Macedonian Postcards

Sung all over Macedonia, this song describes a wedding celebration at a monastery, and whose dancing is the best. Dragi also tells a story about how we got invited to Niš.

Dragi learned this love song, from Radoviš, from Vančo Arsov. He talks about Vančo and the eastern Macedonian dialect.

Dragi learned this song, from Ovčepole about family animosities, from Carka Tasevska, who also recorded with his mother.

Dragi learned this southern Macedonian song from a recording by Kostadinka Palazova. He talks about the hospitality Macedonians show visitors to their home.

Dragi learned this central Macedonian song from a gajda player in his village. The song has the theme of a young woman engaged by her mother to an older man and features a "sajče."

This love song from Prilep again features Zaharinka Milosaljeviḱ. Dragi talks about the problems inherent in productions of čalgija songs featuring singers who were not of that tradition.

This old love song, first recorded by Izvorno Trio, is from the Tetovo area. Dragi discusses the Gavrovski brothers group, the differences between singing to kavals and gajdas, and ornamenting melodies.

This love song, first recorded by Vaska Ilieva, is from the Aegean region. Dragi discusses the influx of out-of-region Macedonians to Macedonia in the 60's, their singers and groups, and Radio Skopje's efforts to record their songs.

This west-central Macedonian love song is from Mariovo. Dragi talks about the region and singers and songs from it, and its tradition of zurlas and how they express the hardship people from the area experienced.

Dragi talks about the similarities of this southwestern Macedonian song to Lele, Jano, his theory about how that happened, and about Zaharinka Milosaljeviḱ.