"Vom Brenner bis Salurn, vom Vinschgau bis nach Osttirol" : Contemporary Südtiroler Musicians and the Sound of Autochthony

Abstract: This paper examines the role of dialect and language in the co-constitutive shaping of environments and identity in the works of three contemporary South Tyrolean/Südtiroler musicians: the folk-rock band Mainfelt, the Deutschrock band Frei.Wild, and singer-songwriter Max von Milland. The paper compares how these performers lyrically articulate their identity as Südtiroler. The complex history of the Autonomous Province of Bolzano/South Tyrol underscores the politics of belonging that shape their musical programs. As these musicians engage with the complicated history of Südtirol differently, they make specific language choices in their music that are indicative of their particular aesthetic politics. The paper employs the concept of autochthony to analyze how these musicians attempt to express an authentic connection to place through their language choices. The choice to sing in English, Hochdeutsch , or Südtirolerisch articulates a desires to belong to a specific community; the paper explores the connection between one's sense of self and the landscape.