# Anyone listened to music from Balkan region?



## Whistlerguy (May 26, 2010)

I am from Balkans, more precisely from Republika Srpska ( a Serbian part of Bosnia) and I'd like to ask you all if anyone has listened to some music from my region, and what are your opinions? Did you like it?

It's somewhat interesting question for me, because folks in my country often like discussing music and comparing our "domestic" music with the "foreign" music, and such talks are usually funny, but they rarely reveal anything new.

So, I'm gonna post here some (in my opinion) really good songs from this region, and I'd like to ask you what do you think of it.

The first will be a classical choral composition based on folk music from Serbian composer Stevan Mokranjac called "Deveta rukovet" (Ninth garland)






I will post more stuff later.


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## Whistlerguy (May 26, 2010)

No responses still?


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

It's sad to say that music by Balkan composers doesn't seem to travel to western Europe or further afield, which is a shame because there is some lovely music which has derived from that region (as your video clearly shows).

Some Croatian composers' names get heard occasionally, such as Anđelko Klobučar:






... and the great Ivo Malec, best known for his electronic compositions, but also the composer of some fascinating orchestral works:






The Slovenian composer Vinko Globukar is probably one of the best-known from the Balkan region, although his music is always very challenging:






I discovered Pancho Vladigerov from Bulgaria a few years ago. His style is somewhat more 'conservative'






And then there is the mighty George Enescu from Romania, a composer who I consider SHAMEFULLY neglected:






OK, where's the YouTube icon gone now we have this new software - or how can I get the YouTube video to display?


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## Art Rock (Nov 28, 2009)

Agree on Enescu being neglected, I particularly like his third symphony.


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## Delicious Manager (Jul 16, 2008)

Art Rock said:


> Agree on Enescu being neglected, I particularly like his third symphony.


It says something of his neglect that it took me quite a while to find something of Enescu's on YouTube that WASN'T his Romanian Rhapsody No 1!


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## Whistlerguy (May 26, 2010)

This is not classical music, but I think you will really like these songs:

1. Šaban Šaulić - Dođi da ostarimo zajedno (Come hear, so that we get old together)
This song is one of the best folk songs from the era od Socialist Yugoslavia.
Video is very old fashioned, (because it is old - 1979), sound quality is also poor (turn up the volume!) , but the music is great:






2. Smak - Crna Dama (Black Lady)
This is a rock song from one of the most influential Serbian bands - Smak, they are mainly progressive rock act.






3. Josipa Lisac - Gde Dunav ljubi nebo (Where Danube kisses the sky)
Josipa Lisac is one of the most famous Croatian female singers, she combined pop, rock, funk and jazz. This is one of her most recognizable songs.






4. TIME - Da li znaš da te volim (Do you know that I lobe you?)
One of the timeless rock ballads from former Yugoslavia, by croatian progressive rock band Time.






5. And the last song for this time, something more lively - folk dance music from Serbia called "Užičko kolo" (Kolo from Užice) - "kolo" being a type of dance played in circle


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

Enescu would have to be, I think, the best known Balkan composer. I enjoy his works, though I admit I have only heard some chamber works and his two Romanian Rhapsodies. I hear that the symphonies are good.

I have a disc of music by Pancho Vladigerov. Very good composer, though not very original. But lack of originality does not a worthless composer make. I should revisit that disc soon.


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

One Baltic composer I quite enjoy is *Lepo Sumera* from Estonia.

My mistake - confusing Balkan with Baltic. I do like him though, and he has one of the coolest composer names


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## emiellucifuge (May 26, 2009)

Theres a great composer from Bulgaria (still living): Emil Tabakov. Try to find his 3rd symphony.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

bassClef said:


> One Balkan composer I quite enjoy is *Lepo Sumera* from Estonia.


I think you are confusing BALKAN with BALTIC.


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

Indeed I am - and I consider myself a well-travelled European.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

bassClef said:


> Indeed I am - and I consider myself a well-travelled European.


Having been to Estonia myself, I can very vividly recall crossing the BALTIC sea from Helsinki to get there!

The Balkans are high on my travel list. I'd love to visit that prt of the world.


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## bassClef (Oct 29, 2006)

I've never travelled much further East in Europe than here in Prague, other than a week or two in Greece. Much to explore yet!


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## graaf (Dec 12, 2009)

This is composed by Rimsky Korsakov, based on Serbian tunes, and I can say it is very authentic and represents Serbian music very well:




I guess this is Serbian "Vltava" - although it's composed by a Russian 

---------------------------------

This song mentions river Drina (between Serbia and Bosnia), and it is interesting to note that it is said that Robert de Niro named his daughter Drena after this river - he was cycling through Serbia and liked it so much he named daughter after the river! I also simply translated, not adopted, the lyrics.





Three girls talking
*************

Three girls were talking
told each other
Freeze, Drina, cold water, stand!
Wait, girl, my kin!

The oldest said:
I would like gold the most,
Freeze, Drina, cold water, stand!
Wait, girl, my kin!

The medium girl said
I would like silk the most
Freeze, Drina, cold water, stand!
Wait, girl, my kin!

The youngest was saying
I would like to find my love
Freeze, Drina, cold water, stand!
Wait, girl, my kin!

------------------------------------






A dense fog had fallen,
****************

A dense fog had fallen, 
on the pains of Kosovo.

Nothing at all (or: not a soul) can be seen,
only one tall tree.

Under the tree sits tailor,
sewing a vest for me.

As many as there are starts in the sky, 
there are sewing stitches in the vest.

-------------------------------------------
This is lightly adapted verion of folk song:




and this one is remixed (but still not destroyed by remixing)


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## graaf (Dec 12, 2009)

EKV is not only the best ex-Yugoslavia band, but most likely the best band in the whole Balkans. Their music reflected the turbulent times of 1990s (war, crisis, rise of ethnic hatred and organized crime and decline of human values). The three songs I selected for you here are the best representative of their works I could come up to in only three songs - ordered chronologicaly, describing the times Balkans went through. It is interesing to note that all of the songs were written a year or two before the things they seem to describe, which only shows how much of visionaries they were. Frontman, Milan Mladenovic, died in 1994, and it is as tragic for us as is Lennon's death for the rest of the world.

I've put a bit of effort in this, translating the songs (note: those are just simple, plain translations, it is not an adaptation), and commenting on them, I really hope you will take a few minuted to listen to them, and I'm sure you will not regret.






This song is also about crisis of 1990s, not just economic, but crisis of values - lyrics say "[we] celebrate some lame stuff some lame stories that someone invented only a few years ago, for us. Also feeling of "end of days" - notice lyrics " the news [propaganda] that have just arrived, they say that we have only a few years for us".

Only a few years for us
*****************

A friend and I sit on the bench
Look at the stars
listen to the news that have just arrived
they say that we have
only a few years for us

We had toys and we lived all...
All those gambling games 
those games for people
that someone invented 
only a few years ago, for us

Do you know how I want to find you
Do I know what I need to know
love me they way you never loved me

While we live, and speak, and defend ourselves
walk and celebrate
some lame stuff
some lame storis
that someone invented 
only a few years ago, for us

Words are not enough, just
ordinary words
to take me back to life
The touch is not enough
nor that I know that I have you
[we have] only a few years for us

Do you know how I want to find you
Do I know what I need to know
love me they way you never loved me

love me they way you never loved me
love me they way you never loved me

[it] Rises as a hope, as the sea, as the speech
as a movement, as dawn breaks, as a child, as blood
as a desire, among us
increases as the pain
and bites everything before our eyes

love me they way you never loved me
love me they way you never loved me
love me they way you never loved me
love me they way you never loved me
love me...
-----------------------------------------------






The song "This is a country for us" is made during the ethnic wars of 1990s in the Balkans - notice the lyrics "This is a country for all our people... for all our children... In every defeat I've seen a part of freedom" etc

This is a country for us
*****************

This is a country for us
This is a country for all our people
This is the house for us
This is the house for all our children
Look at me, oh look at me
With the eyes of a child

In the country I see salvation
From a dream wakes me up a voice that I do not know
While branches caress our bodies
While the shadows make the cover for us
Look at me, oh look at me
With the eyes of a child

chorus:
I hear - come back
I hear - stay
I hear - come back
Let me
I hear - come back
I hear - stay
I hear - come back
Forgive me

In every defeat I've seen a part of freedom
And when it's done
For me, you should know, it just have started
Look at me, oh look at me
With the eyes of a child
I hear - come back
I hear - stay
I hear - come back
Let me
I hear - come back
I hear - stay
I hear - come back
Do not go, do not go, no!

---------------------------------------





This song is written after the war, in expecting of "better days" and notion that "we deserve it". Also cites Serbian, Croatian and Muslim names, the belligerents of wars of 1990s. It ends with excerpt from Martin Luther King's speech.

Together
*******

Ivan and Bojan
Mitar, Sasa, Orhan
Nenad and Zoran
Dusan, Vojkan, Ljuba
(note: those are Serbian, Croatian and Muslim names)

In the old days
We took pride
in past days
we lost everything

I stay alone, I stay alone
in this city overwhelmed by fear
This city was once
throwing lights away
This city could do better

(guitar solo)

We allowed
things to go too far
This struggle was beneath his dignity
against reason
(wars of 1990s)

In the old days
We took pride
in past days
we lost all, all, all

The day is coming, the day is coming
the day i'm waiting here buried
I say these people deserved better than this
We can do it together

(guitar solo)

The day is coming

In the old days
We took pride
in past days
we lost all, all, all

The day is coming, the day is coming
the day i'm waiting here buried
I say these people deserved better than this
We can do it together

MLK quote:
Our generation will have to repent not only for the words and acts of the Children of Darkness, but also for the fear and apathy of the Children of Light.


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## graaf (Dec 12, 2009)

Also, Tapkaara, welcome back!
By the time I joined, you already left, but I read your posts, found them well written and they got me interested in Sibelius and Ifukube.


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## Tapkaara (Apr 18, 2006)

graaf said:


> Also, Tapkaara, welcome back!
> By the time I joined, you already left, but I read your posts, found them well written and they got me interested in Sibelius and Ifukube.


Hi Graaf! I am passionate about Ifukube and Sibelius, and if I can share that passion with others and get them interested too, it's very gratifying to me.

Now I am getting interested in Balkan composers. See how this works?


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## Whistlerguy (May 26, 2010)

This song kicks ***:


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## Argus (Oct 16, 2009)

The only thing I can think of is The Angelite Bulgarian Womens Choir (here fused with Tuvan music):


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## Whistlerguy (May 26, 2010)

Presenting one of the most famous Serbian songs - Marš na Drinu (March on the Drina river) in many versions:

1. The original version by Serbian classical composer Stanislav Binički:






2: Cover by The Shadows:






3. Cover by James Last:






4. Cover by Soulfly:






5. Traditional Serbian version (with singing) - this is the most known version:






6. Cover by Branimir Štulić (frontman of Croatian band "Azra"):


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## DavidJones (Aug 17, 2011)

graaf said:


> This song is also about crisis of 1990s, not just economic, but crisis of values - lyrics say "[we] celebrate some lame stuff some lame stories that someone invented only a few years ago, for us. Also feeling of "end of days" - notice lyrics " the news [propaganda] that have just arrived, they say that we have only a few years for us".


I heard,that they made this song when they got AIDS.


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## Glaliraha (May 2, 2010)

I am of Greek background and listen to a lot of Greek music, as well as Arabic, Turkish, Indian and African music. Manos Hadjidakis is one of my favourite Greek composers, and in my opinion his suite "Gioconda's Smile" is his greatest work. Here's a performance in Athens from a year after his death:


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## rattzzable (Dec 7, 2011)

tribute tu Goran Bregović i njegov orkestar za sprovode i venčanja, and 
Boban Marković...


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## starthrower (Dec 11, 2010)

Ivo Papasov. Incredible Bulgarian clarinetist.


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## clavichorder (May 2, 2011)

Since this is the non classical section, I will say that I have heard Balkan band music. Its incredibly lively and fun to listen to, my experience of the melodies is something like what starthrower posted right above me. Its often very lively and upbeat. I've heard of Balkan Brass Band competitions in my area.


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## hoodjem (Feb 23, 2019)

Tapkaara said:


> Having been to Estonia myself, I can very vividly recall crossing the BALTIC sea from Helsinki to get there!
> 
> The Balkans are high on my travel list. I'd love to visit that prt of the world.


Zagreb and Ljubljana are two of my favorite cities. Both are lovely, but in different ways.


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

3 Mustaphas 3 

I gots EPs and lp, "Shopping"


"Liner notes from their albums would have it that the band was created in a Balkan town called Szegerely (possibly derived from the Hungarian region of Székely), where it played at the Crazy Loquat Club, before the members were transported inside refrigerators to England."


Take it to the fridge!


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

hoodjem said:


> Zagreb and Ljubljana are two of my favorite cities. Both are lovely, but in different ways.


For all the good intentions, thread is silent since 2011


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## The Deacon (Jan 14, 2018)

Balkan "Spiller" ('72 Sweden)

Deacon Beaker has this fine fusion lp in the collection.


(Youse gots nuffink.)


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## jim prideaux (May 30, 2013)

Tapkaara said:


> Having been to Estonia myself, I can very vividly recall crossing the BALTIC sea from Helsinki to get there!
> 
> The Balkans are high on my travel list. I'd love to visit that prt of the world.


Tapkaara….my only advice would be that if you do have an ambition to travel to the Balkans then try to make sure you do...you will not be disappointed.

Admittedly it is perhaps easier for me to get there from England but have spent a considerable amount of time over the past few years in Slovenia and Bosnia Herzegovina and have found the experiences remarkable....there is something very special about Sarajevo and Mostar ( and the railway journey between the two) and am off again to Ljubljana in February (architecture of Plecnik)

Having read through this thread I have now realised it is about time I investigated the music of the region...…..

Just realised this thread was essentially redundant until recently so ignore me......


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