The Greater Cleveland Ethnographic Museum Collection

Nova Domovina / A New Homeland

Musicians perform at Croatian picnic
Musicians perform at Croatian picnic.

Balkan Slavic Music From the Industrial Midwest

In 1978 and 1979, the Greater Cleveland Ethnographic Museum began to record Balkan Slavic music — music from Bulgarian, Croatian, Macedonian and Serbian communities — in the Cleveland area, trying, so far as possible, to record the music as it was performed in family celebrations, musicians' gatherings, wedding receptions, religious services and other ceremonial events. This album, based on that recording project, contains a representative sampling of the Balkan Slavic music that was to be heard in northern Ohio during that time: secular and religious, vocal and instrumental, relatively archaic and relatively up-to-date.

A descriptive booklet includes information on Balkan Slavic communities in the industrial Midwest, on their musical traditions and on the musicians and music presented here.

Side A

  1. Balun: Marijo Medancic, mih (two-chanter bagpipe)
  2. Oj livado rosna travo: Nikola Drobac, Ivan Mirkovic and Snezana Mirkovic
  3. Narodno kolo: Zika Stankovic, frula (six hole whistle flute)
  4. Smrt majke Jugovica: Milorad Butric, gusle (one-string bowed lute)
  5. Becarac: Tomo Jurcevic, samica (three double stringed tambura)
  6. Mito Mitance: Djoko Pribich Tamburitzans
  7. U Dalmacij: Cleveland Junior Tamburitzans
  8. Daskalice: Seceri Tamburitza Orchestra

 

Side B

  1. Marija svibnja kraljice: Choir of the St. Nicholas Byzantine Rite Church
  2. Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (excerpt): Njegosh Serbian Orthodox Choir
  3. Kolo: Rade Simovic Orchestra
  4. Svistovsko narodno horo: Harry Stefanoff, violin
  5. Leseto: Paul Vangeloff, accordian, and Kire Nikolov, tapan (double headed bass drum)
  6. Ciganskoto: Joe Tricoff Orchestra
  7. Gaida: Chris Taleff Orchestra

Credits:

  • Producers: Timothy Lloyd, Walter Mahovlich, Richard March, T. Temple Tuttle
  • Art Directors: Timothy Lloyd, Micheal Milligan (Graphic Designer, OAC)
  • Design: Micheal Milligan
  • Mastering: Peter Vrettas, EDR Studios, Shaker Heights; David Mould, School of Telecommunications, Ohio University, Athens
  • Photography: Jay Paris, Salem
  • Translations: Richard March
  • Old Church Slavonic Translation and Liturgical Notes: Very Rev. Dr. Mateja Matejic, St. Stevan of Dechani Serbian Orthodox Church and The Ohio State University, Columbus
  • Production Assistance: Phyllis Brzozowska, Cityfolk, Dayton
  • Fieldwork, Booklet Author, Conception of Project: Walter Mahovlich

This project was made possible by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts and by funds from the Media Arts Program of the Ohio Arts Council.