Serbian Gypsy Jazz: Origins, Development, Results

This study investigates the genesis and development of a popular music style, Serbian gypsy jazz, utilizing Radoslav Đokić’s sociological theory of cultural hybrids and paradigmatic transformations. In the Serbian context, the term gypsy jazz encompasses two discernible traditions: one stemming from the original French jazz manouche or jazz tsigane of Django Reinhardt, and the other an authentic local hybrid genre. This research focuses specifically on the latter – the indigenous Serbian hybrid. The methodology involves analyzing the origins of Serbian gypsy jazz and tracing its four distinct stages of evolution, supported by various musical examples. To illustrate the final stage of cultural permeation, I concentrate on the output of the versatile Serbian singer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist, Ljubiša Stojanović Louis (1952–2011).