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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.

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