Abstract

Our paper explores how music acts as a soft-power resource in the process of post-Soviet decolonization in the Republic of Moldova after its 1991 declaration of independence. While the (post)colonial status of Moldova and other former Soviet republics is still debated, we find the concept of ‘inter-imperiality’ (Laura Doyle; Parvulescu and Boatcă) more appropriate. It reframes post-coloniality beyond the framework of a single empire to account for the multi-laterality, combined and uneven, of imperial geopolitics. In Moldova’s case, this multi-laterality includes Romania, the USSR/Russian Federation, and the European Union. The key ideological tool in this process is ‘Moldovanness’, a concept we understand as the (geo)political instrumentalization of collective identity. Originally a Soviet construct used as an anti-Romanian device both before and after 1991, it has recently been reshaped as a pro-EU vector for mobilizing the public participation in parliamentary and presidential elections. Our approach combines quantitative and qualitative analysis, relying on a 2025 survey of Moldovan music listeners, conducted during two music festivals organized in electoral contexts, as well as on participatory observations made during these two and four other musical events. We examine how music and musicians are perceived in relation to political and social issues, cultural activism, and ‘Moldovan’ identity.

Keywords: Moldova, popular music, elections, EU referendum, decolonization, soft power, public perceptions

How to Cite:

How to Cite: Dicusar, C. & Mironescu, A. (2026). 'Born in Moldova: Music and Soft Decolonization in the Post-Soviet Republic of Moldova', Slovo 37(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.14324/111.444.0954-6839.2136