''Jovano, Jovanke'' ( bg, Йовано, Йованке; mk, Јовано, Јованке) is a traditional folk song originating from the

region of Macedonia Macedonia () is a geographical and historical region of the Balkan Peninsula in Southeast Europe. Its boundaries have changed considerably over time; however, it came to be defined as the modern geographical region by the mid 19th century. T ...

. It is popular in and frequently performed in

North Macedonia North Macedonia, ; sq, Maqedonia e Veriut, (Macedonia before February 2019), officially the Republic of North Macedonia,, is a country in Southeast Europe. It gained independence in 1991 as one of the successor states of Yugoslavia. It ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...

, and the Macedonia region of Greece. The song has also been adapted and performed in neighboring Balkan states such as

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

and

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. It is about two young lovers separated by their disapproving parents. The song mentions the

Vardar The Vardar (; mk, , , ) or Axios () is the longest river in North Macedonia and the second longest river in Greece, in which it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . Th ...

river which runs through present-day

and present-day

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

Renditions

*Macedonian singer and songwriter

Aleksandar Sarievski Aleksandar Sarievski ( mk, Александар Сариевски ; June 20, 1922 – December 19, 2002) was a Macedonian singer-songwriter whose career spanned almost six decades. He was one of the most recognizable figures in Macedonian ...

performed a traditional version of the song throughout his musical career (1946–2002). *In 1967 Yugoslav

beat Beat, beats or beating may refer to: Common uses * Patrol, or beat, a group of personnel assigned to monitor a specific area ** Beat (police), the territory that a police officer patrols ** Gay beat, an area frequented by gay men * Battery (c ...

band

Zlatni Dečaci Zlatni Dečaci (Serbian Cyrillic: Златни Дечаци, trans. ''The Golden Boys'') were a Yugoslav rock band formed in Belgrade in 1962. The band were one of the pioneers of the Yugoslav rock scene. At the beginning of their career the ...

recorded a version of the song for Vladan Slijepčević's film ''Where to After the Rain?''. *In 1967 the song was performed by

Esther & Abi Ofarim Esther & Abi Ofarim were an Israeli musical duo active during the 1960s, consisting of husband and wife Abi Ofarim and Esther Ofarim. They enjoyed particular success in Germany. They had hits in Europe with their songs "One More Dance," "Morning ...

for their album ''2 In 3''. *In 1968 Turkish singer

Ajda Pekkan Ayşe Ajda Pekkan (; born 12 February 1946) is a Turkish singer. She is known by the title "superstar" in the Turkish media. Pekkan became a prominent figure of Turkish pop music with her songs, in which she tried to create a strong female figure. ...

recorded a version of the song titled as ''Ne Tadı Var Bu Dünyanın'' with newly written lyrics in

Turkish language Turkish ( , ), also referred to as Turkish of Turkey (''Türkiye Türkçesi''), is the most widely spoken of the Turkic languages, with around 80 to 90 million speakers. It is the national language of Turkey and Northern Cyprus. Significant sma ...

. *In 1985 German Folkgroup Farfarello performed Jovano on their debutalbum *In 1986 Croatian and former Yugoslav hard rock band Osmi Putnik incorporated a part of the melody in their song "Jovana". *In 1986 Macedonian and former Yugoslav

jazz-fusion Jazz fusion (also known as fusion and progressive jazz) is a music genre that developed in the late 1960s when musicians combined jazz harmony and improvisation with rock music, funk, and rhythm and blues. Electric guitars, amplifiers, and ke ...

and

rock Rock most often refers to: * Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids * Rock music, a genre of popular music Rock or Rocks may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wales ...

band

Leb i Sol Leb i sol ( mk, Леб и сол) is a Republic of Macedonia, Macedonian and former yu rock, Yugoslav rock group founded in the 1970s by Vlatko Stefanovski (guitar), Bodan Arsovski (bass guitar), Nikola Kokan Dimuševski (Keyboard instrument, ke ...

( mk, Леб и сол), produced an instrumental version of the song. *In 1991 Croatian singer and songwriter Branimir Štulić recorded song for his album "Sevdah za Paulu Horvat". Later, in 2012, he recorded one more version in his home-studio in Netherlands. *In 1994 Macedonian and former Yugoslav band

Anastasia Anastasia (from el, Ἀναστασία, translit=Anastasía) is a feminine given name of Greek origin, derived from the Greek word (), meaning "resurrection". It is a popular name in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia, where it was the most ...

( mk, Анастасија) included a part of the melody in the score "Coming Back Home 1" for the soundtrack of Before the Rain. *In 1995 and 2006 Berlin-based world music band

17 Hippies 17 Hippies is a band from Berlin, Germany, playing largely on acoustic instruments, a radically democratic collective of professionals and amateurs. Their music is a confection of various folk influences. They are most popular in their native G ...

released versions of the song on their albums ''Rock 'n' Roll 13'' and ''Hippies Live in Berlin'', respectively. *In 1997 and 2003, Vienna-based world music band Nim Sofyan released versions of the song. *In 1999 Romanian band

Transsylvania Phoenix Transsylvania Phoenix (also known as Phoenix in Romania) is a Romanian rock band formed in 1962 in Timișoara by guitarists Nicu Covaci and Kamocsa Béla. Guitarist Claudiu Rotaru, vocalist Florin "Moni" Bordeianu and drummer Ioan "Pilu" Șt ...

included a version of the song on their album ''Ora-Hora''. *In 1999 the Czech band Gothart included a version on their album ''Adio querida''. *In 2001 two pioneers of Celtic

bouzouki The bouzouki (, also ; el, μπουζούκι ; alt. pl. ''bouzoukia'', from Greek ), also spelled buzuki or buzuci, is a musical instrument popular in Greece. It is a member of the long-necked lute family, with a round body with a flat top and ...

, Roger Landes and Chipper Thompson, recorded an instrumental version on their album ''The Janissary Stomp''. *In 2003 New Zealand-based world music band Many Hands released a version of this song on their album ''Routes''. *In 2003 Polish band

Kroke Kroke is a Polish instrumental ensemble of world music. The band's name refers to the Yiddish language name for Kraków (, ). The band was founded in 1992 by three friends and graduates of the Academy of Music in Kraków. Initially, they we ...

and the violinist

Nigel Kennedy Nigel Kennedy (born 28 December 1956) is an English violinist and violist. His early career was primarily spent performing classical music, and he has since expanded into jazz, klezmer, and other music genres. Early life and background Kenn ...

performed this song on their album ''East meets East''. *In 2006 Macedonian singer

Toše Proeski Todor "Toše" Proeski ( mk, Тодор "Тоше" Проески, ; 25 January 1981 – 16 October 2007) was a Macedonian multi-genre singer and songwriter. Considered a top act of the local Macedonian and Balkan music scene, Proeski's music wa ...

released a version of the song on his album '' Božilak'' ( mk, Божилак). Proeski has frequently performed the song at live concerts. *In 2007 Bulgarian entertainer Slavi Trifonov performed the song and filmed a patriotic video to accompany it, which recreates the Bulgarian victory in the Battle of Doiran during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. *In 2009 Kosovan Turk singer and Turkish actress Şebnem Sönmez performed the song as "Yovano Yovanke". The song was also used in the Turkish television series . *In 2009 Croatian-

Istrian Istria ( ; Croatian and Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian, Italian and Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the largest peninsula within the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic betw ...

-based band Hot Club de Istra made a

gypsy jazz Gypsy jazz (also known as gypsy swing, jazz manouche or hot club-style jazz) is a style of small-group jazz originating from the Romani guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt (1910–53), in conjunction with the French swing violinist Stéphane G ...

arrangement of the song. *In 2009 the melody of this song was used in the sixth sequel of the TV advertising campaign '' Macedonia Timeless''. *In 2011 Polish producer Marcin Wyrosek released a version of the song with Polish singer Kayah. *In 2011 What Cheer? Brigade, a brass band based in

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts ...

, released a version of the song on their album ''Classy: Live in Pawtucket''. *In March 2014 the Slovenian vocal choir

Perpetuum Jazzile Perpetuum Jazzile is a Slovenian musical group best known for an a cappella version of Toto rock band's song Africa. The May 2009 video showing a live performance of this version has received close to 22 million views on YouTube. The group was ...

released an a capella arrangement of the song. *In 2015 Croatian singer

Nina Kraljić Nina Kraljić (; born 4 April 1992) is a Croatian singer-songwriter and voice actress. She is known for winning season one of '' The Voice – Najljepši glas Hrvatske'' and for being a finalist in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016 with the song ...

, who represented Croatia in the Eurovision Song Contest, performed the song live.
Jovano, Jovanke

performed by Nina Kraljić
on YouTube *In 2017 the Serbian group Alice in WonderBand performed the song in arrangement for body percussion, vocals and didgeridoo on the television show ''

Ja imam talenat! Ja imam talenat! (Serbian Cyrillic: ''Ја имам таленат!'', translation: ''I have talent!'') is a Serbian television series, format of ''Got Talent'' series. It is hosted by Vladimir Aleksić and Ivana Bajić. Judges have included Ana ...

''.

References

External links

Jovano Jovanke performed by Esther & Abi OfarimJovano, Jovanke performed by Toše Proeski and Bilja KrsticJovano Jovanke performed only by Toše ProeskiJovano Jovanke performed by Selimova-ŽelčeskiJovano Jovanke performed by 17 HippiesJavano Jovanke performed by Nigel KennedyJovano Jovanke performed by Many HandsJovano Jovanke performed by Ethnotrip

Renditions

References

External links

See also