About us

The Center for the Study of Popular Music (CEPOM) was founded in 2013 in Belgrade as the first organization in Serbia dedicated to researching popular music within a broad cultural, social, and artistic context. Initiated by Prof. Dr. Vesna Mikić, CEPOM brought together a team of young researchers interested in contemporary music practices and in developing an academic framework for studying popular music. From the very beginning, CEPOM was conceived as a space that connects theoretical research, education and public engagement, with a clear ambition to position popular music as an equal and relevant field within cultural and academic discourse.

The mission of CEPOM is rooted in the study of contemporary musical phenomena in Serbia and the region, the analysis of genres, local and regional music scenes, and the exploration of the relationship between music, technology, media, production, identity and society. CEPOM actively develops an interdisciplinary approach to popular music, encourages critical thinking and creates an environment in which young researchers can advance their knowledge and skills. The Center’s vision is to build a long-term platform for scientific, cultural and educational work based on contemporary popular music practices, strengthening connections between theory, artistic practice and the wider community.

Throughout its development, CEPOM has carried out a number of projects that opened new research paths in Serbian musicology and cultural studies. The first major project, Music Scenes in Serbia, focused on small, local and alternative music communities in various cities, providing the first systematic overview of their creative work, production conditions and cultural significance. Research continued through projects dedicated to music festivals, which highlighted their role in audience development, the music industry and cultural policy.

CEPOM is equally recognized for its public and educational programs. Panels, lectures and discussions — such as the two-day event Etno Rock Serbia — bring together ethnomusicologists, anthropologists, musicians and audiences to examine the contemporary use of tradition in popular music and the ways identity is shaped through musical practice. The project Listen Ecologically introduced children to the basics of acoustic ecology and the importance of protecting the sonic environment, while the project Wiki Popular, conducted in partnership with Wikimedia Serbia, contributed to expanding and improving the body of knowledge on popular music available in the Serbian language, earning national recognition for its impact.

CEPOM also participates in numerous international initiatives, most notably the European project Roma Soul Food, through which the Center coordinates musical and cultural-heritage activities within the Creative Europe programme. This project connects musical creativity with questions of cultural diversity, memory and contemporary expression.

The Center has also launched a publishing programme. The first book published under CEPOM is the posthumous monograph by Prof. Dr. Vesna Mikić, Faces of Serbian Music: Popular Music, which brings together significant studies on Serbian popular music and continues the scholarly direction established by the founder of the Center.

As a unique institution within the Serbian cultural and academic landscape, CEPOM lays the foundations for contemporary popular-music studies, supports the development of young researchers, strengthens the link between theory and practice, and affirms popular music as an important part of cultural identity and contemporary society.