Filip Višnjić (VEE-shnyeech) was a popular Bosnian Serb poet and gusle player, known by some as the "Serbian Homer," both because he was blind and for his poetic gift. Last Sunday my son took me for lunch 'abroad,' i.e. in Bijeljina (BEE-yell-yeen-ya) Republika Srpska, the Serbian section of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which lies only 1 1/2 hours from Belgrade. In this town, also incorporated on the town's coat of arms and on one of the country's banknotes, stands this statue of Filip Višnjić. He was a lyric poet, who accompanied his ballads on a gusle. If you go to Youtube and type in gusle, you will hear some samples of contemporary songs/poems accompanied by this instrument.
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Filip Visnjic, the blind 'gusle' player
Filip Višnjić (VEE-shnyeech) was a popular Bosnian Serb poet and gusle player, known by some as the "Serbian Homer," both because he was blind and for his poetic gift. Last Sunday my son took me for lunch 'abroad,' i.e. in Bijeljina (BEE-yell-yeen-ya) Republika Srpska, the Serbian section of Bosnia-Herzegovina, which lies only 1 1/2 hours from Belgrade. In this town, also incorporated on the town's coat of arms and on one of the country's banknotes, stands this statue of Filip Višnjić. He was a lyric poet, who accompanied his ballads on a gusle. If you go to Youtube and type in gusle, you will hear some samples of contemporary songs/poems accompanied by this instrument.
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10 comments:
«Louis» learned something here today - two things, actually - about the poet and the gusle, both of which are new to him. He's heading to YouTube now...
[Editor to «Louis»: It's about time you learned something. You are the most ignorant vache I've ever seen!
«Louis» to Editor: Well, if YOU weren't so ignorant, you'd know that in French, to call someone une vache is to imply that they are slow-witted, and thus, probably ignorant as well! But one thing I DO know is how to use my horns to bump you into the next century...
Editor: GULP! ]
I like the sculpture a lot as I think it expresses the soul of a poet and musician...it's interesting how some blind people become such excellent artists. I remember watching the movie "Ray" about Ray Charles - what a great artist he was, too.
tres belle sculpture et le sculpteur a bien pris l'expression du joueur
I like his mustache.
Nice statue.
Fascinating...thanks for taking us with you!
Why is it that the blind tend to 'see' more than us?
Un instrument pour réengistrer le Vol du Bourdon de Korsakov!
Fabulous shot and I love the header pix
Such a melancholy sound.
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