Kobzarstvo () in the wider definition, is the art and related culture of singing to the accompaniment of the Ukrainian folk instruments known as the

bandura A bandura ( uk, банду́ра) is a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument. It combines elements of the zither and lute and, up until the 1940s, was also often referred to by the term kobza. Early instruments (c. 1700) had 5 to 12 strings ...

kobza The kobza ( uk , кобза), also called bandurka ( uk , бандурка) is a Ukrainian folk music instrument of the lute family ( Hornbostel-Sachs classification number 321.321-5+6), a relative of the Central European mandora. The term ''kob ...

and the Ukrainian hurdy-gurdy whom as the

lira Lira is the name of several currency units. It is the current currency of Turkey and also the local name of the currencies of Lebanon and of Syria. It is also the name of several former currencies, including those of Italy, Malta and Israe ...

. More specifically, it deals with the related culture of the blind professional itinerant folk singers, known as the

kobzar A ''kobzar'' ( ua, кобзар, pl. kobzari ua, кобзарі) was an itinerant Ukrainian bard who sang to his own accompaniment, played on a multistringed bandura or kobza. Tradition Kobzars were often blind and became predominantly so b ...

s and the

lirnyk ] The lirnyk ( Ukrainian language, Ukrainian: лірник; plural лірники - lirnyky) were itinerant Ukrainian musicians who performed religious, historical and epic songs to the accompaniment of a lira, the Ukrainian version of the hurd ...

s. It includes their musical genres, style of performing, playing techniques, customs, secret language (known as Lebiy), organization and para-religious traditions. The study of kobzarstvo initially started in the mid 18th century and continues to this day. The wider definition, although not accurate, it can also include the culture of the more modern non-blind conservatory trained musicians and bandura ensembles - both amateur and professional.

References

* Diakowsky, M. - ''A Note on the History of the Bandura.'' The Annals of the Ukrainian Academy of Arts and Sciences in the U.S. - 4, 3-4 №1419, N.Y. 1958 - С.21-22 * Diakowsky, M. J. - ''The Bandura''. The Ukrainian Trend, 1958, №I, - С.18-36 * Diakowsky, M. – ''Anyone can make a bandura – I did.'' The Ukrainian Trend, Volume 6 * Haydamaka, L. – ''Kobza-bandura – National Ukrainian Musical Instrument''. "Guitar Review" №33, Summer 1970 (С.13-18) * Hornjatkevyč, A. – ''The book of Kodnia and the three Bandurists''. Bandura, #11-12, 1985 * Hornjatkevyč A. J., Nichols T. R. - ''The Bandura''. Canada crafts, April-May, 1979 p. 28-29 * Mishalow, V. - A ''Brief Description of the Zinkiv Method of Bandura Playing''. Bandura, 1982, №2/6, - С.23-26 * Mishalow, V. - ''The Kharkiv style #1''. Bandura 1982, №6, - С.15-22 #2 – Bandura 1985, №13-14, - С.20-23 #3 – Bandura 1988, №23-24, - С.31-34 #4 – Bandura 1987, №19-20, - С.31-34 #5 – Bandura 1987, №21-22, - С.34-35 * Mishalow, V. - A ''Short History of the Bandura''. East European Meetings in Ethnomusicology 1999, Romanian Society for Ethnomusicology, Volume 6, - С.69-86 * Mizynec, V. - ''Folk Instruments of Ukraine''. Bayda Books, Melbourne, Australia, 1987 - 48с. * Cherkaskyi, L. - ''Ukrainski narodni muzychni instrumenty''. Tekhnika, Kyiv, Ukraine, 2003 - 262 pages. {{Ukraine-hist-stub

See also

References