WEEKEND REFLECTION--Olivera

Meet Olivera, who occasionally plays on Knez Mihailova street. Don't you love her guitar?
Spring is slowly coming...it's warm, but few buds yet on the tree reflected in the window behind her.

See other reflections at James' Weekend Reflection.

Singing his heart out

It was cold, cold, cold a couple of weeks ago before our major snowstorm as I walked by these gentlemen, one playing his accordion and the other singing really, really well in a deep baritone voice. I've made two copies of this photo for them and hope they'll be there again.

Dreaming...

...of fame and fortune, or simply dreaming? This young boy was playing along with two of his friends on Belgrade's pedestrian street, Knez Mihailova.

The Three Amigos

Had some Mexican food the other evening when Seattle was blessed with warm weather, like it is again today, hurrah. These friendly mariachi singers played for us and were pleased with my baby Spanish...which was much improved after my second margarita...

ABC Wednesday "J" is for "Jazzy"

Tickling the ivories will never be the same on this jazzy piano I spotted in a music store in downtown Seattle...almost makes me want to take piano lessons.

See more J's at ABC WEDNESDAY.

No Belgrade posts for quite a while yet; am in US for a family matter.

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND--Play it louder, Sam...

I went to another wedding! You may remember my son's and 10 months earlier my daughter's and now it was time for my daughter-in-law's brother. You can see above that one happy guest really loves the gypsy brass band that makes a short appearance at all weddings! I love it when they come, and it seems as if this fellow really wanted his ears to ring.

See other reflections, like the ones in the instruments here, at James' Reflections Weekend.

Sunday Bridges: Bridge Over Troubled Water

I'm running out of bridges, but not imagination. Hard to believe that Bridge Over Troubled Water (click to listen to the song) dates from 1970. I did not take the above photo, at least the original, but I did photograph the old Bookends album cover I have. Before the song's release, there had been "troubled water" between the duo, and Simon and Garfunkel parted ways in 1970.

See other bridges, metaphorical or not, at Louis La Vache's Sunday Bridges.

REFLECTIONS WEEKEND--cellos waiting (Ooops--they're basses...)

Three cellos (and their friend the piano) patiently waiting to be played! Note: Leif said they may be basses...since I don't know much about musical instruments either, he may be right!

Check out other reflections on James' REFLECTIONS WEEKEND.

Inspired

This little boy played the accordion while his sister played the violin, and both were very good. These kids were most probably inspired by the Piler children I showed you before, who were lucky enough to win first place on the TV show, "Serbia's Got Talent." They are now pursuing a music career abroad.

I wish this brother and sister well; they too have talent.

ABC WEDNESDAY "N" is for "New" guitar

Has this lady bought a new guitar for herself or is it a present? I do not play any musical instrument...how about you?

Check out other N's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

P.S. Today is the 66th anniversary of the liberation of Belgrade....see yesterday's post! Should have waited a day! :) Just read it in the paper....

SKYWATCH--rooftop 'gusle' player

Last April I showed you this 'gusle' player and now here is another, perched under a bright-blue sky with a companion (who is eyeing me) atop a building downtown.

Check out other skies at SKYWATCH.

The Big Day

The Big Day was last Sunday for my son and his bride. Above is just a sample from the many photos I took. You can see one photo taken inside the church, with the bride and groom wearing crowns, symbolizing their 'king and queen of the household' roles. The best man and maid of honor hold candles behind the couple. The church where they were married is new and the inside walls are not yet covered with frescoes. Later on, in addition to regular live music, a gypsy band made an appearance at the reception, just after the newlywed couple shared their cake with the guests.

It was tons of fun, but we're all tired....

ABC WEDNESDAY "A" is for "artisan"

Meet Jan Nemcek, an ethnic Slovak, who lives in the village of Kovacica (Ko-VA-cheet-sa) about an hour's drive from Belgrade. Kovacica is home to several artists and artisans. Mr. Nemcek has been making violins all his life, maintaining a tradition in his family of several generations. That long instrument is a kind of Slovakian flute.

His wife also creates handicrafts and pottery. If you'd like to watch a video, you can check out this Youtube site and you can also look at his site (in Slovakian...but there are photos.)

See other A's on ABC WEDNESDAY.

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.

The Cracow Bugler..oops....Trumpeter....

I'm back in Belgrade now, but here is one more collage from Cracow. On the left you see the tower on Saint Mary's church. On right is a close-up where you can see a pair of hands holding a trumpet. Legend has it that in the 13th century the church trumpeter, whose job it was to play the Hejnal, or Hymn to our Lady, was the first one to notice the Tartars advancing on the city. He warned the citizens of Cracow of the upcoming invasion by playing the Hejnal over and over, but unfortunately, a skilled Tartar shot him in the throat with am arrow, cutting the hymn short. Now, every hour a real trumpeter (as opposed to a recording) plays the Hejnał, but stops abruptly where the original trumpeter was cut off.

I named this photo 'The Bugler of Cracow,' for I am musically challenged and confused the two instruments...it was too late to change the title on the collage!

Theme Day--Passageways

This is a passageway in downtown Belgrade that leads from the Zeleni Venac market under a major street with several exits. This passageway is usually jam-packed with what I call 'pack and run' sellers, who carry their merchandise in large bags and display it on cardboard boxes. They're always on the alert for the police, and once I was caught in the midst of a stampede of exiting sellers. This photo was taken on a rainy day, which you can probably guess at by the wet floor where people have walked, and I imagine the sellers thought business wouldn't be good.

But this street musician remains hopeful.

Click here to view thumbnails for all participants

Up from the depths...

Terazije (Teh-RAHZ-ee-yeh) Theatre (read more here) is a very popular theater, showing fabulous musicals, for the most part. You can't see its entrance here, but on this large square is the back of the theater, which I'd never really paid attention to before. But look! Up out of the flat stones of the square rises this elevator that loads and unloads heavy props. I was fascinated to see it rise, since I never even knew it existed.

Serbia's Got Talent: "And the winners are..."

Meet Sandra, Darko, and Danijel Piler, young musicians who last December won first prize of 100,000 euros and an automobile on Serbia's "I've Got Talent." In February they're scheduled to leave for London where they'll be making an album, in the hopes of pursuing an international career. These kids have been playing on Belgrade's Knez Mihailova for several years, trying to supplement their family's income with the money passers-by give them.

If you'd like to see their performance, here's the Youtube link. (Sorry for the mess-up with the link; thanks for pointing it out. I think I fixed it now....)

ABC Wednesday--"S" is for "Sonorous Saturday"

It's that time of year again....the season of 'slavas,' which are Orthodox Serbs' saints' days. I've explained last year. Some of the local Roma or gypsy population here wander through neighborhoods trying to earn some money by playing music. One definition of 'sonorous' is
"full and loud, deep, heavy sounds," and these two guys played true to form last Saturday afternoon, the day of the Saint Archangel slava. Like others in my building, I clipped some money with a clothespin and tossed it down to them. You can see that the drummer spotted me and my camera...!

Post your entry for ABC WEDNESDAY!

Singing on the Street

This lady was singing in a Renaissance Music group on a street in Brooklyn. All the singers in the group looked as if they were really enjoying themselves, but this lady seemed to be the most enthusiastic.