Multifaceted Ravivalism: Issues of History and Terminology

In this article I consider folk revivalism as socio-cultural phenomenon from a global perspective, bringing examples from various countries and different time periods. The “folk youth movements” on the territory of former Soviet Union are analyzed in parallel and in the context of the American and European folk revivals, and some cases of immaterial cultural heritage (ICH) treatment, in particular, in France, are brought into discussion. This perspective raises the question of definitions and delimitations of the revival phenomena. My intention was to open the theme of revivalism to the maximum and include quite remote (from our experience) cases and practices in order to give the reader an opportunity to consider this field as full of creative possibilities and new potential. I put the special accent on existing diversity of cultural practices and acceptance of such diversity in revival communities as a sign of their vitality. Secondly, I consider the relationship between folk revival and some ethnomusicological practices and theories. First, ethnomusicology today more and more often considers revival phenomena as its “field” of studies of music in and as culture. Second, current generation of ethnomusicologists see itself far enough from the neutral, academic, “cabinet” scientists and seek active involvement with communities that serve the object of their scientific interests. This trend, called applied ethnomusicology is advocated by many “big figures” in the field, such as Jeff Titon and Svanibor Petan, is now quite accepted and even acclaimed modus operandi of an academic ethnomusicologist. I argue that the same logic and motivation of musical folklore researchers in former republics of the Soviet Union brought to life the youth folk movement phenomena in these places.