The nearer the dawn the darker the night.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I was at a Greek festival recently. One of the performing groups danced a Hasapiko. I didn't capture it on video because I ran out of space on my phone; but I did manage to take a picture of the dancers.
Hasapiko was originally a dance performed by the butcher's guild in Greece. The more modern form is also known as Sirtaki.
On the Universe of YouTube I found a superb rendition of Hasapiko performed by a couple to the beautiful song I Fili Mou Haramata (My Friends At The Break Of Dawn). The song blended so well with the dance that I had to share it.
The song itself is about a woman who wants to hide from everyone, including her friends, because of a relationship breakup. They gather at her house at dawn, happy, with drinks in their hands. She isn't having any of it.
Freude, schoener Goetterfunken, ,
Tochter aus Elysium,
Wir betreten feuertrunken,
Himmlische, dein Heiligtum.
Deine Zauber binden wieder
Was der Mode Schwert geteilt
Bettler werden Fuerstenbrueder
Wo dein sanfter Fluegel weilt.
Friedrich Schiller, An Die Freude, first stanza
used by Ludwig Van Beethoven in the last movement of his Symphony #9 in D minor
About a year and half ago I wrote a post on classical composers inspired by Balkan folk music. Today you will hear the opposite: Balkan folk music with allusions to Beethoven and Mozart.
The first video is the music for the Bulgarian folk dance Opas, played by the Orchester Sabor at a performance in Trier, in Germany.
By the way Trier is a very lovely city. I have been there many times to shop, visit the Roman ruins, the museums, and drink wine. The best known structure is the Porta Nigra (Black Gate) which has stood over the city for over 2000 years. Also, you can see the remains of what were Roman baths. The Roman bridge over the Mosel River carries traffic to this day. There is even a house where Karl Marx once lived; it is now a museum.
Porta Nigra in Trier, by KDB
What makes this version of Opas unique is that the band uses a bit of Beethoven's Ode to Joy from the 9th Symphony. It has a unique sound played on the gaida and the accordion (violins are more typical symphony orchestra instruments.) The Beethoven starts at 2:58, but the whole piece is worth a listen. You can even dance to it (looks like the gaida player wants to give it a try, but I imagine it's difficult to dance and play a bagpipe at the same time).
The next piece is a Hasapiko, which during the Middle Ages was the dance of the Greek Butchers' Guild. There are many versions of Hasapiko done to different tunes.
This one is based on Mozart's Symphony #40 in G minor, first movement, and sung in Greek. I have no idea what the words mean, if someone could post a translation in the "comments" section, it would be much appreciated!
The group is from Hong Kong. If you're a regular here you know that Balkan folk dance is very popular in China!
I just love bossy women. I could be around them all day. To me, bossy is not a pejorative term at all. It means somebody's passionate and engaged and ambitious and doesn't mind leading.
Amy Poehler
Today's post, for International Women's Day, will feature men's dances from Bulgaria, Romania, Serbia and Greece, led by women.
In the Balkans, traditionally, there were dances for women and dances for men. Nowadays, no one really cares if a female leads what was once considered a men's dance. In the old days, however there was gender segregation. There would be two different lines, one for the women and one for the men. The men performed the fancy moves and jumps, and the women's version was more dainty.
The first dance is from the Pirin region of southwestern Bulgaria. I don't know the name of it (can someone help me here?) The female leader it does it with style; this is music with a hypnotic rhythm played on a tupan (double-headed drum) and a zurna (a wooden horn with a double reed and finger holes). Most of the dancers are women, you can see a couple of men near the end.
What is even more amazing is that this performance goes on for over six minutes and the music gets progressively faster.
Sirba Pe Loc, from Romania, was most likely a men's dance. It's fast, and done in a shoulder hold with stamps and heel clicks for emphasis. Sirba dances are very popular in Romania, and there are many. They are usually named by the town or region, but this one translates to "dance in place."
Sestorka, from Serbia, is a very fast dance, usually performed by men holding on to each other's belts. The rules have been changed here, with some interesting results. This is an all-female group dressed in traditional Serbian folk costumes (that means skirts). There is a point in the dance where they are supposed to shout ooh-ha, but I can barely hear them. Raise your voices, ladies!
The,Hasapiko was the dance of the butcher's guild in Greece during the Middle Ages, and back then was performed only by men. Times have changed. This group, like the previous one, is all female.
The expression "days of wine and roses" was originally used by Ernest Dawson, a British writer of the 19th century. It's from a stanza in his poem Vitae Summa Brevis:
They are not long, the days of wine and roses:
Out of a misty dream
Our path emerges for a while, then closes
Within a dream.
There was also a movie from the 1960's Days of Wine and Roses, a drama about alcoholism. I don't watch depressing films like these but here's the link if you're interested.
Since The Alien Diaries is about fun, there will be nothing on this blog of a sobering nature. Here the Days of Wine and Roses will be entertaining and enjoyable. You can even drink a toast to me while you read this :)
Wine and roses are popular themes in Balkan folk music, as you will see here.
The first video is of a Bulgarian song set to Greek music. These men are ready for a serious evening of wine and dancing; the song is Give Us Some Wine. Notice the women dancing the Hasapiko, which was originally the dance of the butcher's guild in Greece during the Middle Ages.
For more on the Hasapiko and other butcher's dances from the Balkans read:
Roses are beautiful flowers, and they are everywhere during late spring and early summer. The rose is the symbol of Bulgaria, and rose oil is a very important export for this country; it's used as an essential ingredient in perfumes. The next song is A Bulgarian Rose. The lyrics are included, so you can sing along :)
The Days of Wine and Roses would not be complete without a short film clip of the Rose Festival which takes place every June in the town of Kazanluk, Bulgaria. The celebration includes dancing Pravo Horo in the town square, it's a simple dance that everyone can do.
If you love Balkan music and dance you have come to the right place! The Alien Diaries began in February 2010 and is updated at least twice a month.
This blog is dedicated to the memory of my cat Fatso (see avatar), who passed away on April 9, 2011 from congestive heart failure. He was the inspiration for several of my early posts.
Don't forget to check out my second blog, Light and Shadow, for some humor, satire, photos and poetry!
