Baksheesh Boys

New CD - Available Now!

Traditional Songs and Dance Tunes from Macedonia & Thrace

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Read a review of the CD in FOLKWORKS, - Scroll to Page 23

1. Sevdino / Golyamoto Sirene Ruchenica (5:12)

2. Chuli Sa Se, Male / Tri Biljbilja Poev (5:34)

3. Tvojte Oci, Leno Mori / Oldu Mu Ya (5:45)

4. Lale Li Si? (7:08)

5. Chuperlika / Kalino Kalinche (734K MP3) (9:06)

6. Hasapaserviko / Katrino Mome (6:18)

7. Ostana Radka / Milo Mi E Magdele (4:02)

8. Vallja Gajdexhuit / Romska Gaida / Stani Jano (5:06)

10. Vasilke Malka Nevesto (597K MP3) / Bre Vodinicharyu (4:47)

11. Sofke Mori Sofke (2:23)

1. Sevdino, Dojdi Na Oro / Golyamoto Sirene Ruchenitsa (7/8 Ruchenitsa -Macedonia/Bulgaria)

A young man asks his sweetheart why she won't come to the dance. She replies, like any modest maiden, "How can I go without a dress, a kerchief and Doc Martens?” He responds, "Silly girl! Just yesterday I went to market. I could have bought those for you!" We follow with The Big Cheese Ruchenitsa from Bulgarian Thrace.

2. Chuli Sa Se, Male / Tri Biljbilja Poev (7/8 Lesno - Macedonia)

The first song is set in the Pirin Mountain range, at a time when it was held by rebel bands who do not let anyone pass. The second song comes from the village of Kuchkovo located northwest of Skopje near the border with Kosovo. It tells of three nightingales: "The first sings at dinner time, the second at bedtime and the third in the morning. If only I knew which one was which I would feed the first raisins, the second rich red wine and the third black poison."

3. Tvojte Ochi, Leno Mori / Oldu Mu Ya (2/4 Chochek-Macedonia/Turkey)

A song from Aegean Macedonia in an urban Macedonian Chalgia style, Tvojte Ochi, Leno Mori is a lusty little number in which a young man begs Lena for her dark eyes, her white face, her full lips and her slim waist so that he may quench his desire. A bit forward, but at least he isn't cryptically asking for her "bouquet" like the guys in most of these other folk songs. We interject an instrumental version of the Turkish song Oldu Mu Ya, which roughly translates as "What the hell just happened?" (our band mantra).

4. Lale Li Zi? (Pesen - Bulgaria)

What Kind of Flower are You? comes from the wheat fields of Dobrudzha in northeastern Bulgaria, a region that is said to be so dry that bread must be made with the tears of weeping mothers. This nonmetrical love song tells of three shepherds going to visit the girls' sedyanka (work party). The first shepherd brings a bouquet of yellow flowers, the second rich red wine and, the third, a kaval (Balkan end blown flute).

5. Chuperlika / Kalino Kalinche (7/8 Lesno-Macedonia)

Chuperlika is reminiscent of the urban Rom (Gypsy) Chalgia ensembles, which were popular in the last century performing light Ottoman classical and folk repertoire. A young man laments how the beautiful Kalina is driving him to drink: "Last night I went to your house and you weren't there! I started home but, unable to live without you, I stopped to get a bottle of rakia (the ubiquitous prune brandy of the Balkans - it's as good as it sounds!) to drown my sorrows."

6. Hasapaserviko / Katerino Mome (2/4 Chiftetelli-Greece/Macedonia)

This pair of chiftetellis opens with an instrumental, Serbian Butcher's Guild Dance, from Greek Thrace. A popular song follows wherein Katerina's sweetheart, marveling at her beauty, asks her where she grew up and what mother could have raised such a ravishing daughter. She replies that she is so irresistible because she was raised in the Pirin Mountains, drinking Pirin water and skipping through Pirin grass.

7. Ostana Radka / Milo Mi e Magde Le (9/8 Dajchovo - Macedonia)

Radka, a widow at 17, is dressed in black and mourns for her love. Her mother tells her that she is still young and pretty, and will find another love. Radka replies, "Be quiet, mother! There is not another like my love in all of Macedonia, not in all of the Ottoman lands!" In the second tune, Magda is faring better -- her admirer declares his intention to come to her house, sit at her table, drink wine, and gaze at her.

8. Vallje Gajdexhuit / Romska Gajda / Stani Jano (2/4 Pravo-Albania / Macedonia)

Throughout the southern Balkans, there are many dance tunes with titles referring to the gajda (bagpipe), but performed on clarinet, zurla, accordion, kazoo—basically every possible instrument except the gajda. In this set, Brian reclaims for the gajda the northern Albanian Bagpipe Dance and the Macedonian Rom Gypsy Bagpipe. We end with Stani Jano, in which Jana's mother excitedly asks her to see what wonder is in the courtyard – “a handsome young man who shines like the sun and speaks as if pearls are dropping from his mouth!"

9. Jovano Jovanke (7/8 Lesno-Macedonia)

A young man longs for Jovana to come to him, realizing that her mother will never allow it. This classic urban folk song from Skopje is one of our favorites.

10. Vasilke Malka Nevesto / Bre Vodenicharyu (9/8 Dajchovo-Macedonia)

In the first song, Vasilka’s abandoned sweetheart asks her why she rejected him, stating that he can no longer stand to walk through her neighborhood or see her friends and relatives. In the second song, Lenche begs the miller to grind her wheat into flour, offering him her dark eyes and her thin waist in return. The miller replies that he cannot, because there is no water to be found. When she offers him her young daughter, the miller declares that he will find the water to grind the wheat, if only the daughter will be his.

11. Sofke, Mori, Sofke (2/4 Hoedownsko Oro-Macedonia)

Sofka’s parents refuse to let her marry Georgi. Upon learning that they have gone to church to curse him, Georgi curses them in return, asking that the church fall on them and kill her mother and strike her father dumb so that they can’t object to the marriage.

Angela Rodel - Voice

Bill Lanphier - Acoustic & Electric Bass

Brian Fox - Gajda, Tambura, Electric Guitar, & Cumbus

Jerry Summers - Darabuka, Def, & Tambourine

Linda Kodaira - Fiddle

Pat MacSwyney - Kaval, Tambura, & Cumbus