Authenticity, Ambiguity, Location

The book "Authenticity, Ambiguity, Location" by Aspasia Theodosiou examines the tensions arising from the politics of the Other and difference in a historically constructed, ambivalent, and marginal space. Through field research among the Parakalamos Romani musicians at the Greek-Albanian border, it analyzes how these tensions are reframed in the context of the current emphasis on multiculturalism and cultural heritage in Greece. A central concern is the role of place and its positioning in the processes of the Other, which are reflected in the music. The author argues that the ambiguities embedded in Romani music correlate with the same uncertainties that permeate the construction of place, and that they cannot be attributed to a 'separate' Romani culture or identity. Furthermore, it explores how this marginality influences the identification processes of the Romani and the implications this has for interethnic relations. The analysis combines performative theory and phenomenology, focusing on the idea of the in-between place to capture the unstable, partial, and situated nature of intersubjective relationships between place, people, and music.