Folklore (page 3)

The gaida (bagpipes) is a kind of aerophonic instrument. Its basic parts are the pipes from which the tune is produced and the bag that produces the air for tune in the pipes. The etymology of the name gaida is supposed to be the Arabic-Turkish ghaida. Although other names for this instrument are familiar in the wider Balkan area, the name gaida is the most commonly used (especially in Macedonia). The bagpipes are traditionally used mostly for playing at fairs, weddings, or other festive occasions, and also as a shepherd's instrument. It is also commonly found as a solo instrument. Bagpipers used to sing, accompanying themselves with their instruments because the sound can be sustained through pressure to the bag, and there is no need to constantly blow into the instrument. The repertoire of the bagpipes usually consists of dancing melodies that are performed at a lively tempo, but the songs and also the instrumental improvisations (called ezgija) can be played in "free" tempo, which gives this instrument a widely varied usage in Macedonia.

Kaval, from the Turkish word kavli, is an aerophonic instrument, and its sound is soft, tender, and sophisticated. It is a shepherd's instrument for playing folk songs and dances. The basic parts include: 70-80 cm long pipe with eight playing holes (seven in the front and one on the back of the pipe) in the middle part, four sound holes in the lower part, and a sharp edge in the upper part of the pipe. The instrument is made of one-part maple wood which is drilled at the center using various borers (13-16 mm). After the pipe is made, the playing and the sound holes are drilled on both sides. The ambitus of the kaval tone scale is a sixth. Thanks to the special blowing technique the ambitus could reach an eight or even twelfth. That is how the other tones are produced too. The kavals are played in pair. So they are divided into categories of male and female, or left and right. While one player plays the main melody, the other one accompanies the first one with one tone named "bourdon" or iso (either the basic tone or its fifth). The instrument is held obliquely while the player's lips gently touch the half of the sharp edge in the upper part of the kaval-pipe. Both players are obliquely set so that they can look at each other while playing.

The zurla is an aerophonic instrument with an oboe-type double reed. The basic parts include: a funnel-shaped pipe with eight playing holes (seven in the front and one on the back of the pipe), seven sound holes, beak, and the mouthpiece. The pipe is made of walnut, and the mouthpiece of barberry. Length: Small-up to 35 cm, Large -up to 60 cm. The large and small pipes have the same shape, the difference is in the number of the sound-holes (the small pipe has two holes in the front and two on both sides; the larger pipe has three holes in the front and four on both sides). There are two main theories concerning the origin of the zurla. First, the zurla was brought by the Gypsies to the Balkan peninsula from Persia. Second, the Turks brought the zurla to this area during the period of the Ottoman Empire. However, the Macedonian zurla is connected with the Middle East. There is a special "Eastern" manner of breathing while playing, the player blows without a pause with this special technique. The player takes air periodically through the nose and blows in the instrument constantly through the mouth, and for all that time an equal quantity air is released through the mouth. The zurlas are always accompanied with one or two bass drums named tapan.

A percussion instrument. An empty cylinder with leather stretched on both its sides. The leather is mostly goat, lamb, or calf. The cylinder ring is made of nut-wood; its thickness is about 5 mm. There is also an leather belt attached to the cylinder, which is aimed for holding the instrument while the player strikes it. The player strikes the membranes using a kukuda (fat pipe-shaped stick made of nut-wood with 440 mm length) and a prachka (thin stick made of dogwood, same length as the kukuda). Thanks to the sticks (the kukuda in the right and the prachka in the left hand) which strike the leather attached to the drum's cylinder. This playing technique is probably inherited from the Orient. In the past this drum not only established a rhythm foundation for the songs and dances, but was also an instrument that accompanied many collective works or marching. It was also used in some religious rituals. Thanks to the tapan, the bad spirits were routed, people communicated with the gods and the spirits of ancestors, or a trance situation was caused.

TAMBURA

A Balkan variation of a strummed string instrument, which in the Middle East is called tambouine, and in Greece bouzouki, but the Macedonian tambura has its own original sound and a very long tradition. It is made of one piece of wood. The body, the neck, and the head comprise a constructive totality. It could be also made of two pieces of wood: the neck and the head, and the body. These wooden parts are united with glue. The tambura's neck is thin and long (360-500 mm). The length of the whole instrument is between 750 and 900 mm. The body's length is 250-300 mm, width about 140-200 mm, and the depth, up to 120-150 mm. The hilt is thin (20-35 mm). In the Macedonian folk-instrument tradition, the tambura was mostly a solo instrument or an accompaniment of the Macedonian folk songs in the past. Later it become part of the ensembles which also include: gaida, tamburas, tapan, etc., as an accompaniment of folk dances. Nowadays, tamburas are part of the bigger scene ensembles, which accompany both traditional songs and dances, as well as stylized folk dances and composed tunes

DD SYNTHESIS

DD Synthesis is a band that was established in 1995 for the purpose of carrying out an in-depth pursuit of the outstanding folk music treasures of Macedonia. The name "Synthesis" was chosen to express the concept of the group, which is to combine traditional sounds with contemporary arrangements to create a musical synthesis. Digging deeply into the roots of Macedonian folk heritage, with a serious concern for the basics of traditional compositions, the group has received high praise for breathing new life in this milieu. The melancholic voyages of DD Synthesis, with the full emotional power of the heritage and the typical complexity of Macedonian rhytms should not be missed by any Balkan music fan. Macedonia has finally uncovered a contemporary world music project! The group uses the full range of original Macedonian instruments: kaval, gaida, zurla, tapan, tarabuka and tambura. The line-up consists of three young lady singers, skillfully handling the local vocal tradition, of a keyboard player, two percussionists, tambura player and, of course, kaval,gaida or zurla on the front. Special mention has to be made here of the fact that while the majority of the folk-songs groups in Macedonia are amateur clubs, this band is made up of professional musicians who are trained in the basics of music.

dd SYNTHESIS - Swinging Macedonia SJF Records SJF 113 - 2000

1. Mome stoe
2. Vo nase selo
3. Postupano
4. Sto e ludo
5. Pomnis li
6. Me fatije
7. Mori mome
8. Mace
9. Ezgija

DD SYNTHESIS - DD Synthesis SJF Records SJF 107 - 1996

1. Goten
2. Dve devojki
3. Selska igra
4. Kletva
5. Ajde pominuvam zaminuvam
6. Ljubov i smrt
7. Chuma
8. Vreminja

The folklore in Skudrinje (Dolna Reka)

The folklore is one of the national features of one nation with its special characteristics mark different nations We maintain this folklore and preserve the tradition by means of folklore ensembles. This is not the case in Skudrinje, but we can say that almost every villager in the form one such ensemble.

As an example we have the weddings which are organized in a traditional way. In it a lot of folk dances are included which represent the traditional and the history of the people. They also enrich the reality of these people. and make them closer to one another. In addition to this, a feature that makes the influence of the folklore ever stronger in the traditional outfit with its specific characteristics. You can see these in the pictures presented

Skudrinje is a village located on the mountain Deshad, on the right of the river Radika, near its Mala Reka and Debar Lake. The attitude is about 1100 m, and there are about 3000 inhabitants in it, who live with there families in 500 houses.

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