Today's post features an excellent group from Barcelona, Spain with a couple of Serbian musicians playing frula and accordion (in Video #1). They are the Barcelona Gipsy balKan Orchestra. (Don't mind the weird typing but that is how they spell it. It is on their logo, too.) The group's members are diverse as you can see on their web page; they are united in their love for Balkan music. They do an excellent job playing the rhythms of the Balkans. At 3:48 the music sounds like a fast U Sest and at 4:55 the rhythm changes to kopanitsa then at 6:22 to a fast rachenitsa (apple-apple-pineapple). The singer and the tarambuka player are the rhythm section.
Video #2 is a dramatic performance of the popular song Makendonsko Devojce. This is the tune that we often use at the end of dance sessions. It is lesnoto, another rhythm grouped in sevens (pineapple-apple-apple).
At 1:45 the audience joins in with the refrain. This repeats throughout the song.
Today we explore both traditional and modern versions of Macedonian folk songs.
First, let's start with one of most popular, Makedonsko Devojče (Macedonian Girl). This video is of the traditional version most commonly played at folk dances, and it even has the lyrics in English translation. If you want to sing along in Macedonian, click here:
The modern version is glitzy and glamorous. It's performed by Karolina Goceva, a Macedonian pop singer who represented her country in the 2002 and 2007 Eurovision song contest. The little girl with her seems a bit shy up on that stage.
The next song is Jovano, Jovanke, a love song about a man captivated by watching a young woman bleaching some cloth by the Vardar River. One of this month's themes is love songs in keeping with the Valentine's Day holiday. First, listen the traditional version, and check out the old photos of people in Macedonian folk costumes.
I would describe the next version of Jovano Jovanke as half traditional/half modern. The reason for this is that the singers, Toše Proeski and Bilja Krstic wear quasi-folk costumes and there is a kaval player accompanying the band. A kaval is also known by the name "shepherd's flute"and is a musical instrument indigenous to the Balkans and parts of the Middle East.
By the way, Proeski was a very popular Macedonian pop singer who was killed in a car accident at the very young age of 26. Fortunately his performances have been preserved on YouTube for us to enjoy; you can see he totally captivated his audiences. He was a very talented man who left this world much too soon.
If you enjoyed this, you may also like Modern Versions of Traditional Bulgarian Folk Songs, parts 1,2 and 3.
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!
