Starogradska muzika ( bg, mk, sr, староградска музика, hr, starogradska glazba; literally "old city music") is an

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

traditional

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes traditional folk music and the contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be called world music. Traditional folk music has ...

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 ...

, Bosnia Hercegovina,

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 = , capi ...

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 Socialist Feder ...

and

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 Hu ...

In
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 Hu ...

This music was very popular during the early 1900s in Serbia. Today, this music can be heard in bohemian part of Belgrade, Skadarlija. It is most popular in the northern part of Serbia,

Vojvodina Vojvodina ( sr-Cyrl, Војводина}), officially the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, is an autonomous province that occupies the northernmost part of Serbia. It lies within the Pannonian Basin, bordered to the south by the national capital ...

. Some famous performers of this music are Zvonko Bogdan,

Ksenija Cicvarić Xenia (variants include Ksenia, Ksenija, Kseniya; derived from Greek ξενία '' xenia'', "hospitality") is a female given name. The below sections list notable people with one of the variants of this given name. Related names include ''Oksan ...

, and

Toma Zdravković Tomislav "Toma" Zdravković (; 20 November 1938 – 30 September 1991) was a Serbian pop-folk singer-songwriter and recording artist. Zdravković was an outstanding figure on the Serbian folk scene; a true bohemian and a poet, he lived up to h ...

. The lyrics are often romantic and depict the city life, as well as some more rural scenes.

In North Macedonia

Some of the most prominent ''Starogradska muzika'' performers are Ansambl Biljana from the city of

Ohrid Ohrid ( mk, Охрид ) is a city in North Macedonia and is the seat of the Ohrid Municipality. It is the largest city on Lake Ohrid and the List of cities in North Macedonia, eighth-largest city in the country, with the municipality recording ...

, which was considered an important center for this music style in the past along with

Bitola Bitola (; mk, Битола ) is a city in the southwestern part of North Macedonia. It is located in the southern part of the Pelagonia valley, surrounded by the Baba, Nidže, and Kajmakčalan mountain ranges, north of the Medžitlija-Níki ...

Prilep Prilep ( mk, Прилеп ) is the fourth-largest city in North Macedonia. It has a population of 66,246 and is known as "the city under Marko's Towers" because of its proximity to the towers of Prince Marko. Name The name of Prilep appea ...

and others. The emergence of the Starogradska music scene is related to the development of the cities and the

bourgeoisie The bourgeoisie ( , ) is a social class, equivalent to the middle or upper middle class. They are distinguished from, and traditionally contrasted with, the proletariat by their affluence, and their great cultural and financial capital. Th ...

under the influences from the West in the Ottoman occupied Macedonia during the 19th century. Unlike the rural folk which portrays the life in the villages and the nature surrounding them, the hard

agricultural Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled peopl ...

work in the fields etc. the Starogradska muzika lyrics are about the life in the city, its famous loves and tragedies, its famous characters (be they rich traders or poor beggars) etc. ''Starogradska'' music uses instruments such as

violin The violin, sometimes known as a '' fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone ( string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument ( soprano) in the family in regu ...

s and

clarinet The clarinet is a musical instrument in the woodwind family. The instrument has a nearly cylindrical bore and a flared bell, and uses a single reed to produce sound. Clarinets comprise a family of instruments of differing sizes and pitch ...

s instead of rural ones such as gajda for example. Also, while rural folk performers usually wear traditional village costumes, the ''starogradska'' music performers are usually dressed in European old city fashions ( suits, hats and neckties, as well as accessories such as

pocket watch A pocket watch (or pocketwatch) is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist. They were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwa ...

es,

walking sticks A walking stick or walking cane is a device used primarily to aid walking, provide postural stability or support, or assist in maintaining a good posture. Some designs also serve as a fashion accessory, or are used for self-defense. Walking sti ...

etc.). An important, if not the most important part of the Macedonian old city music is the musical genre called

Čalgija Čalgija or Chalgiya (Macedonian language: Чалгија; Bulgarian language: Чалгия) is a Macedonian and Bulgarian music genre, which also is a subgenre of the old urban traditional folk music ( starogradska muzika) of Macedonia and Bulga ...

(not to be confused with

chalga Chalga (; often referred to as pop-folk, short for "popular folk" or ethno-pop, short for "ethnic pop") is a Bulgarian music genre. Chalga or pop-folk is essentially a folk-inspired dance music genre, with a blend of Bulgarian music (Bulgarian e ...

, which is a contemporary

Turbofolk Turbo-folk (sometimes referred as pop-folk or popular folk) is subgenre of contemporary pop music with its origins in Serbia, that initially developed during the 1980s and 1990s, with similar music styles in Bulgaria (chalga), Romania (manele ...

style in

and

). In both rural and urban Macedonian folk, songs about famous revolutionaries also exist. Other important ''starogradska muzika'' performers are: the vocal groups Oktet Makedonija from

Skopje Skopje ( , , ; mk, Скопје ; sq, Shkup) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It is the country's political, cultural, economic, and academic centre. The territory of Skopje has been inhabited since at least 4000 BC; r ...

and Oktet Kumanovo from

Kumanovo Kumanovo ( mk, Куманово ; also known by other alternative names) is a city in North Macedonia and the seat of Kumanovo Municipality, the largest municipality in the country. Kumanovo lies above sea level and is surrounded by the Kar ...

, the vocal and instrumental ensemble Raspeani Resenčani from Resen and others.

Audio

Macedonian songs

"Biljana platno beleše" by Ansambl Biljana, Ohrid
- one of the most famous Macedonian ''starogradski'' songs
Song about the revolutionary Hristo Uzunov by Ansambl Biljana, OhridSong about the girl Despina by Ansambl Biljana, Ohrid"Jas sum moma Ohridjanka" - "Im a girl from Ohrid" by Ansambl Biljana, Ohrid

Starogradska muzika in MIDI format

MIDI files

In 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 Hu ...

In North Macedonia

Audio

Macedonian songs

Starogradska muzika in MIDI format

See also

In
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 Hu ...