Probably not the best name out there for Balkan Music journalism, but Balkan Beat It is a new online magazine that covers the Balkan / Roma Music movement. It still a really new website and they haven't finished updating their Wordpress template. Conceptually, it seems the idea is fun and could potentially become something dynamic with listings of concerts, music reviews and exclusive interviews.
So keep it on your radar. Once it become more fleshed out and its quality continues, I'll mention it again. But for now, its something to keep an eye on.
Okay, so Shantel has been something of the rage lately in the world of Balkan Influences--especially in the club scene in Berlin.
In his latest disco hit, he mixes some Balkan signature sounds and melodies to create, admittedly, a rather catchy track that makes you want to dance. With over 1.7 million views on YouTube, obviously Shantel is receiving some sort of following or fanbase. Listen to what the woman says in his latest hit:
Shantel DISKO PARTIZANI
She's saying:
Cigan iz a tsia which can be loosely translated to Cigan - ization or Roma- ization
Which English could be translated as: Nigger - ization (for roma, not black people)
Phonetically: si gan iz a tsia (the ts is said together)
This could be interpreted as anything from being racist (a rather harsh interpretation) to blatantly ignorant of cultural tensions (possible). Or possibly he's wanting to cleverly use Ciganization like Globalization to talk about the spread of Romani culture. Frankly, I just don't know. Its just a strange word usage to use as a refrain to a song.
Cigan or Roma | Nigger or Nigga | Reappropriation
I'm not about to start this debate but in Bulgaria and other Balkan countries Roma are commonly called Roma or Cigani. After some international conferences a couple of decades ago, some Romani decided that they preferred the name of Roma as compared to Cigani because of its discriminatory past. Cigan can be used rather offensively in the Balkans if used in the proper context, much akin to using the term nigger for blacks. Now, there is a national debate within the Romani and Bulgarian communities as to what the proper term is to describe Roma. By and large, the intellectuals, politicians (except the racists ones) and cultural leaders use the word Roma to describe Romani people with the occasional spattering of Cigani for jokes or culturally insensitive comments. In a lot of ways, this is similar to the debate between nigger, niga and black in America. Black or African-American is generally accepted term, such as Roma in the Balkans, while nigga is reserved for those in the ethnic circle while usage of nigger is forbidden. Most Roma use Cigani as a way of self-claiming the derogatory word to own it while most Romani are sensitive to other non-Roma saying the word (very similar to the usage of nigger and nigga in America). The smart people in the world call this Reappropration. Regardless, its weird for Shantel to be using Cigan in his songs because of the potential for being offensive and also possibly the lack of cultural understanding. Imagine for a moment some white American rapping over Latin hip-hop with occasional potentially racist comments in Spanish. Its just goofy.
So let us recap:
He's German
His parents are from Bukovina, which is part Romanian and Ukrainian
He's white, really.
He dropped the equivalent of the N-Bomb in his hip-hop disco hit
He's rapping/rhyming in English
He's throwing in Bulgarian/Slavic derogatory words in as seasoning.
For anyone that has listened to a lot of live Romani music from Bulgaria (and other parts of the Balkans), probably the fist thing one notices is the lack of large bands and the prevalence of the synthesizers. So, what's the deal with the synthesizers and Bulgarian Romani Music? Well, simply put, its about money. Some of the best bands in the Balkans, such as Taraf de Haidouks and the Kocani Orkestar, have huge bands with around 10 people. For the most part, Roma musicians in Bulgaria make money from live performances and actually aren't musicians full time. They do construction work on the side or seasonal migrant work in Europe. So this leaves them with weddings, birthdays, christenings and festivals as stable forms of income as musicians. Please, if you can, put the image of the Wedding Singer in your mind with Adam Sandler.
These gigs pay at a flat rate and musicians can charge anywhere from 300 t0 2000 dollars. These are great prices for one day of work but this all depends on the number of musicians and the distance required to travel to play.
An Little Economic Analysis (without econometrics):
For every new member of the band, that new member improves the quality of the band marginally less. This Diminishing Margin of return (I knew those words would come in handy some day!) for wedding music helps explain first why most bands are smaller and also why people have started using synthesizers. One person can play the saxophone, keyboard, clarinet, brass and steel guitar all at the same time. And he only needs to learn how to play the piano/keyboard to master all of these instruments. So, why would someone make a huge band when they could have a smaller band and collect more money? Its pretty logical. Of course, there is a point where the quality of the music (supposedly shown by more musicians that have more specific specializations: saxophone, clarinet, guitar, etc.) out weighs the economy of less players but I don't really know where the line is in Bulgaria. Obviously in America, this line of economy versus quality is rather low; basically anyone that is touring professionally and has a large record deal doesn't have to worry about such considerations.
It has become interesting because most Americans would look down upon a person "playing" the clarinet or saxophone through a synthesizers but most Bulgarian and Romani see this as a legitimate talent and like the sound/style. Now, someone that is capable of playing a synthesizer is in great demand, not only as part of a band but also for music events from large fanbases. The synthesizers, I would say, is the the base of almost all Romani and Bulgarian Folk Music bands in Bulgaria (doing live events on a regular bases, not necessarily for records).
But its Got to be Live:
Most Americans are comfortable with the Walkman and then Ipod society that emphasizes higher quality playback over live music. For whatever reason, live music is in greater demand in Bulgaria than playing back music from CDs or Mp3s. Possibly this has something to do with the relative cheapness of the musicians; costing as a minimum about 15% ($40) for small celebration to about a month's salary $300. It could also be cultural. Especially for Romani events, live music is probably the most important aspect. But cultural preference between live and DJ'd music is hard to determine, so its just something to think about.
One interesting question is whether the synthesizer was introduced first as a economical solution or as a stylistic modification. I've noticed that some bands, even though they are some of the most famous in Bulgaria, still choose utilize the synthesizer as a focal point (giving solos and keeping the melody in some cases). What would have been solos by musicians playing a clarinet or saxophone is now dominated by synthesizer solos.
Perhaps Balkan People have less qualms about the introduction and usage of new music mediums to their repertoire? I'm not sure. If you ask most Bulgarians (including romani Bulgarians) there are traditional instruments and only those instruments can play Bulgarian folk music; but somehow the synthesizer has slipped into this also. All I know is synthesizers are here to stay in Bulgaria and they play both economical and musical roles in the live bands in Bulgara. For those of you that have seen a lot of YouTube Clips, start watching for the synthesizers; they are almost always there.
Here are some good examples of the synthesizer:
Amza & Cita (Cheetah) (Filmed in Macedonia)
Orkestar Kristali
One of the most famous Romani bands in Bulgaria, yet they choose to keep the synthesizer at part of the band; playing a leading role. This, ironically, was shot at a political campaign event for NDCB which is the political party of the son of the last Bulgarian King.
Orkestar Univers, 2008
Ork.Pit Bull & Malkia Boril
The is just sampling of the different bands. Notice that the synthesizer can be the whole band (Amza and Cita) or can just be the backbone of the band (Kristali, Univers). Anyway, its interesting to think about.
Instead of randomly floating through the the related videos of YouTube, ChalgaTube speeds up the process of exploration for new music by its categorized and pre-selected favorites. The sites in english but rough around the edges. Use it as a way to continue your search for music. I personally recommend The Romani Music selection. These are really good examples of Romani Music in Bulgaria and are a good resource for someone want to expand their knowledge past Serbian and Romanian Romani styles of music.
ChalgaTube's Music Breakdown, for your listening pleasure:
Romani Music (mostly Bulgarian style, some great Wedding Music Clips)
Aliosha is a Romani Clarinetist that also sings from Bulgaria. Originally from, I believe, Montana, Bulgaria, he has earned a reputation within the Roma Community as a one of the better Romani musicians. His style of music, as with much of Bulgarian Roma music, is much more different than what is considered Serbian (Brass Band) Roma music or Romanian Roma music (violins). He also is well known for his singing of the Tallava style of music as well.
He typically plays at weddings and other events with a mixture of Romani Kuchek and Bulgarian folk music (but with a distinctive sound to it). Occasionally, he plays with Sasho Bikov (barabani drummer), Okka who plays soprano sax and Orkestar Univers.
An interesting dynamic of Bulgarian roma music is that the musicians often don't play as a "set" but often mix and match musicans based on availability,
When searching for Aliosha, use a combination of Bulgarian and transliterated Englished.
Aliosha
Alioshkata (The Aliosha)
Альошката (The Aliosha)
Альоша (Aliosha)
Here are some examples of his music via YouTube and vbox7.com (Bulgarian YouTube). One thing you should keep in mind is almost all of these recordings are made by amaeturs and the sound quality isn't going to be matching professional recording studios:
Aliosha playing live with at Roma Wedding in Bulgaria
Its August and all Bulgarians are feeling a primal urge to take their yearly trek to the Black Sea for a tan, drinking, dancing and--with luck-- love (or something equivalent). For most Americans, it could be explained as a cross between spring break and the family vacation to the beach. Partially stemming from the communist times of when each family was entitled two weeks at the Black Sea at the communist hotels, this tradition has carried on as a national pilgrimage. The train seats are oversold and people sleep in the corridors, special bus routes specifically for the Black Sea tourist beaches, and everything is more expensive (but still insanely cheap for Americans and Europeans).
So, without further ado, here is the Black Sea Club Mix. Most of this music would be considered "Chalga" in Bulgaria which is comparable to American pop through its mixture of many different styles and genres to create Balkan pop music. This is the music that a majority of Bulgarian youth listen to and is standard at most clubs at the Black Sea.
Muxtape is currently being harrassed by the RIAA so I won't be able to put the music in Muxtape form. I'm going to just post them as YouTube clips.
I'm all about crazy album art, but can we stop exploiting the Romani cultural image? Here are some examples that just drive me crazy. These musicians are using the perceived Romani image as a "stamp" of authenticity. And like it or not, the media and western culture has accepted these artists as the representations of Romani and Balkan Music. Just read the NY Times or any of the hip blogs.
The Stereotypical Problem:
When you talk to Europeans about Romani people, usually two things pop into their minds: 1) nomadic musicians that live a bohemic and romantic lifestyle playing where ever the wind takes them 2) Street thieves and beggars. And then, after some thought or if someone that has done a little research about Roma he or she will think: 3) Abject poverty cause by lack of education and culture.
Is this really the whole cultural spectrum of the Romani Culture?
The answer is obviously no. Anyone who is interested in Romani or Balkan culture will discover this as they research the region and discover more of its beauty. But, this is something that most people don't have time for and don't want to commit to time to. And that's okay, but I think we need to be aware of these shortfalls and recognize them for what they are. In a perfect world, bands wouldn't feel the need to put stereotypical images of Roma on their covers (Because their music isn't Balkan nor is it Roma, more like DJ mixed music with Balkan and Roma samples). But I realize these bands want an image that the will instantly associate them with a certain image (Roma and Balkans). And for them, these images are the easiest way get their message across.
Cashing In
Balkan music has become somewhat "cool" in the past couple of years and a lot Americans and Europeans are cashing in with record deals and concerts (Balkan Beat Box, Shantel, Balkan Beats). Now, granted, they aren't exactly Madonna or 50 cent, but they aren't living in abject poverty either. They are acting as the cultural ambassadors to the west; interpreting these Balkan sounds into something that western audiences can understand . . . and charging cover at the door for the translation.
Giving Back
Look. If you are going to sample heavily from Balkan and Romani Musicans and then repeatedly stereotype Romani and their culture for you own personal gains (be money, popularity, hipsterism), then I say you've got to give back. So, maybe you'll keep exploiting the images and sounds of Romani culture for night clubs in Berlin and Paris--and like I said before, that's okay. But give something back. Perhaps a program similar to Patagonia where 1% of revenue goes to charity, every year--regardless of whether they were profitable. This concept has gained momentum and now its got over 700 business involved with the 1% for the Planet environmentalism campaign. I know its hard to be a musician and also champion causes but that's just part of deal. When you take something, you need to give back. Start by forming Romani scholarships or by contributing to already existing ones, like George Soros's Roma Education Fund.
Oh, did I mention that giving back to the community gives you free marketing and also makes you more appealable to a greater market? Think about it. Either stop the blatant I'm-with-the-Romani associations or give some money back to where you are getting your marketing strategies. Its worth it.
For anyone wanting to learn more about Roma music, this is must see film. The premise is simple: lets put some of the most famous Roma musicians from different countries and have them tour together in America. This film documents that journey and although I haven't seen it(its impossible to find in a downloadable form and it sure didn't show in Bulgaria), I would expect that it is definitely worth the $20. If anything, its a great music documentary that allows you to see these famous musicians up close and also give better understanding of the Romani fusion throughout Euroasia.
One of the most well known Balkan Romani singers is Esma Redžepova. She started her career at age fourteen when she competed and won a Macedonian singing contest in Skopje. She then joined the Stevo Teodosievski Ensemble where the Ensemble leader later became her husband. After much success in the Balkans, she now tours internationally. She also, similar to Oprah in some ways, started her own music school for unfortunate Romani children. Esma Redžepova has also adopted over 50 children from Macedonia and has her own foundation to help her fellow Roma who are less fortunate
Please read more about her at her official website or the wikipedia page (it isn't the best, but its great for quick info)
So, basically, Esma Redžepova something similar to Aretha Franklin, Madonna and Judy Garland. She started her singing career early (professionally on the road at age 14), became a symbol of Romani everywhere by raising awareness and simultaneously being a pop star.
Basically, when discussing Roma music and Balkan music a presence that needs to be mentioned, admired and acknowledged. I've assembled a playlist of some of Esma Redžepova's work over the years, starting from when she was young to her 4:oo Minutes to Save the World song to prove she's still got it.
Some of you might find it easier to navigate through the playlist from YouTube page. I'm not having much luck embedding the playlists, so I've embeded all of the videos on this page.
Esma Redzepova - Caje Sukarije By far, this is her most famous song. There are newer versions but I think this archive footage captures the era and her form as when she was younger; definitely a Diva.
Esma Redžepova "Romano horo", gypsy song One of her better known songs, "Romano horo" means "Old Roma" and she's sing about being merry and celebrating. Sung in Romani with a spattering of Macedonian such as "I-de" which means "let's go".
Esma Redžepova i Enver Rasimov- Site devojčinja This is good example of her ability to sing Macedonian Folk Music as well as Roma music.
Esma Redzepova I Gogo Zafirovski-Biljana Platno Belese Another example of her Folk music singing talents. This is Macedonian folk song.
Esma Redzepova- Moj Ocka Ima Konjicka Dva This is a lovely historical artifact from the Yugoslavian Era. Esma Redzepova is singing a Slovenian folk song from when they where unified republics.
Esma Redzepova- Makedonijo, Rosno Cveke Another famous Macedonian Folk song which is also sung in Bulgaria (from personal experience)
Tose Proeski & Esma Redzepova - Magija This Esma's "4 Minutes" song. She's partnered with one of the hippest Macedonian pop singers.
The other day, I asked one Roma youth I work with to show me her favorite Roma songs. She, with great excitement, started sharing with me the names of most of the popular Roma singers in Bulgaria. Its all pretty much Kuchek which is a style of Roma music that is related to Turkish Kuchek. Its a departure from the traditional Balkan cocek (cho-chek) in the lack of presence of brass instruments. Never the less, this is considered Bulgarian Kuchek by most Roma and Bulgarians in Bulgaria.
It was a fun experience and some of the sound quality is poor (stripped from the radio or put up with voice overs for advertising). I, unfortunately, wasn't able to download and play the music fast enough for her. She is an excitable young girl that talks faster than most normal people can think with a huge heart. With every song, she immediately broke out dancing. I'm giving you this muxtape so that those interested in Balkan music and Roma cocek or kuchek can understand better what normal teenage roma girls find interesting from their Roma cultural ethnos. I also want you to understand that the term cocek is very vague and encompasses many different types of music (most people aware of Serbian cocek/kuchek probably haven't heard this style before). And, I'm afraid, because I said just Roma music, she just gave me what she considers Roma music. But rest assured, she can sing to the latest Bulgarian and Western pop, hip-hop and rap music too. Anyway, enjoy it and picture a 16-year-old singing along to theses lyrics while dancing kuchek (if you don't know how to dance it, I'll leave it for another day)
I realize that some people aren't really that interested in reading about my ramblings about Balkan Music and that they are much more interested just listing to the music. So, with this in mind, I've created a link at the top of the Blog that you can click for just music entries, meaning all the posts are short and only have playable music.
Also, please refer to the sections of links I've created in the sidebar. Everything I'm linking to here are the official websites of very famous Balkan bands (bands you should be aware of) or really great resources to continue research about Balkan music. I only post links that are authentic or highly informational. Please note that sometimes the official websites are lacking somewhat but they are great places to start research.
Here are some video clips from the Pirin Pee Music Festival from Predel, Bulgaria. It gives you a picture of the range of music played here and the different sizes of stages used. For More Videos, Click the YouTube Playlist.
I strongly recommend watching the videos but I didn't want to bombard you with 7 videos on the blog. Embedding the playlist isn't working . . .
America Meets Macedonia . . . in Paris I happened upon a rather amazing clip of Zach Condon from Beirut and the Kočani Orkestar playing live at a club in Paris. I've love this image captured by a fan blog (french) in the crowd. You've got a white guy from New Mexico who was learned about Balkan Music in a four month trip to Paris fronting for one of the best Roma Balkan Brass Bands from Macedonia. This is a good example of the disconnect between America and the Balkans--and yet one can visually see Zach Condon acting as the physical and vocal conduit between the Romani Kočani Orkestar and their white Parisian audience. Zach and Beirut are in the NY Times / Review and have a snazzy website. The Kočani Orkestar doesn't have a actual website just a record deal and fans .
Zach Condon is putting the music into something people in the west can understand. Its good music but its also worth noting humor in it. It takes a 21-year-old college dropout from America for the west to start to get the Balkan sound, especially the famous Romani music. So sit back and enjoy the music and don't be afraid to crack a smile.
Pirin Pee (its means sings, its pronounced "pae") | Пирин Пее
The Bulgarian folklore festival in Predel just ended today, I thought I would post some of the photos. The location is absolutely beautiful and the name of the festival is fitting because the mountains really do sing with folk music.
It was a great experience and I'll posts about the weekend following this week.
Before living abroad, I always found "world music" or "international music" or "ethnic" music" interesting and strange; meriting a once-through so I could feel like the proper cultured American. However, I feel that I am coming to a better understanding of, not necessarily music from different cultures, but how our American culture processes music from other cultures by bastardizing it and commercializing it. Granted, these aren't necessarily bad things but I think its important for it to be raised in the discussion.
Some Observations without Accusations:
==>Insert White Man Here<== International Music cool and all, and we like listening to it. But, honestly, we need a somebody from "our" side playing it. It makes us comfortable and we are more likely to (most importantly) buy it.
If ain't in the NY Times . . . it might as well not exist within the culture framework of America. It's not because the NY Times is pretentious (it is) or that the NY Times has better access to good music; its just that we want someone or something with some sort of culture authority telling us what to think. That's like a whole dissertation right there and I don't really want to write too much about it. So, just think about it. It ain't bad, just consider your sources before you go all I'm-in-the-know and whatnot.
Yeah, but could you rap over it? Jay-z anyone? Some call it sharing cultures with music but its just seems rather authoritative and heavy handed to throw down a guitar and drums or cool rhyme on everything that comes through our proverbial Ellis Island of international music. It just shows again that we need to be linked to the music somehow to be able to create a common interest. Without a white man, authoritative cultural figure or Americanizing it, it hard for Americans to absorb the music. We need that link.
The Ipod Movement You have your playlist of perfectly optimized songs and I have mine. And, sure, we like sharing our Ipod with our friends (a sort of whose belt is longer contest: "Oh you've got Mates of State? Yeah, but did you see Peaches on there? I just like their first album . . "). With the Ipod movement, we run the risk of creating our own worlds impervious to outside influences. Sure "our worlds" are rather cultured and broad but it takes a lot of work to find new music 1) Go to a Computer 2) Find new music through website/friends/Last.fm 3) Illegally download 4) Hack Itunes to be flexible. That makes us willing to try "new Music" or world music but we limit ourselves because each song takes work. We just want the best ones whereas with the radio, it is meant as a background to your day. Not the focus. This means that most people have selections of Balkan music and its is more difficult to have a broader spectrum.
Yeah, but is it REALLY Roma/Balkan/Folk? I don't know the answer to that one. But think about it: LE MYSTERE DES VOIX BULGARES are the uncontested symbol of Bulgarian Folklore music but the name of the group is in . . . French. I just don't know.
The Kiss and Makeup with America:
So does this mean that western style artists are exploiting the Balkans and aren't playing "real" Balkan music? My answer would have to be a resounding, Does it matter? Is it good music? Do you enjoy it? Well, then its real enough for me. Now, whether or not it can be stamped with a packaged, sealed and marketed brand saying "The Real Balkan Sound" is a different question. I can say with almost certainty that most people from the Balkans have never heard of these new and up and upcoming bands in America (I'll be posting about them later).
So, lets just say that its got a "Balkan sound" or its influenced by the "Balkan Music". And that's cool.
So, whenever I introduce a band or artist with bastardized or westernized Balkan Music, I'm going to list it as: Balkan Influences . This allows the people to become aware of really cool Balkan Influenced bands but not misunderstand them for music from the Balkans.
The Balkan Hour | Balkan Influences
Do Balkan Influences need to be discussed within the same discussion of Balkan Music? Of course! What better gauge do you have of what outsiders perceive as interesting and captivating? It allows one to observe what it says about the outsider's culture as well. (Such as Bulgarians affinity to western hip-hop and pop that's solely danceable).
Gypsy TV is an new commercial media venture to raise awareness about Roma culture and identity. Located in Bulgaria, it focuses mostly on Roma living in Bulgaria. Often the Roma culture and traditions in Bulgaria are overlooked internationally and also nationally. This station is an excellent viewing glass for Romani culture and traditions in Bulgaria. Its a bare bones production that will seem to most Americans somewhat amatuerish. But its worth tuning into every once a while to listen to the music programs. Most of the programing isn't in English, so if you hit it at the wrong time its not really going to be that captivating.
Historically the homeland of Alexander the Great, Macedon was a ancient kingdom that became a geographic region over time. When the Ottoman Empire fell, the the preceding power vacuum caused the political national groups of Serbia, Bulgaria and Greece to fight over the spoils. The Balkan Wars thus ensued and everyone ended up hating each other.
Macedonia, the word, is a time bomb waiting to happen. And that has happened, more than once. Over the past 100 years, four countries have been simultanenously claiming their Macedonian heritage and the Macedonian name much in the the way that Italians would claim their Roman heritage. The heritage is there . . . but there isn't exactly a clear definition of who is from the ancient Macedonian kingdom. Like most things in the Balkans, you get many nation states claiming a common heritage and making it an issue of national pride who is really (for instance) "Macedonian".
When the dust settled, Serbia had gained the lion's share of the region by making it a republic in its ill-conceived federation of states. Bulgaria lost a large portion of the ethnically Bulgarian regions and was left with the Pirin Mountains. Greece claimed the large southern part with the largest city Thessaloníki--the very same city that birthed the founder of the modern Turkish state-Mustafa Kemal Atatürk. Again we have the wonderful soft contradictions permeating the Balkan culture.
What the heck does FYROM Mean?
About 15 years ago, some of you might have noticed that a new country popped up in the Balkans called FYROM and you probably paused for a second to remark on its awkwardness. I bet even some of you tried to pronounce it (hand raised) -- f i r o m ? It actually stands for Former Yugoslavia Republic of Macedonian, which was the official name of the country when it was recognized in 1993 by the United Nations. Why would any budding nation choose to A) Pick an incredibly awkward acronym that stupid Americans would think is the actual name of the country, B) mention the country the declared independence from in their nation's name (Former English Colony United States of America, FECUSOA)? Answer: Well, someone had already taken that name . . . actually two countries, both Bulgaria and Greece.
The largest geographical region in Greece is called Macedonia and I'm sure you could imagine the confusion and outrage of the Greeks that their newly formed neighbor to the north was called the same name as their own territorial claim to Macedonian linage. This outrage caused Macedonia (now we are talking about the political state) to be initially called FYROM within the international community.
Greek Macedonia
Bulgaria also lays claim to name Macedonia to describe its southwest region encompassing the Pirin Mountains. This is seen more as a description of a cultural and territorial region than as a politically recognized region.
Pirin Macedonia
So, one has to create a fine but important line between the political Macedonia and the cultural Macedonia. There are parts of traditional Macedonian culture sprinkled throughout the northern part of Greece, southwest Bulgaria, Serbia, Kosovo and Macedonia.
Bulgarian or Macedonian Folk Songs?
When a Bulgarian from the southwestern Bulgaria (Macedonian region) celebrates a national holiday, birthday or festival, he (usually not she . . .) starts drinking rakia--grape brandy that is akin to moonshine--and sings the traditional folk songs that were taught to him as young child. But in this region of Bulgaria, what are those folk songs . . . ? They're old Macedonian songs from before Macedonia and Bulgaria where divided from the Balkan Wars.
When browsing the online chatter, Macedonians are indignant that Bulgarians sing Macedonian folk songs. Those songs represent a nationalism that is being attacked by other countries claiming those songs as part of their cultural ethos. Bulgarians are, for the most part, dismissive of Macedonia and its claims of difference--almost as if they were a the prodigal son that joined Serbia and will one day return. The conversation almost always ends with "Oh, they are Bulgarians; they speak Bulgarian with an accent".
So which are they, Bulgarian folks songs or Macedonian folk songs? Neither. They are folk songs sung from the geographic region of Macedonia in both Macedonia and Bulgaria. (How about that for running a fine line . . . )
This weekend, I will be attending the Pirin Sings (Пирин Пее) in the Pirin Mountains and I hope to gather a better picture of the traditional folk music played there. Pirin Sings (Pirin Pee or Пирин Пее) is a folklore festival held every two years on the first weekend of August where thousands gather in the mountain meadows for singing, dancing, drinking and eating. What's not like? Its a recommended hidden jewel of Bulgaria for intentional tourists.
I'll post examples of Macedonian music after the weekend, but for now, here's a famous Bulgarian Macedonian Folk Song that is sung in both Macedonia and Bulgaria.
Tangentially Referenced:
For anyone that has access to JSTOR, this is a great article about the Politics of Folk Music in the Balkans: The Politics of Folklore in Bulgaria, Carol Silverman
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