer artists and collectivities that contribute to two distinctive club events in the city: BallCanCan and Queer Yugo Pop Parties. Together, these case studies explore how both groups use music to navigate what it means to be different not only as migrants, but also as women and queer individuals. The project asks: What kinds of music do they create? How do their creations reflect their experiences of exclusion or empowerment, even among members of their own groups? How does their music interact with Austrias broader ideas about migration, national identity and belonging? To explore these questions, the study weaves together ideas primarily from postcolonial, feminist and queer theory, while engaging insights from cultural studies and social sciences. It also builds on James D. Vigils (2019) model of multiple marginality, reworked to fit the experiences of Viennas ex-Yugoslav community. The research combines several methods observing performances and everyday musical life, conducting interviews, analyzing songs, and collaborating with artists through filmmaking and creative projects. By blending these perspectives and practices, the project seeks to understand how ex- Yugoslav female and queer musicians and collectivities in Vienna use music to express themselves and establish their place within Austrian society and their own cultural circles. In doing so, the project offers new insights into how music and migration intersect in three key ways. First, it examines a rarely explored topic: the intersection of music, migration, gender and sexuality within and beyond Viennas ex-Yugoslav community. Second, it revises the theoretical framework of multiple marginality to understand how music relates to different forms of oppression. Third and finally, it employs ethnographic filming and artistic collaboration as part of a broader, dialogue-driven approach to the study of diaspora music cultures.

No additional funding sources recorded.