And There is No Line
The First Encounter with Soviet Rock Music in Italy Between Imagination and Cultural Policy in the Times of Perestroika
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54103/2037-2426/22386Keywords:
Soviet Rock, Underground Culture, CCCP Fedeli alla Linea, Perestroika, ItalyAbstract
The paper explores the encounter and reception of underground Soviet rock in Italy, focusing on a case study that firstly includes in the dynamics of reception the roles of imaginary and affect, reframing the concept of paratext in the field of performative and sound studies. The paper then focuses on the very first Soviet rock concert in Italy and the following initiatives that allowed Italian rock musicians to perform in Russia. It examines the cultural policy that enabled this contact and the role of CCCP Fedeli Alla Linea to prepare the expectations of the Italian audience to it. The paper deconstructs the line between underground and officiality in Perestroika time, showing how these contactless worlds present interesting similarities, including misunderstanding and exoticization through poetic strategies and expanding the concept of paratext as a blurring, ever-changing line.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Giada Dalla Bontà
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Accepted 2026-05-12
Published 2026-07-21
