The Soundscape of Change: The Reculturalization of Savamala

Abstract

In this article I analyze the reculturalization strategies implemented in Savamala, an urban quarter in central Belgrade. Recent years have witnessed many efforts to rebrand Belgrade as a safe, modern, cosmopolitan and tourist-friendly city. These initiatives transform the soundscape of Belgrade; sometimes the changes are byproducts of other developments, but sometimes, as I demonstrate using the example of Savamala, the changes in soundscape are done deliberately and with a clear purpose.

Factors influencing tourists’ nightlife experience in Belgrade

“…Strahinjića Bana street) – there are over 20 restaurants, clubs, cafes and bars. This part of Belgrade is often associated with young women who visit restaurants, bars and cafes; which is why, this area is often called “Silicon Valley” (Vaništa Lazarević, 2015); Ada Ciganlija river island – the primary motive of the visitors are activities such as fishing, jogging and walking, but due to the location of a large number of rafts along the river bank, it has also become a popular nightlife place in the last half decade (Popović, 2010); rafts on the banks of Danube (near the Hotel Yugoslavia) and Sava (between the bridges) (Medić, 2016); and Savamala – the location of a dozen nongovernmental organizations that organize exhibitions, conferences, festivals, workshops and other events, as well as restaurants and nightclubs, all of which have something unique to offer (Jocić, 2020; Tomić and Đukić, 2017). …”

Years of sound living: Mikser festival in Savamala (2012-2016)

“…Since embarking on this project, we have invested considerable effort in establishing the field and opening new doors for all future research on soundscape in the former Yugoslav region (Cf. Atanasovski 2015Atanasovski , 2016Atanasovski and Hofman 2017;Hofman 2015;Dumnić 2016Dumnić , 2017Kovačič 2016Kovačič , 2017Medić 2016aMedić , 2016bMedić , 2017.…”

“…Refugee Aid Miksalište opened in August 2015; during the day, Miksalište provided medical help, workshops for children, toilets, shower points and washing machines, points for charging mobile phones, etc. As I have observed earlier, the very same energy and drive, the collective affect that used to form in Savamala with respect to its cultural and entertainment offer, was now channeled into this self-organized local activism, and the residents and visitors of Savamala were encouraged to sympathize with the migrants' plight (Medić 2016a). Refugee Aid Miksalište remained in this location until 26 April 2016, when it was demolished by the city officials, because it did not have official permits.…”

“…Namely, in less than three years, several fundamental changes have shaken up this part of the Serbian capital city and drastically altered its soundscape (and not only its soundscape). One of the testimonies of the rapid changes that have affected Savamala recently is the fact that, less than a year after its publication, my article on the reculturalization of Savamala (Medić 2016a) is already somewhat outdated; moreover, some of the tendencies that I observed in that article and predicted would lead to the disintegration of Savamala as an independent cultural oasis in central Belgrade, have indeed materialized. In the beginning of the period under analysis, the soundscape of Savamala was that of a derelict, traffic-heavy, neglected part of the city, with air and sound pollution.…”

Culture-Led Urban Development vs. Capital-Led Colonization of Urban Space: Savamala—End of Story?

“…Once vigorous streets became heavy transport corridors. Numerous depots, warehouses, and other industrial facilities were built in Savamala, and at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, social problems such as crime and prostitution emerged [92] (p. 43).…”