Partings: Bringing Macedonian Immigrant Folk Songs into the 21st Century
Imagine, for a moment, that you live in Macedonia during the early 1900s. You are a young, strong man who has just found the love of your life, the person you will marry. To do so, you first need to go thousands of miles away and work as hard as you can to earn enough savings to last you a lifetime back home. Imagine also, that just as soon as you marry, you have to leave your bride behind to secure a safe life for her and the children to come. You stay away for years, and when you come back nothing is the same.
For thousands of men of Macedonia, this life was reality, and Partings tells their stories through the musical interpretations of some of the world’s best contemporary musicians.
Produced by the Macedonian Arts Council (MAC) and published by Kukuzel Inc, Partings celebrates these temporary immigrants. Each of the 11 songs originated in Macedonian folklore, but have now been reimagined by composers and performers hailing from countries like India, Wales, Germany and Ecuador. Many of these artists chose to include instruments from their native land, melding Macedonian musical culture into their own.
All proceeds from Partings will benefit the Stoyan Christowe Endowment Fund, which supports young Macedonian women who do not have the means to pursue a college education. Christowe immigrated to the United States from Ottoman Macedonia in 1911 at the age of 13, wrote six books about life in the Balkans and championed literacy and social justice while serving in the Vermont State Senate. His legacy is honored through the two fields of study though the Endowment Fund — Literature and Political Science.
To listen to Partings, you can purchase songs on BandCamp or stream via Apple Music and Amazon Music.
KEEP READING FOR A FULL BREAKDOWN AND HISTORY OF EACH OF THE 11 WONDERFUL SONGS AND THE ARTISTS WHO REARRANGED THEM FOR THE 21ST CENTURY WORLD MUSIC LOVER!
The Parting — arr. Rob Lear
“The Parting” is, in many ways, the quintessential story of Partings. A young man laments his misfortune and the fact that he must leave his country to earn a living. He is sad and fearful, but holds onto hope that he will one day return and hold his beloved Stojne in his arms once again.
Welsh singer-songwriter Rob Lear performs this track, a driving arrangement which contrasts a driving drumbeat with slow, sweeping flute and guitar melodies. He even adds in some chimes, giving this track an ominous yet uplifting feeling. “The Parting” sets the scene perfectly for what’s to come in the rest of the album.
May Be Damned — arr. John Ratcliff
“May Be Damned” is a sobering reminder that sometimes, the risk does not pay off. A man leaves for America to find work, but finds no opportunities for three years. As he sits on the docks and watches steamships depart for Europe, he is filled with sadness and longing. He asks his beloved to sell her only valuable, her gilded vest, and to send him the money so that he can return and see her once again.
The song is arranged by John Ratcliff, a titan of the entertainment industry. The UK-born musician is perhaps best known for discovering and managing Norwegian band a-ha, most famous for their 1984 hit “Take On Me”. Ratcliff affects a different tone on “May Be Damned,” a slow yet stirring track reminiscent of British superstar Sting’s unique style. We admire Sting’s dedication to charitable causes and hope that he will someday lend his support to the Stoyan Christowe Endowment Fund!
White Daisies — arr. Satish Chakravarthy
Another tale of harsh reality, “White Dasies” tells the story of a man who has saved 3,000 Turkish Lira from working in Istanbul. Eager to return home and marry his love, he buys an expensive horse and embarks on the journey. His plans are soon foiled, however, when the horse dies during the journey leaving him stranded far from home.
Satish Chakravarthy, an Indian composer best known for his work in the Tamil Nadu film industry, performs a masterful rendition of this song. Between his poignant voice and his use of stringed instruments from his homeland, “White Daisies” is perhaps the best example of blending Macedonian culture with others from around the world.
Call of the Nightingale — arr. Cecile Hortensia
When the nightingale sings in the morning, the newlywed must face the harsh realities of separation. The “Call of the Nightingale” is a wake up call and a call of parting. As the bride saddles her husband’s horse, he asks her what he should bring back when he returns. Does she want jewelry? Money? None of that, she says. “I only want you, dear, to come back home to me”.
French indie-rock artist Cécile Hortensia gives “Call of the Nightingale” an upbeat, jangly twist. It’s a big departure from other songs on the album, and even though the song deals with a heavy subject, Hortensia’s energy shines through for a unique, powerful performance.
The Infidel — arr. Eric Shouse
Spending a long time apart from your loved one can end in infidelity, another heavy cost of life apart. In “The Infidel,” a man cannot shake his suspicions of his wife being unfaithful. He returns home from abroad earlier than expected, and finds that his wife has found love with their neighbor. He tells her that she can do what she pleases, but not to count on him anymore.
Eric Shouse, the Los Angeles-based lead singer of Closer By One, pours tons of emotion into this performance. His words reflect the pain of those who are quickly forgotten, and he incorporates a beautiful melodica melody into this poignant song.
Goodbye Mother (feat. Hugh Wilson)- arr. Hanjo Gäbler
“Goodbye Mother” shows that the bond between mother and son is one of the strongest. A young man leaves Macedonia to find work, but laments how much he will miss all of his loved ones. He bids goodbye to his friends, his nieces and nephews, and his siblings. But the pain of not being close to his mother is the one he will carry with him, for years to come.
Two great artists came together to perform this song: German composer Hanjo Gäbler and Australian vocalist Hugh Wilson. Each of them do a great job capturing the emotion of the piece, as Wilson’s tone pairs seamlessly with Gäbler’s melodies. It’s one of the most emotional songs on the album, and a pain to which many can relate.
Goodbye My Love — arr. Whitney Mikkél
“Goodbye My Love” is known as the “crown jewel” of Macedonian folk music. It is a hauntingly beautiful song that transcends the pain of leaving, though the hope of return. Told from the point of view of a man leaving, he begs his beloved not to cry and insists that soon, he will be back home again.
Whitney Mikkél lends her spectacular voice to this song, and longingly weaves the sadness and optimism of the song into a beautiful and haunting interpretation. The Los Angeles-based musician gives a performance befitting of the jewel of Macedonian musical folklore.
Stolen Love (feat. Gala Khalife) — arr. D. P. McCollum & G. F. Manzur
“Stolen Love” is another song with a tragic ending. For three long years, a young girl longs for her fiance’s return from work abroad. She waits, and expects, and searches through the faces of returnees. At last, her wait is over when she is given the news that her fiance found a new love and stayed behind on the new land.
Arrangers D.P McCollum and G. F. Manzur team up with vocalist Gala Khalife to produce a very poignant track. The artists, all of whom hail from Ecuador, make sure to emphasize the sadness of this woman when she finds out her love is not returning home. It is a story of a finite parting and of the casualties of immigrant work.
Fly Message Fly (feat. Gabi Knoll) — arr. Laszlo Gajda
It is an unspoken rule that migrants return home in June, the best month to marry their loved ones who have been waiting for them for years. On the Orthodox holiday St. Peter’s Day, also known as Petrovden, the horses are saddled with festive gear and the young men set out to claim their future wives. In “Fly Message Fly,” a young girl sends a message to her finance abroad, way before Petrovden to make sure he will be back on time, or else!
A duo of Hungarian musicians, Laszlo Gajda and Gabi Knoll, tackle this upbeat catchy tune. Between Gajda’s modern producing prowess and Knoll’s gorgeous voice, this song is sure to be stuck in your head as you imagine the young women wondering if the letter got to him on time.
Partings (feat. Scott and Julian) — arr. Davor Jordanovski & VODA
A reimagining of the first track, “Partings” incorporates even more of the original Macedonian lyrics into this arrangement. This song gives listeners an opportunity to hear the spoken Macedonian language and connect most directly with original Macedonian folklore.
Macedonian-Canadian composer Davor Jordanovski and his group VODA rearrange the song and challenged the Toronto-based duo Scott and Julian to sing some of the stanzas in Macedonian. By singing the stanzas in Macedonian, they bring an enchanting and authentic flair to the end of PARTINGS.
