Tag: Trio Mandili

Categories
Folk Music

Perfect Song #13: Hej Sokoły

Last week I blogged about the three most beautiful angels from Georgia, Trio Mandili (https://luegra.design.blog/2024/12/21/trio-mandili-hallelujah/). Since I subscribe to their YouTube channel, YT’s algorithms tend to send me a Trio Mandili video every time I go online to the site. I have pretty much seen all of their videos, so when one pops up, I know that I have already hit the Like button, but will check just in case.

Recently, the trio’s video of a Polish/Ukrainian folk song “Hej Sokoły” came up. I had seen it already and watched it again. It motivated me to do some research on the song. I was totally moved by the history, and more so by the different interpretations by many artists.

There is no definite authorship for “Hej Sokoły,” translated in English as “Hey Falcons.” Some historians claim the composer is Ukrainian-Polish poet/songwriter Tomasz Padura, while others believe it was written by Polish classical composer Maciej Kamieński. It is based on a 19th century Polish folk song “Żal za Ukrainą.” It has been translated into a number of languages, as its storyline is held dear to many people of different European nationalities.

The story tells of a soldier leaving his love as well as his country Ukraine for a battle. He often sees falcons flying in the sky and asks them to fly back to his homeland and make sure the bells continue to ring, and refers to his girl as his little skylark and swallow. As with many similar folk songs, the soldier dies in battle, and he wishes for wine, as well as to be buried back in Ukraine next to his love.

Because of its storyline, the song has continued to be popular with the Polish and Ukrainian people throughout the 20th century. Polish solders sang it during the Polish-Soviet War, as well as with the Polish Home Army during the Warsaw Uprising during World War II. Most recently, Ukrainian soldiers and civilians have performed it to celebrate victories against the Russian invasion that began in 2022. There have also been versions performed to honor military aid from Poland and the Slovak Republic.

While searching videos of the song, not only is it performed for military concerns, but since it is such a popular folk song, there are clips of people singing it at weddings, school functions and parties. It seems as if everyone in Poland knows the song by heart, the same way perhaps people in the US may know “Yankee Doodle” or “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” only with more spirit and love than we have here in the US.

While I totally enjoy Trio Mandili’s version of this song, the version that most moved me and brought me to tears was one performed in Polish by the Ukrainian Pikkardiyska Tertsiya, an a cappella group from Lviv, Ukraine. I have probably listened to this version a hundred times over the past week and it moves me emotionally each time. I cannot fully describe it, maybe it’s because of my Polish heritage, but it is perfect according to my soul.

Chew on it and comment. Let us hope for a better 2025.

Categories
Folk Music

Trio Mandili – Hallelujah

I had briefly covered Trio Mandili in a blog a few years back (https://luegra.design.blog/2020/10/17/na-zdrowie-eastern-european-folk-music-and-comedy/), and I continue to be amazed by their vocal talent as well as their natural beauty. These three young ladies from the country of Georgia have been putting out wonderful and entertaining videos for a number of years, and have also release a few CDs along the way.

This past week, it was a lovely surprise to find the trio’s latest CD Hallelujah in my post office box. It contains ten Georgian Orthodox prayers sung either a capella or with minimal accompaniment. I immediately threw it into my CD player once I got home, and was floored!

I cannot even begin to tell you how gorgeous their voices are performing these holy songs. If I were ever to say that there are living angels among us, the ladies of Trio Mandili would be three of them. The opening cut, “Psalm 50,” is hauntingly beautiful. All three voices complement each other so perfectly. They easily move from harmonies to droning vocals.

My only complaint is that, either out of humility or not realizing it, they never put their names on their CDs, and I have three of them. Tatuli Mgeladze is the lone original member, and takes most of the lead vocals, although they switch lead vocals often. Tako Tsiklauri sings much of the high harmonies, and Mariam Kurasbedani sings low harmonies, has a beautiful ear for droning vocals, and plays the panduri (a three-stringed mandolin-like instrument).

At this time, Georgia, like many Eastern European and Middle Eastern countries, are witnessing political turmoil. The ladies of Trio Mandili are patriotic for their country, and while not true activists, they are not afraid to show their support for the people that fight for human rights there. Honestly, they would be the kind of daughters that you would want to have.

This CD has brought me to tears of emotion, both joyful and heart-wrenching. The vocals are a feast, a weapon, a medicine, and a comfort. I implore you to go to www.triomandili.com and spend money to get this CD if you want to truly have your heart moved in a religious way. I will always love these ladies, as their voices continually warm my soul.

Have a wonderful Christmas. Chew on it and comment.

Categories
Folk Music

Na Zdrowie! Eastern European Folk Music (and Comedy)

Like I said before, not everything on the blog will be related to bluegrass music. While it is still my Number 1 passion in music, I still love to discover other forms and genres. I will always love most of the stuff lumped under Americana, but lately I have been getting into listening to Eastern European folk music, especially performed by female vocalists.

First, Let us look at Rokiczanka. They sing Polish folk songs with a small ensemble backing them up. They are a combination of male and female singers, but it is the two female lead singers that garner much of the attention from the audiences (at least from what one can tell by the videos). This is pure Polish folk music that has been polished up to be presentable live to all audiences. The whole group looks like they are having fun performing the music at concerts. I especially enjoy their interpretation of the folk song “Lipka.” Just an enjoyment to watch. The website is https://rokiczanka.pl/en/ .

About two years ago, I found Beloe Zlato on YouTube, and continue to be amazed by their harmonies. Over the years, the lineup has changed, but three of the ladies have been there for a long time keeping the group active (Daria Luneeva, Valeria Grigorieva, and Maria Baranenko). Besides being very easy on the eyes, they harmonize so well that it sounds more like a human pipe organ. This literally sounds angelic. If they ever were to come to the US, whatever city, I would make the trip just to hear these beautiful voices live. They almost do not seem real. They make videos singing around tourist spots in Moscow. Most of the early videos were a capella, but more recent ones include being accompanied by an accordion or balalaika. Sometimes they appear in traditional dress, sometimes in jeans and t-shirts. They are as addictive as potato chips. The website is https://beloezlato.ru/ . Be sure to check all of their YouTube videos!

While looking around for other Polish folk groups a few weeks ago, I came across Trio Mandili. Wow! They are actually from Georgia (the country in East Europe, NOT the southern US state), but sing Polish, Russian, and Turkish folk songs as well as Georgian. They are like a Cossack version of The Andrew Sisters! They have been around for about six years, but have only recently been putting out videos, which consist of the one original member, Tatuli Mgeladze, filming them with her iPhone. They walk around sites in Georgia singing, with one member, Mariam Qurasbedian, playing the three-stringed panduri (a cross between a dulcimer and a cigar-box guitar). The third member, Tako Tsiklauri, dances around in the background and is always smiling. The group came into notoriety when in 2014 they posted a video of them singing a folk song while walking down a dirt road. The harmonies were beautiful. The video has had over 6.5 million views on YouTube! About two years later, a punk metal trio added backing music to the video, and it came out sounding really cool! You have to check them all out! Their live shows are a bit tacky, with choreography that definitely looks Eastern European or Middle Eastern and not from New York, London, or Paris. I have seen a few other Georgian “Trio” groups on YouTube, but none compare to the originality of Trio Mandili. Unfortunately, the website is extremely slow to upload – I have yet to get it fully up to see anything. So trying to order a CD is impossible. Good luck at trying it yourself: http://triomandili.com/ .

Last on this list is not really a musical group, but a comedy troupe. I don’t know exactly how I came across Kabaret Hrabi, but I am glad that I did. Think of a Polish version of Saturday Night Live or Second City. The three gentlemen and one lady take on modern topics and satire them to the fullest. Yes, it is all in Polish, and I can only make out about 10 percent of what they are saying, but what I can make out is hilarious. If you do understand Polish, you will not be disappointed. The one skit that got me rolling on the floor crying from laughter was “Kultura Naradowa.” They recite old Polish folk songs as if they are seriously reading Shakespeare! Hearing “Miała Baba Koguta” (About a woman that puts a rooster into a boot. My father, God rest his soul, used to play a 78 of this all of the time!) read like a soliloquy just gets to me. The website is http://hrabi.pl/ .

Chew on it and comment.

Design a site like this with WordPress.com
Get started