Чалгата като култура на прехода
The Chalga as Culture of the Transition

Summary/Abstract: This paper is an attempt to give an answer to the question as to why and how the new political and social conditions of postsocialism have proved to be a fertile soil for the development of chalga, at a point, when culture has been in decline. The other question, to which an answer has been sought in the article, is what the functions of chalga are in the everyday culture of the Bulgarian people. Against the background of political developments, the path of the chalga has been followed as a symbolic and ritual phenomenon, associated with the holidays in everyday culture. Having succeeded in getting the upper hand in mass taste, it has broadened its functions: it has been appearing both in the concert halls and over the electronic media. It also became a component part of the mass protest movements in 1997. By way of the sound-recording equipment, chalga is likewise becoming established as a production and commercial product. In conclusion, it has been pointed out that chalga has been well received at holidays, but its attempt to become art are disputable and contradictory.

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