ABSTRACT
This chapter considers the marriage or the mermaid to the rock singer, a metaphor borrowed from the transposition of a rural ritual song about mermaids to the urban rock scene by the group. Palac, the newest addition to Miensk rock culture in 1993. Palac gained public attention by basing their music and their stage performance on the reworking of traditional repertoires. In addition to providing a case study for the mediation of traditional repertoire, Patee offers the opportunity to consider the role of ethnography in the Belarusan media and the implications of the appropriation of rural repertoire and performance styles. Mermaids or rusalki are a part of the pre-Christian belief systems practiced by the populations of eastern Slavic peoples (Belarus, Ukraine, and Russia). In general, rusalki are celebrated with the coming of spring and the passing of summer. The rap text in "Rusalki" addresses a listening audience as opposed to a participatory ritual audience.
