Tuesday 5 April 2016

5th April: My first ever gig in Skopje


I woke up with a slightly grumpy head, in its inside spinning round a large number of musical notes and embellishments in F hijaz, and a little Rakija from last night on top. For today I had to get my fingers ready for Hungarian Gypsy music; ideally I also should learn as many of the pieces as possible from the rehearsal with Asan, and get some body-cleansing and beauty undertakings in to be ready for the evening.



So after breakfast, I shifted from a session of practice to a walk, then another session of practice, a little spa visit, and more practice, some lunch, another bit of practice until finally getting ready and taking the bus to the centre.


How do I love one of the new google map function to have off-line maps available! At my first time in Macedonia, I struggled with a large city map, trying to find tiny roads, with their names shortened up to recognizability. Now you find the place you need to go, mark it with a star, save the map and you can use it anywhere. 


So I arrived in the right road, at the right time, and there I was standing and looking like a sheep, as I could not see a venue with the name ‘public rooms’. I was just gathering the words and sentences in my head to ask a passer-by in Serbian for it, as a nice-looking guy with a great curly head spoke to me: ‘You are Gundula!’ – well, yes, I was and I am, and he knew, as he was the pianist of Bojana and about to perform with me.

With Fillip, that pianist, and the guitarist, we had a little rehearsal and a sound check, which promised an enjoyable gig. One of the Hungarian pieces we exchanged for the very dubious Monti Czardas, as they all knew it, being obligatory technique practice when you learn an instrument in Macedonia (the same I had come across in Turkey, when all high-level Baglama players would have studies this piece, funny!).


The gig was nice, but rather laid-back. Asan, who wanted to come, had received short-notice guests and could not get away. But Miki, a newly recruited friend of Asan and me came. Apart from the Hungarian pieces I performed, I joined into some Jazz standards, and of course the opening Djelem Djelem sang by Bojana. I was quite proud I remembered a couple of pieces, and improvise over the chord changes, especially ‘All of me’ in Ab !!!



Anyway, a great evening, meeting of more super-lovely people and musicians, and a Rakija to finish all in style, that was my 5th April 2016.

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