Folklorism as an Invention of the State. Contributions of Polish Ethnomusicologists in Historical Perspective

Folklorism is presented as a component of culture change. The aim of the article is to show how ethno- and musicologists, folklorists, music teachers, broadcasters, and others, have influenced traditional peasant culture in times of fundamental transformation during the 20th century, and how they have contributed to its documentation, understanding and invention of new meanings, including the Polishness of folklore in Poland. This review aims to exemplify this process. Each European country has its own history in this respect. The text consists of three parts. In the first one, folklore is confronted with social history; the second one is dedicated to generations of ethnomusicologists; the third one is dedicated to contemporary functions of music traditions and the role of ethnomusicologists, with emphasis on applied ethnomusicology. The comments on applied ethnomusicology summarise the author’s experiences acquired during field research in Poland since 1975 and attempt to demonstrate how the past (of traditional culture and music, including re/invented national values) is being transformed in the present or, rather, how history fuses with the present time.