New Muxtape - Romani Music from Bulgaria

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.

Čoček - Kuchek Mix
[ click it http://balkanhour2romanigirlpicks.muxtape.com/ ]

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)

Introducing the Zurni Muxtape

I've put together a Muxtape of some zurni music and also music that is associated with it. There are three traditional zurni tracks put along side some Bulgarian chalga music (its like western pop, i'll explain it later), a traditional Ottoman Janissary March Band song and some Roma Kuchek music. Before the powers that be declare the blasphemy of linking Romani Kuchek, Bulgarian Chalga and Turkish Military Music together with Zurni, please keep in mind that I'm doing this for two reasons:

• We're hardcore for Balkan Music, but not that hardcore - One hour of solid listening to zurni is bound to give anyone a headache. It gave me one. It so hard explain that zurni is just better in person. I mixed up the muxtape a little bit.
• Comparison Shopping - I want you to realize that Turkish/Ottoman military music is similar but not exactly the same. Additionally, you'll see the Bulgarian chalga bastardizing the traditional zurni into a pop song. And, finally, I want you to be exposed to some Bulgarian Roma Kuchek that also utilizes the zurni concept.

[ click it http://balkanhour.muxtape.com/ ]

You need to double click the first song when it opens into a new window. It should play on its own. This is a practice round using muxtape, we'll see how it goes.

Explaination of the Playlist:

1. Traditional Zurni used in processions and public celebrations.
2. Ottoman Janissary Band Music - Mehter Ceddin Deden - This is probably the most popular Mehter song in Turkey. The songs were used like ballads to record history and to impress conquered peoples. Lyrics and English translation
3. Traditional Zurni, a variation on a theme
4. Malina - Strast ( Passion) - This Bulgarian pop folk star has "borrowed" the zurni as the theme for her song about passion, love and sex.
5. More Zurni, notice that its a lot simpler than the Turkish form and easy to do live (it requires three musicians, no electricity and preparation).
6. Kuti - Haigurski Zurna Kuchek - This is Romani Kuchek from Bulgaria, so it varies from the traditional Serbian and Romanian bands favored in the west and has more a hip-hop feel to it. It has cheesy lines at the begining where he asks "do you speak Romani?, okay we'll do it Romani style", loosely translated, and random inserted horse sounds. This song is more of a tribute to the concept of zurni except the Roma band is using a more versitle and dynamic instrament; a clarinet.