Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Kaval by Fraser Fifield, vocals by Farya Faraji. This is a folk song from Serbia, with the arrangement showcasing the more archaic forms of music of the country as they would have been heard before the Westernisation of the music in the 19th century which introduced tonal harmony, chords, Western instruments such as the accordion, and largely removed the microtonal scales in favour of Western equal temperament. This rendition showcases the usages of instruments such as the saz family, as well as the mode not being in Western minor, but a microtonal relative largely comparable to Makam Huseyini. Instead of using Western a tonal harmonic progression, this arrangement employs the more archaic tradition of the Balkanic drone, closely related to Byzantine Ison, which maintains a drone on the tonic whilst dropping to the subtonic during moments of cadence.
The arrangement is closely modeled on the version by Grupa Iskon: youtube.com/watch?v=vlWbPEboCmA
Lyrics:
Oj, livado rosna travo, javore, javore
Ko po tebi čuva stado, zlato moje
Čuvala ga devojčica, javore, javore
Od sedamnaest godinica, zlato moje
Ovce čuva, pesmu peva, javore, javore
Moj Dragane što te nema, zlato moje
Što te nema ovih dana, javore, javore
Kad ja ovce čuvam sama, zlato moje
Translation:
Oh, meadow, dew grass, maple tree, maple tree
Who is guarding the herd on you, my dear
Herd was guarded by a young girl, maple tree, maple tree
She had seventeen years, my dear
She guards sheep, sings song, maple tree, maple tree
My loved one, why you are not here, my dear
Why you are not here these days, maple tree, maple tree
When I am guarding sheep alone, my dear
Kaval by Fraser Fifield, vocals by Farya Faraji. This is a folk song from Serbia, with the arrangement showcasing the more archaic forms of music of the country as they would have been heard before the Westernisation of the music in the 19th century which introduced tonal harmony, chords, Western instruments such as the accordion, and largely removed the microtonal scales in favour of Western equal temperament. This rendition showcases the usages of instruments such as the saz family, as well as the mode not being in Western minor, but a microtonal relative largely comparable to Makam Huseyini. Instead of using Western a tonal harmonic progression, this arrangement employs the more archaic tradition of the Balkanic drone, closely related to Byzantine Ison, which maintains a drone on the tonic whilst dropping to the subtonic during moments of cadence.
The arrangement is closely modeled on the version by Grupa Iskon: youtube.com/watch?v=vlWbPEboCmA
Lyrics:
Oj, livado rosna travo, javore, javore
Ko po tebi čuva stado, zlato moje
Čuvala ga devojčica, javore, javore
Od sedamnaest godinica, zlato moje
Ovce čuva, pesmu peva, javore, javore
Moj Dragane što te nema, zlato moje
Što te nema ovih dana, javore, javore
Kad ja ovce čuvam sama, zlato moje
Translation:
Oh, meadow, dew grass, maple tree, maple tree
Who is guarding the herd on you, my dear
Herd was guarded by a young girl, maple tree, maple tree
She had seventeen years, my dear
She guards sheep, sings song, maple tree, maple tree
My loved one, why you are not here, my dear
Why you are not here these days, maple tree, maple tree
When I am guarding sheep alone, my dear
