FTX-602 - SVADBENE OBICAJI SPICA
Folkmusic of Montenegro & Slovenia
Recordings by Peter Kennedy of the International Folk Music Festival held at
Opatija in 1951. The performers were specially selected as being the most authentic
coming from the more remote villages. After 1950 it was only the professional
communist ensemble groups, approved by the Party leaders, that tended to survive
mainly for tourist entertainment, while the local customs and music either disappeared
or went underground for the time being.
MONTENEGRO
1. SVADBENE OBICAJI IZ SPICA Spican Wedding Songs by a mixed group from Bar,
Sutomore. First, at the bridegroom's, there is a blessing by the women standing
behind the men who are seated at the table, then by the men as the groom's father
anoints his son. The second song is at the time of the bride's arrival when
there is much excitement and the firing of a pistol, followed by a final circular
dance by both men and women - 3'33"
2. O SEBE - Shkupetar dance of erotic character from Gorana, Bar, played by
Iso Biletec (diple) and Alil Koracevic (drum). The Shkupetare are Albanian Moslems
whose music still shows the vestiges of earlier Turkish rule - 1'13"
3. TANKO POJU - Pastoral, sung outside the house by women while they are knitting,
by Olga Ivezic from Titograd. - 1'57"
4. STARI BRKO - Men's dance with "dvejnice" (double pipe) by group from Gotovusa,
Plevlje, with fast foot-changing which clearly shows the influences of its Serbian
origin - 0'57"
5. DUET NA KAVALIMA - Two shepherd tunes from Zatrijebac played by Nikola & Frano Dedivanovic of Titograd on 2 kavals (wooden pipes) with one octave range
- 2'31"
6. SEOSKO SIJELO - Dance with pistols from Dacici by 2 men with "tapan" drum
from Ivangrad, a fighting dance with mounting tension of which this is just
an extract. - 0'45"
7. SVADBENI OBICAJI I IGRE - Dance with a rifle. Extract of Shkupetare solo
men's dance to the tambura (stringed instrument) and clapping. A young man from
Gusinje, Andrijavica, cleans his gun, caresses it, presses it to his heart and
kisses it then leans upon it to demonstrate its strength. At the end he waves
it, shouts for joy and then fires.- 1'33"
8. LJUBOVICU BAJO PIVLJANIN - Historical Epic Ballad sung by Bogdan Jovanovic
(aged 35) of Danilovgrad to his own accompaniment on the gusle, an instrument
which is only used for such epic poems, the notes being produced by lightly
touching strings rather than stopping or shortening them (as on a violin for
example), in order to fill in the gaps of the song. - 5'48"
9. KANJA - Shkupetare song from Gusinje during which the bride has her nails
painted. - 2'02"
10 ZETSKO KOLO Wedding dance from Cetinje to an 8 syllable line folksong,
which is the most typical of Montenegrin folkdances with its characteristic
majestic movements. 0'48"
11. CRMNICKO KOLO - A similar dance from Crmnica with a more condensed rhythm.
- 0'49"
SLOVENIA
12. KRESNICE - Ritual Song from Semic, Crnomelj, sung by 4 girls with counter-melody
played on a wooden 6-hole pipe, which is associated with the summer solstice
processions at the feast of St. John. The girls, dressed in white, are given
bread to put in their baskets. "God, grant us a good evening, a better morning
and a good harvest" - 1'06"
13. ZELENI JURIJ ("Green George") - a Spring Ritual, the equivalent of our
"Jack-in-the-Green, sung by young people, is preceded by shouting, the ringing
of cow-bells and blowing of birch bark horns. - 2'50"
14. KOLO MOST - The girls dance a kolo with Green George, then, tearing leaves
and branches from the trees, they throw them from the windows in the town square
and run off with him to the woods. "The tree-top beckons, Green George, so very
green, and the tricksters are looking for their treats" - 1'09"
15. TKALECKA - Three Round Dances with orchestra from Beltinci, Murska Sobota.
First a Weaver's Guild Polka led by the Guild master in which the men pass a
handkerchief under their legs as a symbol of the weaver's shuttle; a stamping
and clapping dance popular at weddings. These are circular kolos danced at weddings
in which a man invites a girl into the centre, kisses her and leaves her in
the centre to make her own choice of her partner - 2'12"
16. SAMARJANKA - 1'17"
17. MARKO SKACE - 1'05"
18. METLICKO KOLO - Ritual dance song from Crnomelj led by the "Vojarinka"
(woman leader), a winding and unwinding serpentine with a "Most Vrata" (bridge-gate)
- 2'59"
19. ROZA PRUNGARIJENA - Another serpentine weaving dance, remnant of a sacrificial
rite for a dead Vejveda (lord) who had to cross the bridge of spirits. It has
a refrain referring to the loveliest woman of the castle who is placed for fun
on the pillar of shame - 1'57"
20. RESETCA - The Vojarinka alternately picks a man and a girl for the "Zumberska
Druzina" (wedding company) - 3'40"
21. TURN - This recalls dances devoted to funeral ceremonies in honour of dead
chieftains. The men followed by the women process round, waving and shouting.
- 1'00"
22. KORANTOVANJE - The Spring Carnival Masquerade from Sveti Marko Pod Ptujem
(Ptuj) There's a "Rusa"(hobby-horse) with accordion, "Oraci " (six men pulling
a plough) and "Koranti", in masks and sheepskins, with cowbells and bags of
flowers, who are preceded by the "Pocak" with a whip shouting and frightening
the children, to drive away "pusta" the enemy of winter. 2'33"
Recorded by Peter Kennedy, 11th September 1951 with the aid of The Yugoslav
Council for Science & Culture. First published on Folktrax cassettes 1977.
