TOUCH OF MONTENEGRO

Prof. Dimitrije O. Golemović, PhD

Two genius guitar players, Srđan Bulatović and Darko Nikčević, take us to different musical worlds through a successful blending of musical and technical balance. The pearl of an old folk wisdom saying that it doesn’t matter what is done, but how it’s done.  This proverb is proven true through the work of these talented musicians. Based mainly in folklore, the tracks of this CD never become banal, which often happens to many forms of contemporary popular music.  Even though they deal with familiar topics, the songs bring new meaning to these common issues.  The music itself is heterogeneous in style, however the sounds remain harmonious and convey deep artistic purpose.

Most of the compositions on the CD have their beginnings in the musical traditions of Montenegro. Some of the tracks are well-known Montenegrin compositions that are famous beyond the nation’s borders.  These songs include, “Pod onom gorom zelenom”, “Još ne sviće rujna zora“, and “Poljem se vija oj, zor delija”. Unlike the strophes that have become the main characteristic of this style of music, the compositions on the CD have a rhapsodic form. This form is a natural consequence of the instrumental production. The compositions consist of multiple segments, which are revealed through the use of several musical materials.  Variation, as a main feature of folk music, is used here quite often as a compositional approach.  Compositions on this CD can be characterized by a variety of stylistic features: you may hear elements of Spanish music or Oriental sounds; however the tracks also contain elements of popular music, such as “ethno-pop”.

One composition in particular is interesting and somewhat different from others on this CD—the composition titled “Oj, đevojko”. This melody combines Mediterranean sounds with tones of the renaissance.  The songs are whispered by guitars that seem to transform into the music of the lute and mandolin.

The CD, “Touch of Montenegro,” harmonically combines traditional folk melody with contemporary music styles—not an easy task to achieve successfully.  By doing so, the album gives new life to a conventional melody.  The work of Srđan Bulatović and Darko Nikčević provide a chance for people to hear and enjoy elements of Montenegro’s musical traditions, even if they are outside the nation’s cultural realm.

From the pen of a musical critic

A GUITAR ACCORDING TO ITS OWN CLEF

Written by Marija Adamov, Montenegrin daily paper 'DAN', 15th of July, 2007

By gathering musicians from dozen of countries, Days of Music held in Herceg-Novi and its twenty-fourth edition maintained and extended its international character, giving young musicians an opportunity to expand their wings, and to those that are more popular an opportunity to confirm already successful professional carriers. Among those already popular musicians that took part, there were two Montenegrin guitarists Srdjan Bulatovic and Darko Nikcevic, which are also renowned teachers, authors of instructive guitar literature and first composers of CD's of classic and flamenco music in Montenegro.  It is the juncture of excellent classical education that provided them with brilliant playing techniques and of personal, faithful to the style and deepened approach to other musical genres, which marked the range of their performance prepared for the third concert of the Herceg Novi Celebration of artistic music that also attracted big number of visitors. 

The popularity of the instrument and extraordinary surrounding such as the Square in front of the Saint Geronimo Church in the Old Town, were promising one pleasant evening colored with Mediterranean temper, which started to increase the heat of atmosphere from the very first opening composition -sophisticated song of Hose Maria Kagna thanks to their interpretation of that song.  Provided with technical skills for performing the most complicated tasks of the wide range of guitar literature (original or professionally transcribed), musicians demonstrated, by rich scale of accents and dynamic coloring, nice talent for emphasizing the character of the selected music, enchanting audience, besides the quality of their playing, by the recognizable repertoire pointed primarily at vibrating and rhythmically rich and sparkling flamenco sound.

Flamenco represents specific, technically very demanding style of performance of the duo Bulatovic-Nikcevic weather they play the serene Latino American rhythms, or musical arrangements of famous film themes or pop music arrangements. All of them, and there were compositions of Tonino Baliardo, Sting, Stanley Myers, Astor Piazzola, Vinsente Amigo, Bil Velan, and, of course, compositions of Bulatovic and Nikcevic themselves, and in addition compostions of Isaak Albeniz and Klaus Dolinger, were tied with tones of melancholic lyrics and skillful softness, but also there were motives of the Spanish folklore sounds colored with dramatic accents and southern warmth. Offering those to audience in the single clef and form, array of genres and stiles, enriched with fantastic arrangements as well as with elements of ethno sounds originating from the wide range of Balkans peninsula duo Bulatovic and Nikcevic succeeded not only to satisfy their thirst for unique performance but to display that symbiosis of the creative curiosity and artistic seriousness can successfully extend repertoire and increase the quality of giving.   

(Adapted by Jelena Otasevic)                

 

'Artini' festival: Guitar eve in the Symphony orchestra

A DRIFT FROM STEROTYPES

Written by B. Dejanovic, Serbian daily paper 'NARODNE NOVINE', 6th of July, 2005

Second in a row of concerts of the musical festival "Artini" is held, because of bad weather, indoors, in the hall of the Symphony orchestra. As for the classical guitar duos (Mitic-Cirika and Nikcevic Bulatovic), it can be considered whether it might have been better if they had performed in front of beogradska kapija[Belgrade's Gate] in the location called Tvrdjava (The Fortress). I'm supportive of the idea that indoors halls are more adequate locations - at least for the audience that expects more than just an social event. However, it is certain that by relocating the event, the biggest damage was done to Gale and Naida, since their rock performance wasn't adequately placed.

The thing that Nis is getting now (as we hope so) is something that Podgorica and Cetinje in the performance of Darko Nikcevic and Srdjan Bulatovic have already had for fifteen years already, and it is something that audience because of the surprising level of  harmonized duo functioning, no matter where they perform, notices during very first tones they provide. This duo has, in its repertoire, its own compositions and musical arrangements (the author of transcriptions is Darko Nikcevic) of the authors ranging from Paco De Lucia and Gipsy Kings to Astor Piazzola, Ennio Morricone,  Egbert Gismonti (...), and all of it performed under great influence of the tradition of flamenco guitar skillfully maneuvered by both of them. At first listening it is clear that it is not supportive for the modern preferences of wider audience, but it is simple wish to see some of the most beautiful themes of the twentieth century at least this way become equal in the "status" with themes of old craftsmen, which are endangered, because of its (un)frequent use, to become "worn-out". All in all - excellent first presenting of Nikcevic and Bulatovic in Nis, perfect way to "qualify" to have one all evening concert organized in Nis as soon as possible. Why not as soon as next Nimus already?      

(Adapted by Jelena Otasevic)

 

MUSICAL REVIEW

THE EVENING OF THE GUITAR

Written by M. Popovic, Montenegrin daily paper 'POBJEDA', 29th of April, 1991         

In the gallery of DODEST, and in the organization of The Musical Composers of Montenegro, on the 23rd of June, Srdjan Bulatovic and Darko Nikcevic two guitarsists from Podgorica had a very successful concert.

On the musical scene of Podgorica, it can be heard, more often, the sound of guitar, thanks to development of the young guitarist department in the Secondary Music School “Vasa Pavic”, and thanks to several teachers and talented students that actively work and organize concerts. One teacher among them is especially standing out, Srdjan Bulatovic, who was the student of that school himself in the past, and today already guitarist with bachelor’s degree, the only one with such degree already proving to be serious and subtle performer. Besides the “fresh” part of graduation exam compositions, he offered to the full gallery of DODEST very motivating palette of colors of the Mediterranean region of different epochs, compositions of Bach, Augustin Barrios Mangorã, Federico Moreno Torroba, Dusan Bogdanovic. It requires the most heat and patience in the playing process of the Bach’s Chaconne violin, transcribed by Andre Segovia, and the sound of guitar suggests some of the hidden renaissance colors. With quite lightness in the sound and tension as much in preserving the complex passage with changes in the contrast within the playing techniques, Srdjan Bulatovic clearly defines musical areas and ties them up with similar fundamental elements into well organized whole. A feeling for the phrase and developing phases of each of the Chaconne parts this young guitarist emphasizes in a constant and conscious manner, in accordance with the epoch style, expressed with quite clear melody lines within harmonized structure, vertical composition or typical horizontal-accord disclosure. That way he proved to have acquired, in successful way, the obligatory material for every serious performer of the classic guitar. Even though the compositions of Mangorã and Torroba offered possibilities of more loose playing, in the performance of Bulatovic those were focused at the precise technical movable quality with familiar Mediterranean trembling of melody with the support of tremolo. Neatly performed composition “Blues with seven variations” of Dusan Bogdanovic (who has been New Your professor since several years ago), is just confirmation of real qualities of this guitarist, his personal temper and taste for music. His potential is not exploited by this graduate exam program but it can be anticipated new array of abilities and those would rely on improving the existing technical apparatus and more liberal disclosure of personal relation with musical composition. His concentration and stage relaxed attitude give him an impetus for conquering musical stage and audience.

Srdjan Bulatovic was accompanied by Darko Nikcevic, a guitarist of somewhat different inclinations, enchanted by the Spanish guitar and flamenco. After completion of Elementary musical education stage, Nikcevic decides to pursue flamenco guitar sound, takes private lessons and those self-taught streams of guitar instruction lead him to composing short forms following the example of guitar composers of the repertoire of modern Spanish school. Motivated by flamenco rhythm in his miniatures “Prado” and “Pako” he develops, skillfully, characteristic technique “razgvado” with sharpened temper and liberal indenture in the specific character of the Spanish rhythm and movement, taking it as his own, original impulse. Nikcevic seems to be rarity because of his interest, which gets beyond a hobby of one future electric engineer and offers him richer, almost parallel life. 

(Adapted by Jelena Otasevic)

MUSICAL REVIEW

NOSTALGIA

Writen by Massimo di Muzio, Italian magazine 'Chitarre' (Rome), July, 2008