The frula (, sr-Cyrl, фрула), also known as svirala (свирала) or jedinka, is a musical instrument which resembles a medium sized

flute The flute is a family of classical music instrument in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, meaning they make sound by vibrating a column of air. However, unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is a reedless ...

, traditionally played in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

. It is typically made of wood and has six holes. It is an end-blown

aerophone An aerophone () is a musical instrument that produces sound primarily by causing a body of air to vibrate, without the use of strings or membranes (which are respectively chordophones and membranophones), and without the vibration of the instru ...

. The frula is a traditional instrument of

shepherd A shepherd or sheepherder is a person who tends, herds, feeds, or guards flocks of sheep. ''Shepherd'' derives from Old English ''sceaphierde (''sceap'' 'sheep' + ''hierde'' 'herder'). ''Shepherding is one of the world's oldest occupations, i ...

s, who would play while tending their flocks. For a list of similar instruments, see the section below.

Names

In Croatia it is commonly known as "jedinka". Other local names in Croatia include ''žveglica'', ''šaltva'', ''kavela'', ''ćurlik''. It has also been simply called "Serbian flute".

Overview

The frula is a small wooden flute with six holes. In the Balkans, the frula was played by shepherds while tending their flocks. It is a traditional instrument of Serbia, one of several aerophones used for leisure time, rituals, or accompanying the ''

kolo Kolo may refer to: Places Poland *Koło *Koło, Łódź Voivodeship * Koło, Lublin Voivodeship * Koło, Lubusz Voivodeship Other places * Kolo, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Kolo, Central African Republic * Kolo (Tanzanian ward), Kondoa district, Dod ...

'' (circle dance), along with long flutes (''duduk'', ''cevara''), the double flute (''dvojnice''), and the bag-pipe (''

gajde A gaida is a bagpipe from Southeastern Europe. Southern European bagpipes known as ''gaida'' include: the , , (), () () or (), ''(')'', , also . Construction Bag Gaida bags are generally of sheep or goat hide. Different regions have ...

'').

Performers

27The Serbian National Folk Dance Ensemble Kolo

Notable frula players (''frulaši'') are Adam Milutinović, Sava Jeremić, Tihomir Paunović, Neda Nikolić, Velja Kokorić, Borivoje Todorović, Bora Dugić, Slobodan Vukićević, Spasoje Jović, Andrija and Tomislav Bajić, Radovan Jovanović and others.

Legacy

There are many events dedicated to the frula, such as the ''Prva pastirska frula'' in

Jagnjilo Jagnjilo ( sr-cyr, Јагњило) is a village situated in Mladenovac municipality in Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in So ...

, ''Dani Save Jeremića'' in

Ražanj Ražanj () is a village and municipality located in the Nišava District of southern Serbia. The municipality consists of 23 settlements having a total population of 9,150 inhabitants, with 1,245 inhabitants living in Ražanj itself. The municipa ...

, ''sabori frulaša'' in

Lelić Lelić is a village in the municipality of Valjevo, Serbia. According to the 2002 census, the village has a population of 568 people.Popis stanovništva, domaćinstava i Stanova 2002. Knjiga 1: Nacionalna ili etnička pripadnost po naseljima. Repu ...

and Prislonica, ''takmičenja frulaša'' in Iđoš, and ''Frula fest'' in

Kruševac Kruševac ( sr-cyr, Крушевац, , tr, Alacahisar or Kruşevca) is a city and the administrative center of the Rasina District in central Serbia. It is located in the valley of West Morava, on Rasina river. According to the 2011 census, t ...

. A popular Serbian folk song is ''Ej čija frula'' ("O, whose frula"), recorded by, among others, Braća Bajić, Radiša Urošević and Cune Gojković. ;Other similar flutes * ''

shvi The shvi ( hy, շվի, "whistle", pronounced ''sh-vee'') is an Armenian fipple flute with a labium mouth piece. Commonly made of wood ( apricot, boxwood, or ebony) or bamboo and up to in length, it typically has a range of an octave and a-half. T ...

'', Armenia * ''

sopilka Sopilka (, uk, Cопiлка) is a name applied to a variety of woodwind instruments of the flute family used by Ukrainian folk instrumentalists. ''Sopilka'' most commonly refers to a fife made of a variety of materials (but traditionally out ...

'', Ukraine * ''

lamzdeliai Lamzdeliai (pipes) are traditional wind instruments in Lithuania. The instrument was popular during night herding, at young people's gatherings, and weddings. ''Lamzdeliai'' are used to play improvised herding melodies—''raliavimai'', ''ridovim ...

'', Lithuania * ''

floghera The floghera ( el, φλογέρα, ) is a type of flute used in Greek folk music. It is a simple end-blown bamboo flute without a fipple, which is played by directing a narrow air stream against its sharp, open upper end. It typically has seven fin ...

'', Greece * '' furulya'', Hungary * '' fujarka'', Poland * ''

kaval The kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout the Balkans (in Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Southern Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Greece, and elsewhere) and Anatolia (including Turkey and Armenia). The ka ...

'', Turkey * '' balaban'' or ''

duduk The duduk ( ; hy, դուդուկ ) or tsiranapogh ( hy, ծիրանափող, meaning “apricot-made wind instrument”), is an ancient Armenian double reed woodwind instrument made of apricot wood. It is indigenous to Armenia. Variations of th ...

'', double-reed, Armenia and Azerbaijan

References

* * {{Serbian souvenirs Fipple flutes Serbian musical instruments Croatian musical instruments Serb music