Macedonian and Balkan Folk Music

Macedonian Postcards

ohrid-sunset-over-albania-w400

Lake Ohrid Sunset

David Bilides and Dragi Spasovski are your hosts for discussions and samples of all 54 Macedonian folk songs in Dragi's 3-CD project, as well as stories about the recordings, musicians, Dragi's life, and Macedonian culture in general. You can download each episode individually under the links section for that episode, listen to an audio stream of each episode, or you can subscribe to the entire series through one of the links on the right sidebar.

Episode 30: Izlegol Seljman, prošetal

This song from northern Macedonia, which Dragi learned from his mother, talks about a mother's fears for her son marrying a woman from another village. He also discusses the passing down of cultural traditions, and the population mix of villages in past generations.

Audio and Links for Episode 30

Episode 30: Izlegol Seljman, prošetal (12:50)

Izlegol Seljman, prošetal (Dragi Spasovski, Track 11)

Izlegol Seljman, prošetal (Rajna Spasovska, 3:00)

13 February 2013

Episode 29: Domaḱine dobri gosti ti dojdoa

This song from southwest central Macedonia praises the master of the house. Dragi talks about how popular this song is, sung by everyone at special occasions. Dragi heard his mother singing it, and he talks about the first recording artist, Angelko Spirkovski.

Audio and Links for Episode 29

Episode 29: Domaḱine dobri gosti ti dojdoa (18:54)

Domaḱine dobri gosti ti dojdoa (Dragi Spasovski, Track 10)

Ergen odev (Angelko Spirkovski, 2:46)

Imal popot magarence (Angelko Spirkovski, 2:14)

Igrale igrale devojčina (Angelko Spirkovski, 2:24)

Mnogu merak imam babo (Vidanka Georgieva, 5:11)

18 November 2012

Episode 28: Bolen leži mladi Jovan

This song from the Skopje region features the gajda (bagpipe). Dragi learned it from a recording by the famed Trio Kučkovki, and he talks about the trio, led by Zvezda Dimovska, and also about Stojka Stojkovska.

Audio and Links for Episode 28

Episode 28: Bolen Leži Mladi Jovan 20:08)

Bolen leži mladi Jovan (Dragi Spasovski, Track 9)

Tri bilbila poev (Trio Kučkovki, 3:41)

Prolekta bila, vila samovila (Trio Kučkovki, 3:27)

Sednal Marko c majka da večera (Trio Kučkovki, 2:24)

04 August 2012

Episode 27: Stojne, crnook neveno

Dragi talks about this song from southeast Macedonia, and discusses Irina Bujuklieva, the little-known singer who introduced it.

Audio and Links for Episode 27

Episode 27: Stojne, crnook neveno 14:48)

Stojne, Crnook Neveno (Dragi Spasovski, Track 8)

Sudbo moja sudbino (Irina Bujuklieva, 3:48)

Za Blagoj Muceto (Irina Bujuklieva and Dimitar Zeto, 3:34)

17 January 2012

Episode 26: Nabrala Ǵurǵa sedenka

Dragi talks about this song from the Kumanovo area and about sedenkas—working bees—and his personal experiences with them in his family.

Audio and Links for Episode 26

Episode 26: Nabrala Ǵurǵa sedenka (14:04)

Nabrala Ǵurǵa Sedenka (Dragi Spasovski, Track 7)

Snošti Dojdov Po Tebe (Dragi Spasovski, 2:07)

Sedenka se zbira (Grupa Kale, 2:40)

29 September 2011