Macedonian Postcards

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.

Dragi talks about the many different versions and story lines of this central Macedonian song, which serves as the theme music for our podcasts.

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

This song praises the master of the house. Dragi talks about how popular this song is, sung by everyone at special occasions. He also talks about the song's first recording artist, Angelko Spirkovski.

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.

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

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

Dragi talks about this Tetovo song and the group that recorded it, Braḱa Gavrovski. He also talks about ornamenting songs and the possible identity of Kara-Mustafa.

For this song from north-central Macedonia, Dragi talks about the origin of the lyrics and four different versions. He also discusses Dragica Mavrovska.

For this song from north-central Macedonia, Dragi talks about the category of songs having to do with young men or woman who are awakened from sleep. He also talks about how this song is connected with his younger daughter.

Dragi talks about the Tetovo dialect, how songs spread from one village to another, the meaning of "young bride", and the symbol of the moon in folk songs.

Dragi talks about the meaning of the archaic word "zdram," and how folk songs help preserve a culture's heritage.

For this first song of the Echo CD, Dragi talks about the differences between urban, čalgija, and traditional singing. He describes how he recorded two different versions of a song in two singing styles. And there's more about Kiril Mančevski.