ABSTRACT
This short study will analyse the dynamic of fame of Estonian estrada-singer Jaak Joala’s as it was received by local audiences. In doing so I will first briefly introduce the trajectory of his musical career, his artistic image and role in Soviet estrada culture. The second part of the study will apply the theories of banal nationalism and new nation-building in discussing Joala’s reception along the timeline of his first appearances in 1970s to the recent staging of the musical ‘The Kremlin Nightingale’.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes
1. It is not, however, clear whether Joala was not asked to join or whether it was his own decision not to join, The singer Tõnis Mägi in his interview in the documentary Surematu: Alo refers to the fact that Jaak Joala was present behind the stage during the first massive song festival on 11 September 1988 and was emotionally involved with Singing Revolution. According to some data Joala was deeply touched of not being invited to participate.
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Heli Reimann
Heli Reimann gained her PhD in 2015, in the Department of Musicology, University of the Helsinki. She is currently postdoctoral researcher at the Sibelius Academy, University of Arts, Helsinki and her current project includes a monograph on the Tallinn ‘67 jazz festival. Reimann’s research activities intersect between jazz research, Soviet studies, cultural history, Estonian history and popular music studies.