Skip to content

Journey to Balkan Music; Rhythm, Melody and Story

Art and music are among the fields that best represent the reflection of a society. Music created by a society carries deep traces of that society. The culture and emotions included in the music mediate the transmission of these stories from generation to generation.

When we look at the different musical styles and songs of societies, we see that a unique style has been developed and that they reflect their own personalities. Whichever society you go to, we see that there is a different style.

At the same time, all songs and music have a specific story. It has a feature that arises from the basic problems of the society or the relationship of the individual with the society. Especially when we look at the songs and music of the past, we can say that the social impact is quite intense.

The subject of the songs is usually based on social relations rather than individual relations. We can also say that most of the songs are a picture of society. Although there are many scientific studies on music and society, of course, we will include our personal views and thoughts in this article. However, I recommend everyone to read the many researches and studies on this field. The research you will do in this field can provide you with very important contributions.

After what we said about music and society, we can say that the main subject of this article is Balkan music. Balkan music has a remarkable feature especially with its rhythm and structure. Balkan music is generally known for its sad side. We can also say that a lot of cheerful and happy music is being made.

When we look at the Balkan music in general, they have a basic melody. Almost all of their music has a very accompaniment structure. The basic rhythm and melodies used in the creation of the songs can be said as the main reason for this. This style in which he created

Balkan music is also a fundamental factor that enables it to be transmitted from generation to generation. However, the subject that attracts my attention the most for Balkan music is the basic story in every music.

Regardless of the emotional nature of music, every music has a lived and true story. It is possible to say that the music created is quite lively and lifelike. I really like listening to Balkan music. However, I recommend you to learn the story before listening to the music.

What are the Basic Features of Balkan Music?

Journey to Balkan Music

Balkan music has been seriously influenced by the geography it originated from and has a structure that has been adopted with its original style. When we look at the basic structure of Balkan music, we can see that there is a great rhythmic richness.

We can say that rhythm has a rich structure and benefited from quite different sources. It is possible to say that this diversity has emerged due to quite different cultures and nations in the Balkan geography. Some differences between Balkan music stems from this cultural change.

Different ethnic groups in the Balkan societies have left a trace of them and created a legacy in the field of music. This cultural difference designs the basic structure of the music in the Balkan societies. I liken Balkan music to a mosaic.

Since this mosaic structure comes together with emotion and rhythm, it has led to the emergence of quite unique works. It is not possible to mention that there is a complexity in Balkan music due to the cultural diversity and different heritages of ethnic groups. This diversity in music, when combined with different instruments, led to the emergence of quite artistic works.

The use of different instruments and the traces of different cultures are the most remarkable features of Balkan music. The fact that Balkan music was influenced by different cultures has also led to richness in terms of rhythmic and melodic. We can say that there are rhythms with quite different qualities for music.

In addition, when you look at most of the music, it is possible to say that it is quite enthusiastic and suitable for the dance mood. The effect of the moving rhythms that occur in the formation of this situation is great.

In addition to the presence of very lively and dance-like music in Balkan music, there are also very sad songs. It is possible to say that many songs produced by immigrants are full of longing and sadness. Depending on the story and the style of the song, the emotion felt can of course be different.

Balkan Music and History

balkan music and instruments

We mentioned that cultural difference is very important in the emergence and development of Balkan music. Many civilizations have contributed in different ways to the formation of this cultural difference.

The Roman Empire and the Ottoman Empire can be counted among the most fundamental civilizations in the development of Balkan music. For the time being, many countries in the Balkan geography were intertwined with Roman and Ottoman cultures throughout history.

At the same time, it is possible to say that the geography is quite active and has witnessed many wars. In this sense, Balkan music reveals a complete picture of the geography it belongs to.

Although there is a song sung in a cheerful style in Balkan music, it is quite possible to come across a song of envy created by an immigrant. The situation and cultural richness of the Balkan geography throughout history are the most fundamental factors in the development of Balkan music.

Throughout history, this geography, where nations speaking different languages ​​and having different cultures lived together, enabled the development of music in a different way. However, when we look at the songs, it is possible to mention that there is a cultural diversity as well as an international difference.

When you examine the story in the song, it is not possible to mention that there is only one Albanian Bosnia influence. Every society in this geography has melodies that they have created by living shoulder to shoulder and similar stories. In this sense, Balkan music is in a unique position all over the world, both emotionally and socially.

Different songs that you can listen to in Balkan music will show you that emotions are processed with different harmonies. In fact, when you look at many of the songs, you will be able to see that you are reading the stories in the melodies.

The inclusion of different musical instruments used by cultures in music creates a different element of richness. We see that the use of musical instruments used by different cultures in the same song creates a musical feast. Today, you can easily access the songs created by this culture and societies. You can immerse yourself in stories by listening to these songs on different platforms.

See you in the next post,

Anil UZUN