We have had beautiful sunshine, and early-summer
temperatures for the last few days, and I had been staying in-doors most of the
time, what a crime. On top of that my hotel was on the foot of the mountain
Gorno Nerezi, which looked incredibly jummy to walk up. So this morning, after
a short practice, trying to stuff a few of those new tunes into my head and
fingers, I packed a little picnic, and made my way upwards, not aiming for the
top, but at least far enough to look down onto Skopje.
On the way I met some retired Skopjans, who looked after a
lovely little chapel, who were just taking a little rest from their gardening
and tidying up the place. They invited me along for a drink, which I accepted,
as I thought the language practice is more important than the walk. I learned
that they, as most other Macedonians I came across, had been spending quite a few
years in Western Europe for work, to safe up money for their retirement.
Afterwards I continued my walk a bit and enjoyed the view
over Skopje. On my way down I met a ‘percussion tree’, a funny dry brushwood,
which made percussive noises. After some investigation I found out, that the fruit of this music tree was dry and hollow,
with some loose bits inside and therefore sounded similar to a Cabasa.
It was time to go back and then make my way up to Topana for
the afternoon rehearsal. This time even more people dropped by, and we ended up
being a full band. Not that I really knew yet at all what I was doing, but in
all that noise I could just play and have fun, and hide my hit-and-miss
approach in the general noise.
It’s an amazing energy and an honour to play
with a bunch of musicians so full skill, passion and musicianship.This time even more people dropped by, and we ended up being a full band. Not
that I really knew yet at all what I was doing, but in all that noise I could
just play and have fun, and hide my hit-and-miss approach in the general noise.
It’s an amazing energy and an honour to play with a bunch of musicians so full
skill, passion and musicianship.
Each new person who came in added a few more ideas of
harmonies, rhythms and arrangements. Latter involved a few heated arguments of
whose ideas were best – which I settled at one point by declaring Asan to my maestro
of the project. They first looked and listened very bemused when it was my turn
to sing, and with a joined effort (and more heated arguments) of tutoring, which
in turn amused Asan, they got me to a satisfying level of singing their songs
in Romanes.
The tip of the ice cake came, when one person popped by with free
tickets to a big event in the Skopje Theatre for the next evening; it was the
celebration of World Roma Day. Of course I was invited along. I went home happy and tired.
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