Naselba Lisice (??????) is
a district of Skopje, Republic of Macedonia. We moved
there in 1969, when I was 6 years old. It was, and still is - a
paradise for children. My son Stefan loves spending all his summer
there.
When I was around the age of 13-14, Mome, our
older neighbour, used to take his guitar and play to us, children.
We would sit on the asphalt in front of his house in the hot summer
evenings. And we would start singing together all those beautiful
Yugoslavian tunes (??????? ??, ? ???? ????, ????
????? ?? ?????? etc).
It was a magic, a real magic happening
those evenings. Older neighbours would join in eventually, singing
in harmony. We would sing songs from Macedonia, Serbia, Vojvodina,
Bosnia, Montenegro, Croatia and even one Slovenian tune. It was in
the golden times of the Socialist Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. Life was beautiful.
I just loved the whole thing -
the sound of the guitar, it's power to gather people together. I
wanted to be able to do the same!
So, I soon started lending the
guitar from one of my neighbours, the same age as me. I would go
home and copy the chords I would see that Mome was using. In the
beginning, it was A minor and E major. Later I started learning more
chords, and even started asking Mome to show me some songs. I
remember, I suffered because I couldn't play as loud as he did.
The funny thing is, as soon as
I learned the first few chords, I started "composing". I would hum
some melody over those two chords, and eventually would write some
lyrics. The more chords I was learning, the "better composer" I used
to become.
~~~
But I needed a proper guitar,
my guitar. So, soon a school trip was due. I asked my parents if I
could NOT travel and buy a guitar instead. They were surprised, but
eventually agreed. You see, we didn't have musicians in our family
before. I was a sort of "black sheep".
Nevertheless, one beautiful day
we bought that guitar. 'Twas a Chinese make, with a really thick
neck (later, another neighbour also called Viktor broke it, but
that's another story).
Thus one day I learned a
"serious" song: it was "Yesterday" from the Beatles. I learned it to
play by ear, in the original key (which I believe is F). So, when I
was ready, I called my mom and grandma and told them that I have a
tune for them to play. I started playing that "horrible" F major,
and I just couldn't get right to sing the first note, for the word
"yesterday". I tried a few times, a few different pitches, but to no
success. And they (ma and grandma) - started laughing, giggling!
I was upset, really cross to me
and them. But that didn't stop me to learn more songs every day. And
the Balkan's are blessed with wealth of music. We may have wars
there, but we also have plenty of wonderful music for the soul.
So, this time I taught myself a
tune from Riblja Corba (????? ?????),
a popular rock-band from Belgrade. "??????
????? ?? ?????" (Remain a garbage till the
end) was the title of that popular rock-ballad. The guitar would
play A minor for a few bars, and the singing was starting in C
major.
I had my two good friends, a
couple, whom I wanted to play the song. But alas! The same happened!
I just couldn't start singing in the right pitch. Giggling again,
but this time I was more prepared for it.
The first band was an
interesting experience. I remember playing with one of my friends,
we were rehearsing the Macedonian tune "Jovano, Jovanke". It sounded
great. Two guitars only. And than we decided to take a drummer. A
friend of ours had an older brother who was a drummer, so we started
practising together. What a mess! Only drums could be heard, the
acoustic guitars were too quiet for that loud noise. Anyway, it was
the first band.
~~~
When I was 18, after high
school, I had to go to the army (JNA). They sent me to Slovenia, far
north. I had my guitar there, but wasn't admitted in the Army
Orchestra because there was an older soldier already playing there.
Soon I discovered a small group of like-minded people and we would
sit in our free time and play some blues and other Western music. Oh
yes, we grew up with it.
However, the majority were "narodnjaci"
(people who listen and like folk music; this new, turbo-folk, the
ugly one). In our squad, we had a professional folk singer. One
afternoon, we were all in the yard, and he asked if I could
accompany him while he sings one of the folk hits of that time. I
knew the song, so I did. Then he asked for another tune, and
another. Some of those I didn't know, but they were easy,
predictible. And then the singer turned to me and said: hey, but you
CAN actually play the guitar! Different worlds.
~~~
I still make most of my music
on the acoustic guitar. I am not a very good player, but I feel the
guitar, I can express myself through it. that's what I really wanted
to achieve. I can "hear" the chords or melody in my head, and I can
transform it to real tones on the guitar. It's the basic instrument,
my extended limb.
I teach in this primary school
in North London, and I often play the guitar and we sing together
with the kids. I have 20 guitar pupils out of 100 children. I guess
I am managing to pass some of that magic of the guitar to them.
That's what life is about,
isn't it?
Acoustic Guitar
