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Pop-folk & other Balkan music
- Thread starter ADU
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cybernaut667
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Modern versions of quite traditional/folk Greek music.
Vocals
Klarino
Vocals
Klarino
JustAnandaDourEyedDude
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Famous Greek singer Glykeria puts a very young Areti Ketime in the limelight, together singing the traditional song "Sala Sala". Areti already shows her big talent and musical maturity at such a young age. Among notables in the small audience is Omar Faruk Tekbilek.
Areti Ketime is obviously all grown up now. Here she sings the traditional "Agapo Mia Pantremeni" which Google Translate says is "I Love A Married".
The traditional song "Misirlou" dates back to Rebetiko times, I think. There are both Greek and Arabic versions. There is a recording of it from 1927, which can be found on YouTube. Dick Dale made it famous in the US in 1963 with his hyperkinetic instrumental surf guitar version of it, and his version was featured in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. There is a nice version on YT sung by Glykeria, but here is a somewhat more swinging modern tasty version by Penny Baltatzi:
Areti Ketime is obviously all grown up now. Here she sings the traditional "Agapo Mia Pantremeni" which Google Translate says is "I Love A Married".
The traditional song "Misirlou" dates back to Rebetiko times, I think. There are both Greek and Arabic versions. There is a recording of it from 1927, which can be found on YouTube. Dick Dale made it famous in the US in 1963 with his hyperkinetic instrumental surf guitar version of it, and his version was featured in the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. There is a nice version on YT sung by Glykeria, but here is a somewhat more swinging modern tasty version by Penny Baltatzi:
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cybernaut667
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We shouldn't forget the instrumental version of the Last Drive
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Feel free to post some examples here, if you like. But yes, there are certainly similarities between Balkan pop-folk, and some other kinds of folk and ethno-pop in the West/Central Asian region. I've listened to a number of popular artists from Uzbekistan, for example, and enjoy some of their work as well.
Zara is a popular Turkish folk and pop singer of Kurdish descent that I like quite a bit btw...
"Unutamazsin" by Zara
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Radio Schedule & Archive
88.1 KDHX Archives :: musicfromthehills:: KDHX.fm, Saint Louis
Streaming content from St. Louis's 88.1 KDHX
Dr. John Uhlemann has been doing this show forever.
Anyone interested in this thread would probably enjoy the famous Greek band the "Trio Bel Canto"
There is lots of their music on Youhootooob
I saw them in the very early seventies when they had just started with Takis Elenis. I described him as the "Eric Claptonoupoulis" of the bazouki.
A memorable music and dance experience. kefi
The Fabulous Trio Bel Canto, the most popular Greek band in America and around the world!
The Fabulous Trio Bel Canto, the most popular Greek band in America!
www.triobelcanto.com
There is lots of their music on Youhootooob
I saw them in the very early seventies when they had just started with Takis Elenis. I described him as the "Eric Claptonoupoulis" of the bazouki.
A memorable music and dance experience. kefi
I recently discovered Turkish singer Gaye Su Akyol. Some of the best music I've heard of any genre for a while. Great voice, intelligent turkish psych-folk with some great arrangements and some fine guitar/oud picking. What's not to like!?
ZolaIII
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S Vremena Na Vreme - Wikipedia
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Agree, bluefuzz. She is an interesting artist.
Tks
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Surprised there's a few folks that listen to music from this region here on ASR, pretty cool. Problem I have with some female Balkan singers (modern folk especially, but also can be heard in some pop as well), is many of them sound far too nasal-y to where undertones of heavy exhales for some reason are always hovering their vocals. Males suffer something similar, an almost ever-present moaning enunciation of sorts. Now I can't really tell if this is due to the way the music is mastered or what tbh.
Found a recent singer by chance called Džejla Ramović. Relatively new singer but doesn't suffer the common issue I experience with many female singers of the region. She doesn't have too much music of her own as she's still young, but there's a few singles I think ADU would enjoy since he seems like like pop-folk, and there's also Youtube footage of competitions she's participated in, some pretty insane showings really when you consider her years.
Incredible voice, perfectly clear.
You also have great singers like this in general with a re-imagining of a song from an older rock bad of a few decades ago. Top tier love text made into this soulful interpretation
One thing I have to echo about the Balkans (at least the former Yugosalv region) is it has this quite old sort of folk called Sevdalinka (poetic compositions anywhere from a century or half millennia thought to have been purely sung without instruments). Utterly insane quality compositions vetted by time given that the only ones still knowing to us, are the ones that people kept alive throughout the centuries either by whole regions knowing the songs verbally, or my composers who thought to record them (I don't know the specifics but I know you can't by definition compose a "modern Sevdalinka" textually, it literally is some old folk song that was common among a region usually known by the populace but since this was during times that pre-date electronics, it's quite difficult to understand which piece is even theoretically a Sevdalinka these days when verified finds are made). The themes themselves seem to be somewhat lightly comedic, many times emotionally heavy and unbearable unrequited love (like forbidden love between a Christian and Muslim of the era since this was the time the Ottoman Empire was in the region), and sometimes the melancholic underpinnings present during seemingly happy moments.
It seems this sort of pedigree follows Balkan ballads and folk songs into the present day with really great text/story compositions in the music from the recent exposure I've had to some of them. Classic rock/folk rock of the 70's also seemingly benefit from this trend by having really great texts (the same sort of music one might say boomers enjoy like REALLY classic rock not simply for it's instrumentals, but how the music seems to tell a heart gripping tale at times). Sevdalinka as a genre though is (as is the barrier of entry to newly inducted pieces) incredibly high for basically all singers it seems. As far as singing prowess is concerned, everyone in the region agrees if you can sing that genre, that's about as close to objectively claiming "you can truly sing" as one can get (possibly similar to Soprano and things like high tier Soul/Blues level of talent required). It's deceptive because if you look at some of the text, it can seem barely anything at face value. And trying to add emotional heft with ones voice alone I imagine is challenging if trying to deliver it in an instrumentally minimal style. I've only heard of a single vocalist from America even attempt it.
Found a recent singer by chance called Džejla Ramović. Relatively new singer but doesn't suffer the common issue I experience with many female singers of the region. She doesn't have too much music of her own as she's still young, but there's a few singles I think ADU would enjoy since he seems like like pop-folk, and there's also Youtube footage of competitions she's participated in, some pretty insane showings really when you consider her years.
Incredible voice, perfectly clear.
You also have great singers like this in general with a re-imagining of a song from an older rock bad of a few decades ago. Top tier love text made into this soulful interpretation
One thing I have to echo about the Balkans (at least the former Yugosalv region) is it has this quite old sort of folk called Sevdalinka (poetic compositions anywhere from a century or half millennia thought to have been purely sung without instruments). Utterly insane quality compositions vetted by time given that the only ones still knowing to us, are the ones that people kept alive throughout the centuries either by whole regions knowing the songs verbally, or my composers who thought to record them (I don't know the specifics but I know you can't by definition compose a "modern Sevdalinka" textually, it literally is some old folk song that was common among a region usually known by the populace but since this was during times that pre-date electronics, it's quite difficult to understand which piece is even theoretically a Sevdalinka these days when verified finds are made). The themes themselves seem to be somewhat lightly comedic, many times emotionally heavy and unbearable unrequited love (like forbidden love between a Christian and Muslim of the era since this was the time the Ottoman Empire was in the region), and sometimes the melancholic underpinnings present during seemingly happy moments.
It seems this sort of pedigree follows Balkan ballads and folk songs into the present day with really great text/story compositions in the music from the recent exposure I've had to some of them. Classic rock/folk rock of the 70's also seemingly benefit from this trend by having really great texts (the same sort of music one might say boomers enjoy like REALLY classic rock not simply for it's instrumentals, but how the music seems to tell a heart gripping tale at times). Sevdalinka as a genre though is (as is the barrier of entry to newly inducted pieces) incredibly high for basically all singers it seems. As far as singing prowess is concerned, everyone in the region agrees if you can sing that genre, that's about as close to objectively claiming "you can truly sing" as one can get (possibly similar to Soprano and things like high tier Soul/Blues level of talent required). It's deceptive because if you look at some of the text, it can seem barely anything at face value. And trying to add emotional heft with ones voice alone I imagine is challenging if trying to deliver it in an instrumentally minimal style. I've only heard of a single vocalist from America even attempt it.
ZolaIII
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@Tks to be able to express such emotions merely with voice requires extraordinary vocal capabilities and talents (Estma, Amira, Josipa for example ... and others), don't mix that with average tavern - counter ones.
Sevdah is one of the gernes where such emotional expressions is essential because if you don't reach such state of mind (sevdah is a state of mind) trough it than its failed interpretation. And it's pure folk (in the meaning that it remains in the domain of cultural tradition without author rights regarding lirics and such even in modern representation like Mostar Sevdah Reunion).
Culturally you will find everything and everyone represented, east, west, oriental and mixed even bound up together in many different ways as that's what Balcan really is.
There are other gernes where that vocal emotional expressions is equal represented if not and equally crucial like: Blue's, Soul, different kinds of choral music.
Regarding vocals you either have it or you don't, knowing to express your self and giving all you can will always stand out (especially if you have a fetish towards it like extraordinary female vocals) disregarding of the gerne.
There are of course and some outstanding instrumentals also and much, much more but that's it from me for now.
It's actually heartbreaking for me when I think about for ever lost materials or good recording footages of so much great music and artist's.
Sevdah is one of the gernes where such emotional expressions is essential because if you don't reach such state of mind (sevdah is a state of mind) trough it than its failed interpretation. And it's pure folk (in the meaning that it remains in the domain of cultural tradition without author rights regarding lirics and such even in modern representation like Mostar Sevdah Reunion).
Culturally you will find everything and everyone represented, east, west, oriental and mixed even bound up together in many different ways as that's what Balcan really is.
There are other gernes where that vocal emotional expressions is equal represented if not and equally crucial like: Blue's, Soul, different kinds of choral music.
Regarding vocals you either have it or you don't, knowing to express your self and giving all you can will always stand out (especially if you have a fetish towards it like extraordinary female vocals) disregarding of the gerne.
It's actually heartbreaking for me when I think about for ever lost materials or good recording footages of so much great music and artist's.
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ZolaIII
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Ina Gallardo "Mili Moi". Mature-ish content.
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