A traditional Slovakian shepherd’s flute of unusual length (160-200cm) with distinctive deep mumbling tones, emitted by its lower register and very high overtones, a beautiful, meditative, ghostly sound, emitting melancholic and rhapsodic music, varying in relations to the life and work of the shepherd. It is a UNESCO-recognised instrument of cultural heritage. It has a three finger holes, and a side mouthpiece, and is held upright. It has a unusual set of sounds beyond straight tones.
The melodies often imitate sounds from nature, such as the gurgle of a stream or a wellspring. While linked to folk and traditional genre, in the 18th and 19th centuries the instrument grew popular with wealthier demographic, and particularly in the Podpolanie region it gained recognition and its popularity spread throughout Slovakia. Here is a background to the instrument in this video from the UNESCO site showing the making of, and sounds of the instrument, as well as a further video from master maker Drahoš Daloš:
And here is an informative tutorial by player Winnie Clement on how to make sounds on this beautiful instrument of the Tatra Mountains, with particular emphasis on mouth control for the overtone scale.
And here, as well as voices, fiddle and Jew’s harp, and a variety of sights, sounds and people from the region, is a traditional song Ej, Koť Me Šikovali (Hey, They Tricked Me) from the album Fujaristi Z Kokavy, across two videos featuring many different players (including Pavel Bielčik, Ján Kroták, Milan Katreniak, Martin Kubinec and Miroslav Moncoľ) to get a real flavour of the stirring culture of the fujara, or fujarová.
And finally, also from Drahoš Daloš, here is a broader, but very informative video about Slovakian traditional instruments, including the fujura, and more pieces with the full album Fujaristi Z Kokavy:
So then, any more songs and instruments featuring the fujara? Feel free to suggest examples from any genre, or even in film, art, or other contexts in comments below.
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