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.

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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

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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.

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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

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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)