 The Ethnic Clarinet
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Author: ginny
Date: 2003-01-13 17:48
Hi All,
My husband is the real Eastern European fan around here (although it is a shared interest.) He has downloaded (shame shame, but I have no idea how else he'd get such exotic stuff) some new recordings of old folk dance favs, from various Eastern European users. I was wondering if anyone else had noticed that the pop music has heavy electric bass, and a sort of Arabicpop singing style now? It almost sounds like a Persian TV show, Jamie Jam (I think) I used to listen to on occasion, which tended to be very schlocky sounding, but interesting.
He did find some great stuff by some female accordionist though.
Ginny - who's out of it in many cultures
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Author: Kat
Date: 2003-01-13 20:09
Ginny,
Who's the female accordionist?
Where did you (or your husband) find the downloads?
Um...don't know about the folkdance favs, but I do know that the Turkish pop stuff has really a heavy drum/bass beat. I haven't noticed an Arabic type influence. That may just be the "leftover" Turkish influence that many in the Balkans won't claim exists.
Katrina
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Author: Simon
Date: 2003-01-13 22:56
Ginny,
Have a look at this:
http://www.taleognenonvski.com.mk/
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Author: Kat
Date: 2003-01-14 02:37
Tale was THE Macedonian clarinetist. And that there website has sooooo much good stuff on it, Simon!
xoxo,
Katrina
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Author: ginny
Date: 2003-01-14 04:21
The accordionist is Esma Redzepova, my husband says its probably a gypsy (or Rom if you prefer the PC version) name. He goes on Kazaa, and searches for Horo or other dance names and then note where the computer is that has the music.
I haven't been able to go over to that website using either of my browsers. I'll try later.
Thanks.
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Author: Kat
Date: 2003-01-14 16:53
Esma is a singer. She has a band which backs her made up of trumpet, clarinet, drum, and accordion. All of the instrumentalists are male. I won't go into the gender politics, but in general, in the Balkans, singers are female and instrumentalists are male.
She is Rom. She and her late husband, Stevo Teodosievski, started a school for orphans in Macedonia where they raise and "train" the kids in music. She's a "superstar" in Macedonia...kind of like a big rock star here.
All in all, ANYTHING by Esma and her groups is FABULOUS!!!
Happy Clarineting!
Katrina
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Author: ginny
Date: 2003-01-14 17:38
I guess that makes more sense, I was surprised to hear my husband say it was a female player. He was actually pleased. The label was in her name and an accordion solo. I assume eventually the Balkans will 'catch up' to the rest of Europe, I mean even the Vienna PO now has a single female violist!
I certainly think the stuff I've heard is good, I'm glad to hear she's popular. I hate to think every where has go to the pop sound.
I still wonder about some of the pop music he's picking up. It really sounds like mediocre Arabicpop or Persiapop, with fewer melissmas
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Author: Simon
Date: 2003-01-14 23:01
Ginny,
You need more info on Esma Redzepova ? visit this site there is everything you need to know about Esma. She is a great singer.
http://www.esma.com.mk/default.htm
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Author: Kat
Date: 2003-01-15 04:22
Well, Ginny, lots of FEMALE singers are from the Balkans...There are a very few men too.
But ultimately the women (years and years ago) had things to do with their hands while working. They spun wool, knitted, sewed, cleaned, cooked, etc. etc... So they could sing, but since their hands were busy, an instrument was out of the question. Also, I think particularly for wind instruments there's (even currently) some sort of "phallic" type taboo. I was seen as a little "odd" by my Bulgarian clarinet teacher, although not enough so that he didn't teach me or take payment! However, I was also (I think) seen as a sort of "honorary" male in that I spent all my time in the main "living room" area of the house, and was "waited on" by his mom and his wife. I can't remember where I've read of similar situations where other (usually Western) women are accepted in the Balkans as "men."
The men, on the other hand, were the instrumentalists, since (at least the shepherds) were all alone in the pastures all day long with nothing to do but invent instruments and play them.
I read somewhere (can't remember the exact cite, sorry...) that initially singing was considered to be too "emotional" for men to participate. Therefore, at first they only sang while intoxicated. Eventually, the mens' singing style evolved so that they sounded drunk even when sober!
Come to think, that might be from Jane Sugarman's book on the Prespa Albanian communities of South-Western Macedonia. I don't have the exact title here, I'm afraid.
Anyhow, that's my take on the actual traditions. I don't know what (if anything) has changed in the Balkans of late, but I do know there are two women gaida players in Bulgaria who are Bulgarian. As far as I know, they are pros too. And I'm told one is married to an American. Wonder what else that says about the culture?
'Fraid I can't say anything more about the other tunes your husband's found without knowing artists, etc....
xoxo,
Katrina
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Author: ginny
Date: 2003-01-15 04:41
Thanks for all the info Kat and Simon.
I will direct my husband over to the Esma site, after I go look.
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Author: Steve Epstein
Date: 2003-01-15 14:44
A friend of mine was in Uzbekistan recently and deliberately purchased a CD of their modern pop, not traditional music. It sounds just like modern Israeli dance music :-) Some of it was even sung in French!
I read somewhere, in regards to fusion music, that rock is so powerful, "it destroys everything it touches". Can't remember whom to attribute that quote to.
Steve
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Author: ginny
Date: 2003-01-15 16:31
I could email an attached wave file of the pop version of Ajde Jano (Serbian I guess) he found if you want to hear it. No clarinet in it. If you all promise to distroy it (you'll probably want to, and I guess that's fair use... waits for Mark to enter)
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, really. One of my sons had an interesting study group at our house for a while. A half Palestinian/Serbian girl (with headscarf and married at 15 or 16 to escape Serbia), a Jewish middle easterner and my son (local Northern CA blond guy.) They each would bring music they liked. Mine did the standard 'alternative' rock, the Jewish guy loved Britney Spears and the Pal/Serb girl brought Arabicpop (my fav actually.)
The nice thing was that they all really liked each other. It gives me hope for world peace.
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The Clarinet Pages
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