The Balkan Hotstep Sound System | DJ Typsy Gypsy

I've been playing a lot of The Balkan Hotstep Soundsystem and DJ Typsy Gypsy over the Christmas break. I've been amazed by the feed back. These lovable mashups are pretty catchy and I've had lots of people call in asking who they are and where they are from. What's great about this music is it samples some of the best Balkan musicians, mostly Roma, and mashes them up with hip-hop that we are all comfortable with. For the most part, everyone loves the Balkan sound but a lot of people either don't know how to dance to it or aren't used to the sound. The Hip-Hop takes away for foreignness and lets people just enjoy the wonderful Balkan music. Definitely fun and clever, be sure to download some of the mixes (bottom of page).

BIO:

Balkan Hotstep Soundsystem, or sometimes referred to as the Balkan Hotsteppers are based out of Leuven, Belgium that formed in 2006. They gained a lot of buzz from their online mixtapes put together in 2007 and released online to masses via Myspace. Balkan Hotsteppers is comprised of DJ Sam Raban and DJ Typsy Gypsy. DJ Sam Raban can be found at the girafe Cafe Leuven, Belgium on Thursdays.

Extended PDF Press Release

Myspace Links:

Typsy Gypsy
Great Hip-Hop Mashups, check it out on Myspace!

Balkan HotSteppers

Bookings and Gigs:

B-Side Bookings does there booking.








Downloadable Mashups (Straight from Myspace):

download demomix
download BalkanBangers
download Let The Vodka Roll (Shantelmix)
download Balkan Club Night @ Rio Loco Toulouse

12/21/2008 WRFL (trial run

Download Link

Guest Hosting World Beats at WRFL 88.1; Cambodian Rock Music from the 60s - 70s

UPDATE:

Here are the links to the WRFL show from last Sunday. Please feel free to download and share.

FREE and Downloadable (But Please Support the Artists):

Sunday, December 21st, 4pm - 5pm

Sunday, December 21st, 5pm - 6pm

Check'em out.

________________________________

On Sunday, I will be filling in at WRFL 88.1 for Marc Heft who currently shares a World Beats show with William Cheeves. Since I'm going to be filling in for an already existing World music show, I originally was going to just play some more Balkan Music. However, I happened upon some old Cambodian Rock from a friend and after about 6 non-stop hours (honestly) of research on the internet, I'm addicted.

So, since I'm filling a slot for another fellow DJ of world music, I figured I would just get my Khmer Rock and Roll fix out of the way in one sitting. I thought I would just pepper my usual accompiment of Balkan music with some Khmer stuff, but I've found hours of fascinating music online.

Why?

The Khmer or Cambodian music is fascinating to me because of a combination of two unlikely but equally poignant aspects; great music and contextual sadness. First, if you listen the the Khmer music of the 1960s and 1970s, you can defintely hear the Western and American influences in the form of Garage Rock, Psychedelic Pop and other popular genres of the time. Combine this with the amazingly innovative talent of the musicians and the beauty of the Khmer language and it just rocks; plain and simple. Additionally, there is a more serious historical background to what was an explosion of musical innovation in the 1960s and 1970s--The overbearing knowledge of the Khmer Rouge that started in earnest in the mid 1970s. Almost all of these musicians were targeted and killed during the Reign of Pol Pot. This is another sad and less fortunate example of how music shapes and affects culture insomuch as political leaders see the musicians as threats and actually exterminate them.

While the music is great, its a shame that there isn't a lot of master tracks for fellow listeners to work with. Most of the copies of the music (both masteres and commerical copies) were destroyed during the Khmer Rouge because of its percieved threat. Aside for the cassette and vinyl recordings that were found in Cambodia by westerners searching for more Cambodian Rock, there really isn't a lot of source material in the western world. The online community, however, is changing that. Myspace is filled with "profiles" of long since passed away Cambodian musicians almost as if to create awareness the almost forgotten greats of their time. And currently there are two documentaries working to create a historical imprint of the time for years to come as well.

Cambodian Rock Documentaries:

Don't Think I've Forgotten - http://cambodianrock.com/

The Golden Voice - http://www.thegoldenvoicemovie.com

In 1996, Parallel World released one of the first western market CDs of this Khmer Rock music. Paul Wheeler made the CD based off of material he had found on vacation in Cambodia. After interest gained, another companies started releasing compliations of the Cambodian music. Probably one of the bigger breakouts for the Cambodian Rock'n'Roll pre-Khmer Rouge was on the City of Ghosts soundtrack where many (I unknowingly) heard this music for the first time. The City of Ghosts soundtrack is selling for about $100 on Amazon.com if that's any indication of popular demand of an out of print album.

Album List of Cambodian Rock Music:

Cambodian Cassette Archive Not Recommend Alternative

Cambodian Rocks (MUST DOWNLOAD, free .mp3s):

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/12/cambodian-rocks.html (Full CD)

Khmer Rock Music from the Cole Ranch (Free Downloads):

http://khmermusic.thecoleranch.com/

Cambodian Swing Machine ( Compilation )

Cambodian Rocks Volume 1 On Amazon

Cambodian Rocks Volume 2 On Amazon

You Tube Video Archives:

Old Songs with Stills: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=872D9A48223F5F9A

Old Movie Songs: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=D7494F417654C522

There more floating around but that just a start. Of course, you could always travel to Cambodia and buy up old rock records.

Radio Set Up:

Pronounciation Guide:

Sinn Sis-sa-mott - Sinn Sisamouth

Ros Sereysothea

Guest Hosting of The World Beat Hour:

Clash the Casbah DJ Ari Judah

Street Noise Dub - DJ Ari Judah

Birds Are Singing But My Lover Won't Return - Unknown


Track 4 - Meas Samon - Cambodian Cassette Archives

Track 8 - Srey No (Lady Named No) - Unknown Cambodian Cassette Archives

skhe-diev Smithsonian

Sinn Sisamouth - Porps Samnang - Myspace - http://www.myspace.com/sinsamuth

Tonsai Sdai Jun- Sin Sisamouth - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PSp6IE8ruho

Nee keu karm kyom - by Ros Sereysothea - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEkrbVKiNBY

Rous Sareysothea - #4 - Bomplech oun tov - http://www.myspace.com/roussareysothea

Rous Sareysothea - #5 - Ngam Srah - http://www.myspace.com/roussareysothea

Raurm Men Cha'eat - Pen Ron - http://www.myspace.com/penronx

Mou Pei Na - Sinn Sisamouth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aa2fVsqQ0mg

Khnyom Jah Karake - Meas Samon & Tet Somnang http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXJoN49vw3o

Rom Ago Ago - Pan Ron - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCotIDR3k3E

Soriya Psong Snae - Sinn Sisamouth http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1M_H_vCwrfY

Closer:

Last Christmas Preap Sovath: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8R9qmOiCiU

Beam Preash Mok Sbot | Preap Sovath | http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MU6xVx4cmhI

Where's the music at? Why one view can't encompass a whole region; but can try

Recently, I've received some well founded criticisms of my approach to what I define as Balkan and Bulgarian music. Here is what one reader had to say:

I strongly disagree with any presentation of Bulgaria that concentrates on chalga. Although, this is the most popular "music" right now, it is the last thing I would like people to associate my country with.

We do have a lot of world renowned musicians and singers; this is an offense to them, at the very least. You can check out The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices, Theodosii Spasov, Raina Kabaivanska...and so many more...

The Argument:

To some degree, music defines a culture. So the possibillty of my characterizations culturally offensive

---The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices; Where are they?

I always appreciate comments and suggestions; I have to agree that I have not addressed the topic of Bulgarian Folk music as much as I would have liked. And it has been rightly pointed out, I plan to talk about musicians such as The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices. I haven't wrote about them mostly because my interests have been elsewhere and there already exists a large body of work on the internet about their singing.

Chalga or Pop Folk; Is it Bulgarian or Balkan Culture? Yeck, I know . . .

I feel that Chalga (info) is a part of Bulgaria's culture just as much as American Hip-hop is to America's culture. It may not be the most positive representation in some person's eyes but it is an aspect of Bulgaria's cultural sphere. One of the reasons I write about it is that not many people in America know about Chalga nor do they understand the interesting mixes and borrowing of culture.

Why don't you talk about this artist? (Insert your preference)

Odds are, I've never heard of the artist or group. Or, I've heard of them but have been too lazy to talk about them. Regardless, if you feel that there is a form of music that is missing a voice, be sure to email me through my profile with your contributions and suggestions. Also, please remember that I'm an amateur that sees this more as a hobby than a definer of culture, music or nationality.

++++----++++

That said, enjoy the blog and definitely remember that this is just one viewpoint out of many so be sure to look into other sources as well.

Kurdish Halay! Is there a common link in folk dancing in the Balkans?

I found this video about Kurdish Folk Dancing on-line. The type of Folk dancing is originally called Halay which is also claimed by the Turks (I seriously don't want to judge the origins of Halay, but I think its suffice to say its from the Middle East and Balkans). If you look at the responses to halay online all they do is argue about the origin of the folk dancing.

What really struck me about this particular video are the number of views (1.3 million) and the hip-hop style the young women bring to the traditional folk dancing. Frankly, it just looks cool and certainly looks transferable to the western hip-hop society


A male version of the Halay, still informal


Also another male example of the dancing.

Now I want to compare the first video to the video of Halay below. As you can see, this form of dancing has a more traditional. The first video was probably filmed at a wedding, festival or a private party outdoors informally whereas this video is filmed indoors and is an organized dance troupe. What is being highlighted in the informal dancing is just part of the organized structure of the halay dance. If you go to to the end of clip (about 70%) you see the same format used in the formal and informal halay dancing (women in a line, holding hands, indescribable leg movements in unison).




Here is an example of the Halay dance making inroad into the Hip-Hop and MTV world. The real halay is the women together dancing throughout the video. Its an example of Halay beginning the cross over to western dance and music.




What's interesting about Halay is the striking similarity to most other forms of Balkan and Middle Eastern folk dancing but with distinct evolutions in each country. This music, created by a drum, duval and zurna, is rather simplistic with an overpowering and danceable beat.

WRFL Trail Radio Downloads

I've posted some trial shows on the side column from WRFL 88.1 Lexington, KY. I am learning to DJ at the student radio station and anyone that may be interested may download the radio prodcasts. Its rough and I don't consider it professional but its a start. Enjoy.

===== TO LEFT ===== TO LEFT ======>>>>>>>>>>>

Cheat Sheet, Prep Post

 Radio Show Lines Ups:

Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple

Album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_81l4DXlwM

Nai - Krasivata Malina & Azis [iTunes]

Album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vq0P7J12-kg

Opa Cupa - Slavic Soul Party

Album: Balkan Beats Vol. 3

Ivo Papasov and his Wedding Band - Live on the Night Music Show

Album: Filmed at Night Music 1988-90 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLQcknhApjM

 Balkanization of Americation - Gogol Bordello Vs Tamir Muskat

Album: J.U.F.

Esma Cocek - Esma Redzepova [ROMA DISK]

Album: The Queen of Gypsies 

Silvana Armenulic '76 - Nocas mi srce pati Kafana Music

Album: Live recording '76 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYnohOo2Zus

Sali Bend - Mo Sero Dukal Man (Roma Wedding Music in Bulgaria) [iTunes]

Album: Live Recording

Orkestar Yanista Dale Don Dale - Bulgarian / Roma Style

Album: None

Tarak Haidouks - Migur Mugure (Romanian Roma music) [iTunes}

Album: The Gypsy Caravan - When the Road Bends

Gloydai Moi Gloydai - Fanka Koinarova [iTunes]

Album: The magic of Rhodopa mountain, 100 kaba-bagpipes

Sbogom majko, sbogom tatko - Banski starcheta [iTunes]

Album: none

ZoZorba - A Hawk and a Hacksaw + Han Hangar Ensemble

Album: A Hawk And A Hacksaw & The Hun Hangár Ensemble

Anke Roke, Ternipe [iTunes]

Album: www.last.fm/music/Ternipe/_/Anke+Roke

Tsaparski Zurni - [iTunes]

Album: None

Gulag Orchestar - Beirut [iTunes

Album Gulag Orchestar

Typsy Gypsy - Let The Vodka Roll! - The New Worck

Album: Mixtape: http://tnieuwewerck.blogspot.com/2007/11/t-nieuwe-werck-104-of-balkan-hot-step.html

3 v 1 Upsurt

Album: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dbib0JTrxdE

11/26 Radio Playlist and Cheat Sheet!

Typsy Gypsy

Typsy Gypsy is a member of the Balkan Hotsteppers from Belgium. They have been experimenting with Balkan music for club music. Seriously check out his Myspace. He's got a lot of great mashups that really allow people to start understanding the Balkan sound.

Track: Mashup with Intergalatic (Beastie Boys) Download the Podcast!





J.U.F stands for Jewish Urkranian Freundschaft or Friendship

Track: Muskat (Slishal, No e Zapisal)

5:33 min.

J.U.F. i s a creation of Eugene Hutz (Gogol Bordello) and Tamir Muskat.

Boban Markovic Orkestar 

Boban Markovic is a famous Roma or Gypsy from Serbia. He and his Orkestar are generally recognized as the most accomplished Brass Band from the Balkans. His is also the winner of of the Golden Trumpet from the world famous Gucha Festival in Serbia

Track: Mundo Cocek (pronounced Cho -chek) is from the Boban and Marko album

3:13

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Gypsy Sound System

Based out of Switzerland, the Gypsy Sound System has been mixing music for clubs over the past two years throughout the world.

Track: Gypsy Sound System


4:35


Balkan Beat Box - Bulgarian Chicks

The Balkan Beat Box are probably the more well known DJs working with Balkan music. The Bulgarian Chicks song is a combination of Bulgarian folk singers with Serbian or Balkan brass music.

Max PASHM

Max Pashm is a collective of U.K based Jewish, Greek & Balkan musicians that make dance music. They are based out of England.

Track: Queen of Sikim

3:09 Min.

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Desislava

Desislava is a Chalga singer from Bulgaria and its fun to see Latina music and Balkan music mergred.

Track: Regeton and a Little Chalga

3:30

Ionut Cercel

Ionut is an young Roma singer from Romania. He is in his early teens and is taking the Romanian club scene by storm.

Track: Made in Romania

4:00

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Giorgos Tsalikis

Greek Musician with Laiko music.

Track: Ekana Ti Nexta Mera

4:00

Djordan

Track: Ne boli (No hurt or It doesn't hurt)

3:49

Orkestar Kristali

This Orkestar is probably the best Roma Wedding Orkestar in Bulgaria. They play Roma music with Bulgarian influences. To those familiar with Balkan music, it may sound Turkish in origin. 

Track: Purjina (kokaina), "Fried Cocaine" 

Aliosha 

Aliosha and his band play that live instrumental at a wedding in Bulgaria. Known for his saxophone skills, Aliosha alway is an excellent singer. He style would also be considered Roma Wedding music or sometimes referred to as Bulgarian Wedding music.

The track is unlabeled because its live.

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Boril Iliev

Boril is another Roma musican with the Red Bull orkestar from Bulgaria that play Roma Wedding music.

Track: Akana (meaning now)

5:00

Ramzi Kuchek

Just a simple for dancing Kuchek or Belly dancing

Track: Ramzi Kuchek

3:30

Verka Serduchka

Ukrainian Drag Queen 

Track: Gop,  Gop! Jump, Jump!

4:00

Georgi Chi - lin - gi -rov

Track: Roufinka Bolna Legnala

7:00

<========= Break for station identification =======>

Valia Balkanska

Track: Izlel e Delio haidutin

4:00

Trio Bulgarka

Famous folk ensemble from Bulgaria, known for its vocal haromonization. It would be considered traditional folk music.

Track: Sluntseto Trepti Zauda (The sun is setting)

Bulgarian Horo | Is there a common Ottoman imprint in the Balkans?

This is a Dunavski Horo which is a Bulgarian Horo based out of the Northern region in Bulgaria bordering the Danube River. Horo is a Bulgarian Folk dance usually done in a circle while hold hands. The types of Horo vary in style by region, hence the naming of this horo as the Dunavski Horo (Danube Horo).


I've decided to highlight some the difference folk dances throughout the Balkans on the blog. It is somewhat controversial (at least in the Balkans) but I keep seeing visually and through audio a common linkage which I feel may come from the occupation of the Ottoman Empire. I'm curious what other people think.

I must explain to Western readers that these different forms of folk dance are usually interpreted as culturally separate, independently developed folk cultures. To tell a Bulgarian that Horo is similar to modern day folk dancing in Turkey (or another Balkan country) is an affront to their nation and culture and most would be, at a minimum, upset if not aggressive. The same goes for Greek folk dancing, Macedonian, Kosovoian, Albanian, etc. Each country has its unique cultural identity that defines it as separate from the great Balkan whole. These societies cling to folk dance and music a way to prove the right for their countries to exist. The logic follows: If the people speak different languages and have different folk dance and music traditions then they music be culturally different enough to be determined as a separate country. This holds true in Bulgaria, where its unlikely a single Bulgarian would openly admit any Ottoman influences on their Folk dance and music traditions.

Kosovo and Montenegro are good examples of the cultural concept. They both have created new languages base off of dialects of Serbian while also asserting their own cultural brand of folk dancing. However, they are newly created countries with little history as a Political Nation while obviously having centuries of history as a territorial region. Fifty years ago, it was Bulgaria with Philip Kotev making is cultural stamp of uniqiness with the revival of Bulgarian Folk Dance and Music.

I'm showing these forms of folk music dances together in this series because I find it fascinating from an outside perspective in how they seem to have a common undercurrent. However, please be aware that it may seem somewhat culturally insensitive to do so in such a manner.

Good Bye Ads!

The Google Adsense experiment has come to an end.

After roughly 4 months of advertising with Google Ads, I've decided to remove the advertising on the website. The total earnings, $5.79, over this time period frankly don't justify the use of space. I used the Google Adsense as an experiment to see what sort of revenues a small niche blog could earn through regular blogging.

With a readership of roughly 30-50 viewers a day, there is a niche readership but certainly not a website with thousands of random viewers with the number of clicks on advertising rising by sure chance. There aren't really any specific advertisements for the Balkan Music content, so most viewers don't click the advertisements. Ads selected by people (such as me) would be more effective because I would understand this niche better (but I don't plan to add advertisements, too much work)

Also, here are the results of the Amazon Associates Program:

For the entire period of being posted on the website:

5 clicks, $0.00 income

Generally, I think that a website needs more general hits to to really generate revenue based off Adsense revenue. Google Adsense, generally doesn't have specific enough ads for niche websites such as Balkan Music (in English). There isn't a big enough market for Advertiser's to display ads that readers would want to read.

Anyway, it was a fun experiment.

I hope now to utilize graphics to make the Balkan Hour tags more accessible such as a menu bar above or on the side. It will increase the clicks to useful tags such as "Roma" and "Chalga" so people can understand genres better. We shall see.

Hüsnü Şenlendirici | Daily Dose | Roma Turkish Music!

Husnu Senlendirici | Kumsalda

Special Thanks to Ido Atlasian from Istanbul for the recommendations. Even though the Balkans have many similar cultural influences (usually in the form of Ottoman cultural legacies) its often hard to know about every artist from every country. So, I'm learning and I would love your recommendations. Send them here and I'll post them.

Hüsnü Şenlendirici or Husnu Senlendirici (latinized) is a famous Roma musician from Turkey who plays traditional Turkish folk music. Trained at the Turkish State Music Conservatory for four years, Husnu then continued to play professionally with multiple bands such as Magnetic Band. He currently plays with a quintet Hüsnü Şenlendiri and Laço Tayfa.

He is reknowned for is ability to play the clarinet and has toured internationally at jazz festivals displaying his talent. Note the similarities between his "jazz/westernized" (at least for this video) style of music and Bulgarian Roma music. Obviously, the clarinent is a shared instrument and music is very similar. Anyway, wonderful music. Enjoy!


Wikipedia Entry for Hüsnü Şenlendirici (Descriptive and Recommended)

Calabash Music Entry for Hüsnü Şenlendirici (More Descriptive)

Djena | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Djena| Shte Te Spechelia (You will Win)

Another Chalga Pop Folk hybrid. They synthesizer is an influence from Roma Tallava. All and all its a song for the car or the radio.

Damian Kachulski comments:

It is a nice one, fun and people relax when listening to it.

Dimitris Mitropanos | Daily Dose | Greek Laiko Music!

Dimitris Mitropanos | Roza

Today's Daily Dose comes from Ido Atlasian from Turkey. Thanks for the comments!

Dimitris Mitropanos is a classic figure from Greek "folk" music called Laiko but one should remember that this style isn't necessarily played by all the farmers in their spare time. He is older but was famous in the 1960s, 70s and obviously today. Here is a music video of Roza. I hope to spend more time and flesh out a full post Greek folk music in the near future.

Emanuela | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Emanuela - na povikvane

More lovely Chalga, this time from Emanuela. My Bulgarian friend comments:

Damian Kachulsi says:

Boo, this song is driving me crazy. It is everywhere, but it reminds me of another Emanuela song Da si plashtal (For you to have paid). Aren`t they kind of similar (I think they are both cover versions of another songs).

Here is the Emanuela's "Da si Plashtal" (For you to have paid) for comparison:


Emanuela - Da Si Plashtal

Anelia | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Anelia | Poruchai Pak - Order It Again (Alcohol)

Anelia is also a stable of Chalga and this in on of her new songs this year. Its interesting because because she's using different influences and kind of mish-mashing them. Such as: the "le le le, le le le" is usually used in Roma music or Tallava.

Enjoy.

Preslava| Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Preslava | Ot Dobrite Momicheta - One of the Good Girls

This is Preslava. She is arguably the most popular Chalga singer in Bulgaria right now. This is one of her new songs that is getting a lot of play. She's known for being naturally well endowed in Bulgaria (although there is debate). Anyway, enjoy.

The Balkan Hour | Radio Show Trial Run | 88.1 WRFL Lexington

Last Monday, I finished my training with WRFL 88.1 Lexington to be a Radio DJ. WRFL is the local student radio of University of Kentucky and has a strong history of supporting alternative programming for central Kentucky. Hopefully, I'll be able to play music from the Balkans with WRFL to create a better awareness for the region and to promote artists from the Balkans. This is me on the WRFL website: The Balkan Hour DJ

Anyway, the trial run was great fun and full of freshman mistakes. I'll get the hang of the sound board and other techical details as I practice. Generally, I'm content with the trial run. I would like to have more historical context with better descriptions of each artist or style, some that the Oberlin podcast/radio show is a great example. But I suppose that will come with time.

Please be aware that the beginning and end of the audio are of other radio shows because the .mp3 is archived per hour and not by user. I'll look into sound editing to clean it up. So, keep listening past the first couple of seconds!

Enjoy!




.mp3 Download of the Balkan Hour - Trial Run from WRFL 88.1 Great For Ipods!

Alisiya | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Alisiq |Nai-varvejen - The Most Demanded

Another new Chalga song which Bulgarians would probably classify as "Chalga" as opposed to "Pop-Folk" but are similar enough to grouped as Chalga. Let's look at our Chalga Checklist:

• Almost Naked Woman Singing- Check
• Poor lyrics that are simple and silly that sing about sex, women, men and/or drinking? - Check
• Mixture of Roma, Western Hip-Hop and Balkan Music -Check
  

Its official, its Chalga.

Here is what my Bulgarian friend, Damian Kachulski, had to say about the song:

We say "Nai-Varvejen" or "The Most Demanded" when a brand is very popular, sells very successfully and people want to have it. In the song, the man she is singing for is "the most demanded", as if he sells well at a store. People like it, but however it is a very stupid song.

Turkish Music Podcast! Great Radio Show from Oberlin ETHN 209

As part of Oberlin's Ethnomusicology course about Balkan Music, Oberlin College and Community Radio ( 95.1 ) has created a radio about Balkan music. I've listed the first installment of the Radio show here. Fittingly, they begin with Turkish Folk music which basically influences everything in the Balkans. There are explainations of instraments, music theory and culture. It deals mostly with Turkish folk and Classic music. So sit back and enjoy.

.Mp3 Version : Classical and Folk Turkish Music

This is the RSS feed, complete with music, so you can subscribe to the radio show on iTunes:

http://languages.oberlin.edu/ethn209/radioshow/feed/

The Balkan and Middle Eastern Music Radio Show also has a website, although the RSS feed works just as well because its just a listing of the .mp3s.

Azis | Daily Dose | New Chalga!

Azis | Teb Obicham - You, I love

Another song from Azis. My friends in Bulgaria are telling me its getting a lot of radio play and disco club play. My Bulgarian friend, Damian Kachulski and I both swear we have heard this from somewhere before but can't place. Azis has a horrible track record of "borrowing" songs and claiming them as his own. Let me know if this is the case for this one. Enjoy the Chalga / Pop-Folk!

Mehanata: New York's Bulgarian Bar + Dance Club

I returned to America after two years in a small village in Bulgaria last month and my first stop was New York City. I tried to make it the famous Mehanata (roughly translated; A place with live music that you go for 6 hours and sit around a table with great food and drinks. When you get drunk, you usually start dancing into the night. Kind of a cross between a bar/club and a restaurant). Anyway, Mehanata is pretty much ground zero in New York for Balkan music and live bands. Its a mixture of expats with indie kids that are into Balkan Beats. Eugene Hutz has popularized over the years and its started getting a pretty serious following: Read BalkanBeatit and their write up about Eugene Hutz .

Unfortunately, its only open Thursday, Friday and Saturday. So, make a note of that for those of you in the NYC or a thinking about making a trip. I visited, unfortunately, on a Wednesday so my opinions have to be formed from YouTube clips and a padlocked door. As looked in on, saddened by my poor mistiming, a fellow inside came to the front and opened the door slightly. Embarrassed, I responded in Bulgarian that I was just looking. The Bulgarian, with fresh cut on his forehead (for unknown reasons) looked at me dumbfounded and asked me again what I said in Bulgarian, shocked that I spoke the language (with a strong American accent). I found out that he was just a construction worker who was from Sofia who was just working. We talked for bit but since he was new to Mehanata he wasn't able to be too helpful. Mehanata has a cool vibe about it and is small enough to get lost on a NYC street. I mention it mostly because its significance in the American movement with Gypsy Punk or Balkan Beats. They've been an epicenter of sorts in NYC, sustaining a culture with the help of Gogol Bordello and Eugene Hutz.

I've had some Bulgarian friends go there during a weekend but they reviews are somewhat mixed. A lot of the music played there is more "Balkan" than "Bulgarian" and the Mehanata has no problem associating itself with Gypsy or Roma culture (something most Bulgarian bars would avoid at all costs because of the ethnic tensions/issues still prevalent in Bulgaria, plus Roma people tend to spend less at high class bars than Bulgarians). So, some of the Bulgarians aren't necessarily familiar with Balkan Beat and Gypsy Punk scene, so it becomes a little different than expected. I'd wager a guess that Chalga probably doesn't get a lot of play time as well.
And finally, I really love the Mehanata concept and think that its doing a lot of things right (especially viral marketing through the internet) but, honestly, Astika? What's up? It's like the subpar beers of Bulgaria. Why not Zagorka (not my favorite, but good), Shumensko (excellent) or Pirinsko (my favorite). Bulgaria has great beer but Astika doesn't represent like the others. So, when you go, you are better off just ordering a Rakia.

My Favorite Beer: Pirinsko Beer or Пиринско Пиво

MEHANATA:

Mehanata Bulgarian Bar‎ - more info »

113 Ludlow St, New York, NY‎ - (212) 625-0981‎


Gogol Bordello - Start Wearing Purple

With over 2 million views, this put Mehanata on the map for coolness in the YouTube world.


Yuri Yunakov At Mehanata Bar - NYC

While Mehanata has a lot Balkan Fusion music they also have more "traditional" acts like Yuri Yunakov with Roma/Bulgarian Wedding Music

Alec Kopyt sings Zakritii Grazhdanin (Закрытый Гражданин)

Another live set from Mehanata

Balkan Music Goes Academic | Oberlin Music Blogs!

I just happened upon a gold mine of information about Balkan Music online in the form of series of blogs required by an Oberlin College music class. The class is being taught by Jennifer Fraser, an Assistant Professor of Ethnomusicology at the Conservatory of Music at Oberlin College. The course covers a broad array of musical styles and regional genres ranging from Turkish Folk to Roma Music to Bulgarian Folk music (among others).

Here is what Jennifer Fraser has to say about the course and its blog initiative in her first blog post:

This site is dedicated to writing about and sharing our experiences interacting with these musics, along with articulating the connections between musical style and socio-cultural meanings; for example, how was music used to express sides during various Balkan wars in the 90s? How can you trace the history of socialism and roads to democratization and economic independence through musical practices in the Balkans? How do the cultural legacies of the Ottoman and Austro-Hungarian empires play out in the musical practices of today?

From my cursory browsing through the subject matter, it looks like a fascinating course that approaches Balkan music the way it should (in my opinion) be approached; through a historical, socio-cultural lens. Apparently, it just isn't me that is fascinated by the symbolic nature of Balkan music and its mixing of cultures. Regardless, I encourage those interested in Balkan music to browse through ETHN 209 and its blog posts. They the blogs are written by university students so the quality ranges between insightful to bland but it continues the conversation. These students study at the Oberlin Conservatory of Music so they are often have a much different approach to music compared to myself because they have a better understanding of the musical structure and also the historical background from other genres and styles. So, without further ado, here is the Ethnomusicology 209 course for Oberlin College:

ETHN 209 | Oberlin College | Professor Jennifer Fraser

While the entries are great, I and many other international readers probably won't want to wade through all of the individual websites to browse the collection of opinions about Balkan Music. To counter that, I have created a Google Reader of the entire class which compiles all the submissions of every student in a central place. It should update automatically whenever a student has a new post. But readers can also click the title of the post to go to the individual blog as well. Here is a public RSS Feed page that you can click to view all of the post in a centralized blog format:

http://tinyurl.com/oberlin-ethn-209

To subscribe to the RSS feed, you can just simply click the link here

Subscribe to Oberlin ETHN 209 RSS Feed (all blogs)

Blog Update: New Blog Feed From Oberlin ETHN 209 for Balkan Music

I've placed the the Oberlin ETHN 209 Blog feed on the right column so you can browse the RSS of the latest 10 postings.

Just scroll down to the middle of the page to check it out.

Simitli's Men Singing Group - Izvorite | Daily Dose | Bulgarian Folk Music

Here is another post from Simitli, Bulgaria where I lived for two years as a Peace Corps Volunteer. This is a Bulgarian Folk Music group based out of my home town. They are a good example of the men only choirs prevalent in Bulgaria. Often looked over because of the quality and popularity of Bulgarian all women choirs such as The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices and Trio Bulgarka. Anyway, enjoy the post and be sure to look at the pictures. I took most of the photos and they are all photos from my town.

Again, I have the full CD of Izvorite also if anyone wants it. Just email me through my profile.

The Ostblog | Daily Dose | New Balkan Music Blog

http://www.ostblog.at in German too

There's a Balkan music blog that I just discovered (or they found me) coming from Austria. Written in German (a much better option for the 4% percent of you that hail from Deutschland and Austria), they have cleverly installed a translator that adequately translates all the pages into English.

The blog discusses the Balkan Music movement (Gypsy Punk, Balkan Brass, Balkan Music DJs) from more of a European Perspective but the writer also travels a lot and is introduced to many different styles of music (Kiev and Moscow, just as an example). Its definitely a source to look into when researching about Balkan Music, be sure to check it out.

Be sure to also check out the most recent contributor's MySpace page;

PUTIN DA REKORD

There also is a page detailing what I believe is the list of contributors:

Kollektiv Fischka on the Blog

Separate Website, but in German

Zlatina Metodieva | Daily Dose | Bulgarian Folk Music

Zlatina Metodieva | First Solo Album

This particular post is about an actual Bulgarian friend of mine that I worked with as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Simitli, Bulgaria. The YouTube video is a track from Zlatina's first solo album. She is a young Roma woman still in high school that has studied Bulgarian Folk Music at a school in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria. The photos are from her marketing promotion in town to raise funds for printing and making copies of the Album. I took all of the photos and they are from Simitli.

The music is good example of current Bulgarian Folk Music, which is slightly different than the style of The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices and Philip Kolev. It (conceptually) is more like country music in America.

Anyway, I have the whole CD so if anyone is interested in listening to it. Just email me robert . proudfoot at geemail . com (its on my profile too). Anyway, congratulations to Zlatina for a successful recording of a first solo album.

Boban Markovich | Daily Dose | In Your Stores Now

Boban Markovich is one of the founders of the Balkan Brass movement, more so in the sense that he and other great Romani musicians served as the musical base for western artists. His Serbian Brass music, similar to Hungarian Brass music, has gained popularity within western countries as of late, especially in Europe.

Quick Serbian Language lesson:

Boban Markovic is pronounced Boban Markovich. The "Ć" is actually a "Ch". This usage of "C" holds true for most Slavic languages.

His music is more traditional than the more modern "crossover" artists using Balkan Brass such as Beirut, Shantel and Balkan Beat Box. The music is Serbian / Former Yugoslavian (read: Macedonian, Montenegro, Albanian, Croatian and Bosnian influences). In some circles, he is considered the "King of Gypsy brass bands"and definitely is a great introduction to Balkan Music. He made a name for himself at the Guca (Gucha, remember the "C" is "ch") Golden Trumpet Music Festival by winning the Golden Trumpet in 2001.

While Boban Markovich is Roma and plays Balkan Brass music, its difficult to classify what is "Roma" music and what is a national music (Serbian). So just keep in mind that Boban is from Serbia and draws a lot of influences from Serbian culture while also injected Roma style and culture as well.

I just recently saw this album in the Virgin Megastore in Times Square NYC last week:

Here are some samples from this Boban Markovich Orkestar Album:

TRACK #3: SAT


TRACK #4: MUNDO COCEK (excellent, please play)




Also, there is a live recording floating around of Boban Markovich that I've seen recently in record stores:

Germany's Shantel making waves in the Balkans: Disco Partizani in Serbia's MTV

Germany's Shantel making waves in the Balkans

Just before leaving Bulgaria, I saw Shantel making an appearance on Serbia's "MTV" called DM SAT. The Serbian music television station played Disco Partizani (which was shot in Istanbul. I saw some of the places in the video). I talked about Shantel and this video a while back because of its racial tones by using ciganizatsia (niggerization).

Serbia's Mtv, DM SAT (don't worry they have MTV too)

After the video, DM SAT interviewed Shantel in German about his music and its influences. It was translated into Serbian and I couldn't catch enough of it to follow everything but they definitely were asking him about his Balkan music.

Why is important? For the most part, the Balkans is pretty much unaware of the Westernized Balkan Music movement and rarely has heard of such musicians like Shantel, BalkanBeatBox or Beirut. And that has a certain irony and is probably a good representation of other "World Music" movements throughout the world. What the locals listens to is usually different that the Westernized and culturally translated music that is popular in the Western countries. The fact the Shantel is able to make presence in Serbia (and other Balkan countries, he gets occasional radio time in Bulgaria) is somewhat symbolic of the two types of music directly influencing each other.

Besides, I enjoy nothing more than seeing a German DJ that specializes in remixing Balkan music for clubs in Europe become popular in the Balkans. A similar comparison would be a German Country music star becoming popular in the bible belt. Its just to much fun, in terms of social observation, to not talk about.

Street Performers in Istanbul playing Balkan Music and Speaking English

While wondering the streets in Istanbul, I happened upon a impromptu band playing Balkan Music on the street. They spoke English and announced their songs in English. The played some decent music but most importantly it displays the growth of the Balkan Music movement. Balkan Music obviously isn't new to Istanbul and Turkey, where a good portion of Balkan music draws its roots from the Ottoman Empire. But I find it fun to find Balkan music played by English speakers (from Western Europe or America) in Istanbul. This plays into this Guerrilla Concert feel that some of the westernized Balkan Bands have been attempting recently. Both Hawk and a Hacksaw, and Beirut have been utilizing this approach - mostly in places like Paris. Here's an example from Hawk and a Hacksaw from Paris:


Hawk and a Hacksaw - Oriental Horo



Hawk and a Hacksaw - The Sparrow




Beirut - St. Apollina



Currently YouTube is banned in Turkey and I had to search for these videos using vTunnel.com which opens websites in an iframe. Its a really easy work around to counter the banning of YouTube and kind of shows how foolish the ban was in the first place. I don't really want to explain the ban here, so just click the link and research it yourself.

Dell Laptop of Six Years Passes Away | Limited Posts on The Balkan Hour

It is with a saddened heart today that I must inform you that my feisty laptop of six years passed away quietly in the night. After loosing its batteries and A-drive three years ago and its DVD drive a year ago, the laptop finally succumbed to massive internal failure. The Laptop has graciously donated itself for spare parts in the interest of science here in Bulgaria.

We met at the Vanderbilt School of Engineering in 2002 and I'm happy to say that our relationship was the longest known among friends; there were quarrels and spars but in the end we provided constant companionship throughout the formative college years and then in maturing two years of Peace Corps Bulgaria.

Posts on The Balkan Hour will become slower now and more sporadic until I can have access to the internet on a reliable basis. Until then, read the old posts and don't be afraid send me an email at robert.proudfoot at Gee Mail dot com (although don't expect an immediate response). I'll be traveling the next few weeks too, so this will add to the sporadic posting.

Take Care,

Robert


My Vanderbilt Engineering Dell Laptop
August 2002 - October 2008
RIP

Muharrem Ahmeti | Albanian + Roma | Daily Dose

Muharrem Ahmeti | Albania 2007


This is an Albanian private party with Live music from Muharren Ahmeti.Its hard to tell if its a wedding or not, but this definitely would be played at a wedding. He and the band are switching styles of music throughout the night from Turkish, Roma and traditional. Amza Tairof, from Macedonia, is also there playing on the the KORG. Notice how the money given to the musicians and skilled dancers (usually women), something not quite as normal in America.

Orkestar Kristali | Wedding Music, Romani Style | Daily Dose

Orkestar Kristali - Instrumental


Orkestar Kristali is one of the most popular and reknowned Roma bands in Bulgaria. They play mostly Roma weddings and festivals. It would be considered Roma Music in Bulgara, a big departure from Romanian and Serbian Roma music

Notice the KORG is still there.

Sevchet | Tallava | Daily Dose

Sevchet - Rap/hip-hop/Romani



Sevchet is a Romani musician from Macedonian who straddles Tallava / Traditional Romani music and hip-hop / Rap. Here is a live recording of Sevchet (sometimes written Sevcet or Sev4et; 4=c=ch in Slavic languages sometimes online). This would probably be classified as Tallava but it would be also called just Roma music in Bulgaria.