earthcds - The Shutka Music Project - Gypsy music on CD from Macedonia - Rom - Romany


Released by Music That Matters.

The Shutka Music Project was recorded to share the music and spirit of this special community with the world. Located on the outskirts of Skopje, about 10 miles from the Kosovo border, Shutka is the largest Roma community in Europe. Recent conflicts in the Balkans have presented many hardships onto these people including unemployment and more than 1,000 refugees from war-torn Kosovo. Balkan Sunflowers responded to the situation early in 1999 and has maintained volunteers from all over the world living and working in Shutka ever since. While international volunteers certainly have their place, the most important goal of this CD and Balkan Sunflowers is to provide encouragement and support to local Shutka residents who want to become active in their community. The Skutka Music Project will donate all their profits from the CD to support the work of Cultural Cornerstones. The mission of Cultural Cornerstones is to preserve and publish the ethnic traditions of at-risk cultures for use in education and advocacy worldwide. We use arts as a tool to give a voice to the unique beauty of under represented cultures and the struggles they are facing. Through our publications and advocacy campaigns, we aim to encourage awareness, activism, and compassion in the public consciousness to value and protect these people and their threatened traditions.

These recordings are extremely unique and personal, bringing the passion and soul of the Roma people to life. The project promises to be refreshingly simple and real and will surpirse devout lovers of Gypsy culture and music with its honesty. Artists perform a variety of music on this CD including wild wedding music, catchy new songs from young pop artists, and traditional folk songs sung by Muzo Bizlim, a musical elder of the Shutka community. These live recordings alow not only the music – but the atmosphere of everyday life in Shutka – to be felt and heard. The CD insert contains the lyrics to six of the traditional songs, pictures, and information on the artists and the Balkan Sunflowers project.