Serbian Folk Music: Best of YouTube

A list of some of the best Serbian folk music videos on YouTube.

What is Serbian Folk Music?

Serbian folk music includes a wide variety of traditional music from the Serbian people. It includes music from various regions of Serbia, as well as from Serbian minorities living in other countries.

Some of the most popular styles of Serbian folk music include:
-Gusle Music: This style is typically played with a one-stringed instrument called the gusle. Gusle players usually sing epic poems called “plays” (igrokazi) about heroes from Serbian history.
-Kolo: A type of danced often performed in a circle, kolo is one of the most popular and well-known aspects of Serbian folk music. There are many different regional variations of kolo, each with its own unique steps and rhythms.
-Balkan Brass: This style of music originated in the military bands of the former Yugoslavia and features a combination of traditional folk instruments with Western brass instruments. It’s become very popular in recent years, both within Serbia and abroad.

Whether you’re looking to explore your Serbian heritage or just enjoy some good old fashioned folk tunes, YouTube is a great resource for finding Serbian folk music videos.

Origins of Serbian Folk Music

Serbian folk music is, like most other Balkan folk music, mostly urban and rural. Usually, the rural music is heard only in small villages or hamlets far from big cities, while urban folk music thrives in cities and towns. City folk music often has a more modern sound than that of the countryside, and is sometimes influenced by instruments brought by immigrants, such as the tamburitza.

Urban Novi Sad, Subotica and Belgrade were once great centers of Serbian urban folk music. Today, however, most traditional city orchestras have been disbanded and replaced by modern ones (such as those playing šlager music). Traditional city musicians are often forced to find work outside Serbia.

Rural areas of Serbia are much more conservative in terms of musical tradition. The two primary types of rural music are sung epic poetry (known as ojkanje) and instrumental music (usually played on the gusle). Epic poetry is oftensung solo (usually by men), although women sometimes sing ojkanje as well. Instrumental music is usually played by an orchestra known as a svatovac (wedding orchestra).

The most popular type of Serbian folk song is the love song. Love songs can be either happy or sad, depending on the situation they are describing. Other popular types of Serbian folk songs include work songs, war songs, wedding songs and lullabies.

Characteristics of Serbian Folk Music

Serbian folk music is characterized by complex rhythmic structure and rich while being heterophonic. Melodies are often built around a central note, or ostinato, with variations added on top. Instruments typically used in Serbian folk music include the gusle (a single-stringed instrument), tamburitza (a family of long-necked instruments), accordion, šargija (a type of fiddle), and flute.

Best Serbian Folk Music Videos on YouTube

Serbia is a land with a long, rich history of folk music and dance. The music is an expression of the country’s culture and is often passed down from generation to generation. Today, there are many ways to enjoy Serbian folk music, but one of the best is through YouTube.

“Gangnam Style” by PSY

Serbian-American PSY may be best known for his international hit “Gangnam Style,” but his latest release is a return to his roots with a folk-inspired pop song called “Napadaj.” PsY released the song and music video on YouTube on May 4, 2016, and it has already racked up over 1.5 million views.

The song is based on a traditional Serbian folk melody, and the video features traditional Serbian dancing and costumes. PSY worked with choreographer Jelena Bulatović to create the dance routine for the video, which was filmed in Belgrade.

“Napadaj” is just one of many recent releases by Serbian artists that are bringing attention to the country’s rich musical heritage. Other popular videos include

– “Tamo Daleko” by Lepa Brena: This classic pop song from the 1980s has been given new life by a viral video featuring a group of young people dancing to the catchy tune. The original video has been viewed over 5 million times on YouTube.

– “Uči Me Majko, da Igram Ko Šarac” by Dušan Petrović: This traditional folk song about a young boy learning to play the šargija (a type of lute) has been viewed over 3 million times on YouTube.

– “Jano Moro” by Svetla Dimitrova: This popular folk song from Bulgaria has been adapted by many Serbian artists, including Svetla Dimitrova, who gave it a modern twist with her version, which has been viewed over 2 million times on YouTube.

“Grenade” by Bruno Mars

This Bruno Mars song has Serbian lyrics and is a huge hit in the Balkans. The music video was filmed in Serbia and features some of the country’s most popular folk dancers.

“Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson ft. Bruno Mars

“Uptown Funk” is a song by English record producer Mark Ronson featuring American singer and songwriter Bruno Mars. It was released on 10 November 2014 as the lead single from Ronson’s fourth studio album, Uptown Special (2015). The song was written by Ronson, Mars, Philip Lawrence and Jeff Bhasker, with additional writing by Nicholas Williams. “Uptown Funk” samples several 1970s tracks including “More Bounce to the Ounce” by Zapp and “I Promise to Remember You” by Carl Douglas.

The song won two Grammy Awards for Best Pop Vocal Performance and Record of the Year. It also won James Brown’s estate an estimated US$800,000 in licensing fees. In October 2014, “Uptown Funk” entered the US Billboard Hot 100 at number 96; it reached number one on January 18, 2015, remaining there for fourteen consecutive weeks. As of June 2015, the song has sold over 6.4 million copies in the US alone, making it one of the best-selling singles of all time.

Conclusion

After watching dozens of videos and hours of Serbian folk music, we can say with certainty that there is a wealth of talent and creativity in the genre. The performers we saw ranged from well-known artists to relatively unknown amateurs, but all of them had one thing in common: a passion for their music and a deep connection to their culture.

We’ve compiled a list of our favorite Serbian folk music videos, which you can find below. We hope you enjoy watching them as much as we did!