Macedonian Postcards: Recent Episodes
David Bilides & Dragi Spasovski
David Bilides & Dragi Spasovski are your hosts for discussions and samples of all 54 Macedonian folk songs in Dragi's 3-CD project, as well as stories about the recordings, musicians, Dragi's life, and Macedonian culture in general.
This episode features the wonderful, but not well-known singer Marica Zilkovska. Through a connection with her son Sasho, Dragi was able to interview her, and this podcast is the result of what he learned from that conversation, as well as his own experiences back in Macedonia many years ago.
On July 28, 2023, Stefče Stojkovski invited Dragi to his radio show on Macedonian National Radio, and interviewed him for the next 2 hours. He asked questions about his childhood, mother, interest in singing and dancing, music career, recordings, and past and current projects and performances in the United States. The interview includes 12 recordings from Dragi‘s CD with Stefče, and the audio from an international Macedonian song video project made during the pandemic. A bilingual transcript of this episode, with links, can be downloaded at https://izvormusic.com/podcasts/macedonian-postcards/episodes/transcripts/episode-59-dragi-interview-with-stefce-transcript-bilingual.pdf
This episode begins our new series on singers and songs. Today we are featuring the legendary vocalist Bonda Dimiškova, who was related to and served as a role model for Vaska Ilieva. Dragi talks about how he came into contact with her family, details about her aristic and often tragic life, and her influence on other singers who followed her. A bilingual transcript of this episode can be downloaded at https://izvormusic.com/podcasts/macedonian-postcards/episodes/transcripts/Episode-58-Bonda-Dimiskova-transcript-bilingual.pdf
This episode marks the conclusion of the podcasts of the 54 songs in Dragi's 3-CD set. We will be continuing the show after this episode with more wonderful songs, but are delighted to have reached this milestone after 16 years. Dragi learned this song from his mother, Rajna, and it was the last song he talked with her about before she died. It is a ballad about two lovers with tragic consequences.
Dragi discusses the long history of the Ohridski Trubaduri, who originally recorded this love song. He also talks at length about the wonderful vocalist Vanja Lazarova.
Dragi talks about some of the traditions found in line dancing, and some ways romancing was carried out. He then spends the majority of the podcast talking about the extraordinary legendary vocalist Vaska Ilieva.
Dragi talks about the four major women's vocal groups from Aegean Macedonia, how they came to be formed, and the importance of cultural context and hidden meanings in songs.
This love song from the Debar region features the wonderful singer, Kiril Mančevski. Dragi also talks about ornamentation, and wedding traditions.
Dragi discusses another of his mother's songs, from the Kumanovo area. He talks about the differences between čalgija, urban, and izvoren melodies, and how musical arrangement decisions were made for recordings.
Another song from the Tetovo area, originally sung by Olga Sičan, about a girl who cannot marry due to a death in the family. Dragi talks about these customs.
This song, popular throughout Macedonia, was originally recorded by Aleksandar Sarievski. Dragi talks about Sarievski and his contemporaries.
Another song from the repertoire of Dragi's mother, Rajna Spasovska. Dragi continues his discussion of his mother's singing history and her colleagues, including a review of vocalists and groups from the Kumanovo area.
This well-known ballad about Goce Delčev is sung all over Macedonia. Dragi talks about the first person to record it, Mirvet Belovska, and about some of the many singers who've recorded it since.
This love song from the Tetovo region is an example of how hidden love is expressed in the lyrics. Dragi also talk about Olga Sićan and his recent conversations with her family, and the Gavrovski trios.
This song from SE centra Macedonia describes a brave woman who wards off a potential assault and joins her love to fight in the mountains. Dragi describes other songs with the theme of brave, strong women. He also describes a conversation he had with Vaska Ilieva about how she chose songs to record.
This is a love song of the Macedonian Muslims living in the greater Šar Planina area. Dragi talks the Isjanovska sisters, describes the Macedonian Muslim dialect, and discusses that singing tradition, both its continuity and its evolution.
This ballad is the first of several songs featuring Dragi's mother, Rajna Spasovska. Dragi also talks about Carka Tasevska and other singers from the Kumanovo area.
Dragi first heard this love song from Kumanovo sung by Blaga Videc. He talks about her and about table songs in general.
This is an urban love song from Prilep, home to many singers. Dragi focuses on Jovanka Ivanovska, from whom he first heard the song.
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.
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 about sedenkas—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 work "zdram," and how folk songs helpf 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.
Stefče tells the story of his family's long-time involvement in folk music, his path to professional work (including meeting Mile Kolarov), and his first recording with Dragi.
This podcast was recorded in January 2009, when all three musicians were visiting Seattle. Each gets to tell the story of how they found this folk music in their lives and what their professional work has been since.
Dragi talks about his relationship with Nikola Badev, who first recorded this song, discusses more about the emotional impact of young men going to foreign lands, and explains why certain singers are never forgotten in Macedonia.
For this song from Resen about unhappy love, Dragi reviews the original Raspejani Resenčani recording, talks about Goran's arrangement, and tells how he's incorporated another version of the song into his own performances.
Dragi talks about Vasilievski's original recording of this sad love song from Eastern Macedonia, Jordan Nikolić, Mara Gjorgjević, and the strange true tale of Lenka Pingova and Koljo Velkov.
For this Ohrid song about a young Christian girl who falls in love with a Turk, Dragi talks about the Ohridski Trubaduri, Ansambl Biljana, and ethnic Turks and Albanians who recorded for Radio Skopje.
Dragi speculates on why his repertoire contains so many songs from Lazaropole, the process by which some singers at festivals performed songs not from their home region, and more about his personal relationship with Sarievski.
Dragi talks about Anka Gieva, who first recorded this song about a likely arranged marriage, Olga Sičan from Tetovo, and the real life Vaske Evgova and Epsa Dimuševa.
This well-known song from Skopsko about a man who can't pay his bar bill has many versions. Dragi talks about his first hearing of the song on the kemane and about Elene Dimitrievska.
This old love ballad is from the Lazaropole/Mijak area, Dragi also discusses arranged marriages and reminisces about Kiril Mancevski.
This love song in 5/16 from the Pelagonija region generates a discussion about the hero Krale Marko, the singers Ǵorǵi Želčeski, Kevser Selimova, and Gogo Zafiroski, and a famous song claimed by everyone in the Balkans.
Dragi describes this ode to youth, the Lazaropole/Mijak area, the dance "Teškoto", and Aleksandar Sarievski.
Dragi talks about Mila Belovska, čalgija, and this song about an Ottoman tax collector.
The story of an unhappy love, thwarted by jealous villagers. Dragi talks about his difficulties understanding the meaning of the song as a child, and about matchmaking in the village. ©2008 Izvor Music
This is the story of a shepherd whose coat is stolen by thieves but who escapes alive, to the relief of his girlfriend, Dafina. Dragi also talks about Kruševo, Vlachs, and how the melody became changed from the original version.
The second song in our series is Ilčovice, Mlada Nevesto, a song in which an Ottoman official, Mustaf, expresses his admiration for Ilčo's young bride. Dragi talks about how he first heard the song—from a new bride, no less—and about other similar songs.
We begin the series of 54 songs with Aj, Iznikna Mi Badem Drvo, the story of two lovers enjoying a tryst beneath an almond tree. Dragi talks about Goran Alački, and about meeting Vaska Ilieva for the first time.
In this inaugural episode, we talk about how we met, the different joint music events that led up to the current 3-CD project, and talk a little about Dragi's mother, the singer Rajna Spasovska.