...and walachian style of Fujara flute play
If we imagine the life in a shed in the past, we will find out that in the summer there was no time for playing. In the morning shepherds had to wake up to milk the sheep, sour the milk, prepare the cheese and zincica (special drink made by Slovakian shepherd's) and by the time the cheese was smoked, the noon was there and everything had to be repeated.
Therefore, the best was to play by shepherding. Allegedly, the Fujara flute sounded most beautifully when it had been played behind the sheep, just step by step. The Fujara flute's soft voice and its slow melody calmed the sheep and they could better and peacefully nibble.
Today, the experts for ecological (alternative) farming would say that a "welfare effect" was achieved, which means that an additional comfort for animals was reached manifested in their vitality and better utility.
K. A. Medvecky in his famous monograph states that the shepherd by playing his Fujara flute tended the herd, the sheep were more gentle, more quiet, and better sticked together. This was later confirmed also by the older Fujarists stating that the shepherds played the Fujara flute heading their herd. Juraj Kubinec (famous fujarists) added to this "Fujara flute is with the sheep very useful, when Fujara is played, the sheep stretch to the side and go in line, one after another". Today I personally know, that this is very important while the grass is nibbled evenly and the pasture is thus better utilized.
The melodies played by shepherding were mostly slow and dragy, without trills and decorations, utilising simple blowing only, over-blowing to overtones and vibrato. Some suggest, that walachians hands were worked out and hard and therefore their fingers were less flexible. |
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