ABSTRACT
This chapter explores gender In Belarusan rock through the public evolution of Kasia Kamockaja, a successful bard who had crossed over into the rock genre as the lead singer of New Sky. A former candidate in ethnographic studies, once married to the well-known Belarusan bard Ales Kamocky, Kasia Kamockaja began her transition from bard to rock star in 1991. Throughout that year her transition was evident in her stage image, in the evolution of Novaje Nieba's musical style, and in the determined and staunch political and social convictions that Kamockaja revealed in both her music and in her public interviews. Kamockaja's performance image became more consistent and her musical style became more familiar to listeners. The look of a band, their choice of elaborate costume or their emphasis on street clothes can contribute to the image of a group, to associations about the musical meaning, and to the listeners interpretation of the performance.
