Kmečka ohcet
Katalena
With its third album, Katalena remains true to the fundamental idea of its activity - it continues to draw inspiration from the Slovenian folk tradition, in the musical, as well as textual sense. However, certain changes and alterations have taken place. Compared with the first two albums, Kmečka ohcet (Country wedding) has a clearer concept since it is entirely related to the theme of wedding, i.e. an event that signifies not only an important intimate experience between two people, but also an event around which gathers the community. The wedding, staged by Katalena, is Slovenian in every sense of the word and for that reason the atmosphere is constantly changing, from intimacy to the convivial grotesque, and back. In addition to the clear concept, Katalena introduces an entirely new element into its music: the changing of the atmosphere is additionally accentuated by the variation of the principal themes, which appear throughout the whole album. The album was recorded in the studio Metro, in December 2005. Further recording and editing took place in the studios Attic, Desn bedr and Noćas mi srce pati, in January and February 2006. The album was produced by Boštjan Gombač and Boštjan Narat and mixed with the help of sound director Boštjan Podlesnik in the studio Melopoja. Mastering was done by David Šuligoj. The image was designed by Ivian Kan Mujezinović. The photos in the booklet were published with the permission of the Institute of Slovenian Ethnology, within the Scientific Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana. Official photos were taken in the Museum of Recent History in Celje, in Josip Pelikan’s studio. Their author is Ivian Kan Mujezinović. The visual image of the band was arranged by stylist Nika Ravnik.
Music and lyrics written by: Boštjan Narat in Katalena
Recorded at: Studio Metro, december 2005
Aditional recordings and editing: Studio Attic, Studio Desn bedr and Studio Noćas mi srce pati; Produced by: Boštjan Gombač and Boštjan Narat; Sound engineer: Boštjan Podlesnik; Mixed by: Boštjan Podlesnik, Boštjan Gombač, Boštjan Narat; Studio Melopoja; Mastering: David Šuligoj.
Design and photographs: Ivian Kan Mujezinović.
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Music sources:
Karel Štrekelj. Slovenske narodne pesmi I–IV. Ljubljana 1980 (5583).
Josip Dravec. Glasbena folklora Prekmurja. Ljubljana 1957 (107/1).
Odmev prvih zapisov. GNI ZRC SAZU, Ljubljana 2004.
Istranova: 1982. Ljubljana 1999.
Tolovaj Mataj. Stari grehi nova sramota. Ljubljana 1995.
Simon Gregorčič. Izbrane poezije. Celje 1980.
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Katalena:
The peasant wedding or the third contribution to Slovenian insanity
1. (Rad imel bi) Jabuko – 3.41
2. Dajte, dajte – 8.26
3. Lucija – 3.37
5. Dajte, dajte – 4.29
6. Oj Božime – 5.09
8. Prstan – 3.43
9. Le pijmo ga – 2.18
11. Štrbenk na štrbunk – 0.53
12. Dajte, dajte – 4.14
13. Pleši, pleši, črni voz – 6.02
14. Nede mi več rasla – 3.06
(Rad imel bi) Jabuko
Rad imel bi jabuko,
jabuko rudeče.
Rad imel bi jabuko,
ali k meni neče.
Zatrkljaj se jabuko,
kamor tebi drago.
Samo k temu ne trkljaj,
koga nemaš rado.
Rad imel bi jabuko,
jabuko rudeče?
Pride k tebi jabuko,
ali k meni neče.
Rimaj ceste, v mojo sled
stopi, ko sem daleč
stran, kjer ni me in si ti
nekaj, nékdo zase.
Pelin sanja rožmarin,
vonj ne ve, zakaj in kdo je
mrtva senca mladih dni,
leto dela svoje.
Belih rjuh imam dovolj.
Stran od tuje sreče.
Pleše, pleše črni voz,
ali k meni neče.
»I wish I had an apple« This used to be a nursery rhyme. In our interpretation it becomes a love song of two people, who have never met and never will
Dajte, dajte
Instrumental
Lucija
Lucija, Lucija,
müva dva se zemeva,
bogativa siva,
na guoloj slami spiva.
Plüg pa brana,
tou je najna rana,
glog pa ščipek,
tou je najni žitek.
A song mocking a single woman who is old enough to be married.
»Lucija, let’s get married, we are rich, but we sleep on straw. Plough and harrow are our food, white thorn and wild rose are what we live on.«
Dajte, dajte
Dajte, dajte vbogajme,
naši novici, kar ji gre.
Dali ji bomo, dali ji bomo,
naši novici, kar ji gre.
Staro babo na rampin,
našo novico na kušin.
Dali jo bomo, dali jo bomo,
našo novico na kušin.
Stari babi štrik za vrat,
naši novici prstan zlat.
Dali ji bomo, dali ji bomo,
naši novici prstan zlat.
This song was sung when the bride was brought to the altar. Its message is that the old must give place to the young.
Oj, Božime
Oj Božime, tele dolince.
Kuo vas težko jest zapustim.
Oj Božime, tata an mama.
Kuo vas težko jest zapustim.
Oj Božime, sestre an bratri.
Kuo vas težko jest zapustim.
A bride-to-be is bidding farewell to what she loves, knowing that a bright future is awaiting her.
'Božime' derives from 'Božej moj' which means oh my God.
»Farewell valleys, father and mother, brothers, sisters, I have such a hard time leaving you.«
Prstan
Obroček drobni, svetla stvar,
ki skôval te mi je zlatar,
kako se jasno mi blestiš
in glasno k srcu govoriš!
Že jutri te nosila bom,
ko pred oltar stopila bom,
tam dveh stanov mi boš mejnik,
dveh rok, dveh src krepak veznik.
Če kteri prstan kdaj se stre,
to drug pač bo, moj prstan ne,
če íma moj pa biti strt,
ne stre ga drug nihče kot smrt!
Ti sreče znak nejasen si,
znak vernosti pa krasen si,
zvestost mi čista kot zlato
in vedno svetla bo kot to.
Naj z rok nikdar ne pade mi –
nihče ga ne ukrade mi,
a stiska naj me še tako,
pritožbe čul ne bo nikdo.
Če kteri prstan kdaj se stre,
to drug pač bo, moj prstan ne,
če íma moj pa biti strt,
ne stre ga drug nihče kot smrt.
The ring: Originally, this song was made for the theatre play titled ''EMBARKED'' by Neda R. Bric. The play was dedicated to her grandmother Felicita Peric who like many Slovene women worked as a maid and a nanny in Alexandria, Egypt at the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century. With the money they earned these women fed and built their home villages.
The poem in which a bride-to-be expresses her devotion to marriage was found in a letter of Felicita Peric. Later we discovered that the poem was written by a famous Slovene poet Simon Gregorčič
Le pijmo ga
Le pijmo ga, ne glejmo ga,
saj je le vince, ni voda.
Ta čas, kar vinca več ne bo,
bomo pili pa vodo.
En glažek vinca frišnega
na zdravje birta hišnega,
na zdravje totih vseh ljudi,
sam Bog jih naj živi.
... Snoč so se pa fantje stepli
pod zeleno lipico.
Le naj se tepejo, le naj se tepejo,
sam da mojga zraven ni ...
Le pijmo ga, ne glejmo ga,
žrimo ga, ne jejmo ga,
vžgimo ga – le dejmo ga!
Hudič je že pršou na fešto.
Ustavte ga, podrite ga,
udarte ga, zaprite ga,
vržte ga odkritega
ven na tisto sivo cesto!
Kdor pa iz naše družbe ni,
temu iztaknemo oči,
mu polomimo kosti,
hojla drija drom!
»Let's drink, don't wait ...« About a party which is getting a bit rough.
Štrbenk na štrbunk
Štrki škrtarijo,
pari se parijo,
luna ponuja se mi na obroke.
Slavčki se slačijo,
spački se pačijo,
zemlja me sili, da ostajam na tleh.
Med prazniki praznijo
v golaž z golaznijo
vred mi potomce rogatih očakov.
V kruhovih cmokih se skriva resnica,
v sirovih štrukljih se skriva zaklad.
Toilet wisdom:
»In the cheese pie a treasure is hidden,
in bread dumplings there lies the truth.«
Dajte, dajte
Dajte nam vina, strast brez spomina,
kadar smo majhni in na tleh.
Dajte nam vina, okus brez pelina.
Dajte nam sladek, svetel greh.
»Let's drink up in passion that leaves no place for memories.«
Pleši, pleši, črni voz
Instrumental
Nede mi več rasla
Nede mi več rasla travica zelena,
gde se mi je šetala lübica lüblena.
Nikaj se ne joči lübica lüblena,
či te ne bom mogel jes pred oltar pelati.
Pred oltar pelati, roko ti podati,
roko ti podati, lice küšüvati.
There will always be moments in life when love is simply not enough and the most important decisions are sometimes taken for all the other reasons. Sadness, but no remorse - facts of life.
