The Oxford Handbook of Popular Music in the Nordic Countries

Abstract

The Nordic countries, a group of countries spanning a large area of northern Europe and the North Atlantic, present unique natural and cultural environments in which popular music has come to play a significant role. Research on the region’s music has largely followed national narratives and ignored more complex geographies and transcultural issues. This first handbook of music in the Nordic countries explores the significance of popular music in the history of the region, with implications for broader debates about the region’s uniqueness and its future. The chapters highlight music’s place in media and tourism industries, in sustaining exotic images of the North, but also in more serious issues such as racism and environmentalism. Many of the chapters show evidence of nationalist and xenophobic responses to emerging transnational to emerging transnational developments. The handbook examines how these dynamics shape music and its place in history, education, and in public performance, from street performances to festivals, and beyond to mass media ceremonial events. The case studies illustrate popular music’s significance in evolving lifestyles, technologies, and institutions in modernity.

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