Balkan Blues

Disc: 1

1. Livezile Lui Ion

2. Sâmbra Oilor Din Maramures - Dumitru Farcas

3. Si Hora - Ion Petre Stoican

4. De la Hulbesti (Si Voce)

5. Geamparallele Lui Haidim - Toni Iordache

6. Mikro Kopelidaki Mou

7. Afou 'Heis Allon Sti Kardia - Ross Daly

8. Mana - Loudovikos Ton Anoyion

9. Tesko Oro

10. Chelipe (Kolo)

See all 18 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. I Agápi Traguidiéte Pánta - Loudovikos Ton Anoyion

2. Emai Orfanós Apó Paidhí - Ross Daly,

3. Skaros - Petro-Loucas Chalkias & Kompania

4. Oilor

5. Inel, Inel, De Aur

6. Balada Haiduceasca - Toni Iordache

7. Cantec de Maja

8. Hora Be la Constanta - Ion Petre Stoican

9. Usti, Usti, Babo, O Davulja Maren

10. Oh Ljubav, Ljubav

See all 16 tracks on this disc

Tracks:

Livezile Lui Ion - Achim Mica
Sra Oilor Din Maramures - Dumitru Farcas
Si Hora - Ion Petre Stoican
De la Hulbesti (Si Voce) - Vasile Pandelescu
Geamparallele Lui Haidim - Toni Iordache
Mikro Kopelidaki Mou - Psarantonis & Ensemble
Afou 'Heis Allon Sti Kardia - Ross Daly
Mana - Loudovikos Ton Anoyion
Tesko Oro - Ensemble Rakija
Chelipe (Kolo) - Aleksander Sisic
Aven Romalen, Aven Cavalen - Vladimir Kandic
Edinaesetorca - Kocani Orkestar
Balkan Blues, Pt. 2 - King Ferus Mustafov, Milan Safkov
Cherenije - Esma Redzepova
Asene, Sinko - Mladen Kojnarov
Bavna Melodija I Rnica - Dimitar Petrov
Stujan Otgore Vese - Komna Stojanova
Th Qhkel Mbi Ves Ensemble Tirana

Tracks:

I Ag Traguidi Pa - Loudovikos Ton Anoyion
Emai Orfanpidh Ross Daly, Nick Tramba
Skaros - Petro-Loucas Chalkias & Kompania
Oilor - Luca Novac
Inel, Inel, De Aur - Dona Dimitru Siminica
Balada Haiduceasca - Toni Iordache
Cantec de Maja - Vasile Vasilescu
Hora Be la Constanta - Ion Petre Stoican
Usti, Usti, Babo, O Davulja Maren - Olivera Katarina I Orkestar "Romalen"
Oh Ljubav, Ljubav - Ensemble Rakija
Preserka [#] - Blehorkestar Bakija Bakic
Balkan Blues - King Ferus Mustafov, Milan Safkov
Wallachian Suite - Brazilian All-Star Orchestra
Radka E Fljala V Gradina - Sestri Georgievi
Vito Pumbesha - Ensemble Tirana
Bes Rov - Rromano Dives

Customer Reviews:

Thrilling Musical Tour of the Balkans on 2 CDs.......2004-01-04

This thrilling 2 CD set of Balkan music spans the entire region: Greece, Serbia, Romania, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Macedonia and Roma. Network did a fine job of a difficult task, selecting thoroughly enjoyable music representative of the area. My favorites are Greek, Albanian, Macedonian, Serbian, and Roma (gypsy).

I love Niki Traka(female vocalist) on the rembetika song, "Heis Allon Sti Kardia". The "Cafe Aman" beat of Asia Minor (Turkey)always sends a chill down my spine. When Psarantonis from Crete plays the lyra, he creates a hypnotic trance that is enhanced by his heart-felt vocals. The Romanian selections are all very noteworthy - fantastic cimbalom improvisations, melismatic vocals, along with breath-taking violin ornamentation. The Roma musicians and vocalists are of the highest caliber, the brass band music of Kocani Orkestar and Ferus Mustafov are outstanding. There is a wide variety of Bulgarian styles - music with unusual dissonance and texture, intense rhythms, unique melodies, a female choir, and dance music in the rachenitsa (7/8) rhythm. Ensemble Tirana (Albania) presents a beautiful polyphonic example, with drone, unusual ornamentation through vocal dissonance - human voices that sound like an orchestra!

"Balkan Blues" is one of the best compilations of music from this region. Anyone wanting to experience a wide range of traditional music from the Balkans, played on authentic folk instruments, or modern versions of the older style, should buy this set of CDs. One feels the intense, raw energy of the region expressed through music and song. A magnificent musical tour!
Erika Borsos (erikab93)

an excellent introduction to Balkan Music.......2000-05-22

This 2-CD compendium is very well recorded and contains excellent performances by some very good and important folk musicians. The Romanian material is especially good, and Romanian material is difficult to find. This is not "world Music" (i.e. pop/soft rock in a language you don't know) ; this is the real thing, albeit in nice studio performances. One might quibble about some of the choices, e.g. Psarantonis is not the best way to get into music from Crete, but these musicians are all known in their respective countries and represent real traditions. Any anthology covering a country, let alone the Balkans as a whole in a 2-CD set, is a futile endeavor, but this is good music, and makes a great gift to any of your friends who don't have a pile of old LPs or CDs of this stuff. I give it 4 stars, taking off only one star for lack of depth. _John Uhlemann, KDHX, St. Louis