On the eve of the concert of Vlatko Stefanovski and Miroslav Tadic
On the eve of the concert of Vlatko
Stefanovski ans Miroslav Tadic on the summer stage 'Monte', which is
a part of their summer tour giving concerts in Croatian towns, we talked
to these two excellent musicians.
Vlatko Stefanovski, legendary Macedonian guitarist and one of the most
appreciated musicians from the ex Yugoslavia, needs no special introduction.
However, Miroslav Tadic worked with many world famous musicians like
Terry Riley, Marcus
Stochausen, Mario Joao, Dusan Bogdanovic, Vanja Lazarova, Marko Nauseef.
He was better known abroad than in the ex Yugoslavia. He introduced himself
with the album 'Krusevo', working with Vlatko Stefanovski.
Publishers of the world famous' Guitar Player Magazine' declared Miroslav
as one of the most radical and individual guitarists in the world.
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-Vlatko, at the beginning of your career you enriched your music with the rhythms and melodies of Balkan and became in a way a predecessor of what is today called 'world music'. Today many musicians use these elements because it is the fashion. What influenced your choice?
Stefanovski:When a man is young his decisions are made subconsciously. I can't say that I was smart and I started to work with traditional music. It was an urge to be different, new and original that drove me to it. I wasn't calculating. A moment came when the band and I wanted to work with it. We started digging and finding the things we liked and we played them in our own way.
-what led to this cooperation of two musicians of similar cultural
backgrounds, but different musical careers?
Tadic:I think that the cooperation of
two musicians with different musical history is more logical than the
one between ones who evolved in the
same way. It would be a bit dull if we played the same instruments in
the same way. What reflects our cooperation and brings us many great
moments are two different worlds which emerge when we play. Same things
excite
us, but we evolved in two diferrent ways. In a technical way as well.
We have different ways of playing. As for the instrument itself, I believe
that we are extracting all the functions that exist in music, melody,
harmony, drums and bass from them. We find it interesting and inspiring.
-How did the compositions form the album'Krusevo' come to life?
Tadic: Very spontaneously. Vlatko
and I know that music really well. Vlatko, ofc ourse, from the source,
and I've learned about it
indirectly when I went to America
and brought some records with me. I was 18 and on my way to University.
The further I went from home, more I came to realize how interesting
and rich that folklore was. Every time I came home, I found some more
records. Vlatko, on the other hand, knew those musicians and singers
so we were listening
to the same music in two different ways.
We've met 1995. on the concert where we were both separately invited
as guests. The organizer had an idea of two of us playing something together.
We understood eachother well and since then we kept on understanding
eachother very well and our repertoire is growing all the time.
-Studio album was recorded in 1998. while the album'Live in Belgrade'was created during it's promotion in 2000. Can we expect new material soon?
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Stefanovski:We are talking about it more that we are actually doing it.We
are collecting new materials.Some time must pass for the new songs
to get fermented and for the best solution to come to light.We will
probably have a few guests on that album.
-the music you make together is a unique project.On one hand it is full of emotions,and on the other it has a very interesting rhythmic-melodious structure with elements of Macedonian folk music.In relatively short period of time your unique duo gained almost cultic status among the music lovers in ex Yugoslavia.Did you expect such success?
Stefanovski:To be honest,no.I thought at best few thousands people will
be interested.As it turned out,there is a huge appetite for this kind
of music.
-Today you are one of the most appreciated musicians from the ex Yugoslavia.After the famous 'Leb i sol'no longer existed, the bend which you released 13 albums with,you continue your solo career working with many musicians, writing music for the film and theatre... Miroslav also has a history of working with many of the world famous composers and musicians, and besides performing, he also has educational obligations. How do you manage all that?
Stefanovski:-Hard,but if the time and
energy are distributed well, it is possible
-What was it like working with Gibonni?
Stefanovski:Great. He is an author who deserves that kind of success. I was only a guest at that project but I felt great as a part of that team. Organization was really strong and my relationship with Gibonni is friendly, which is the most important
-Miroslav, you teach guitar at the famous California Institute
of Arts, Callarts in Los Angeles
Tadic:I find pedagogical work very fulfilling.
I was lucky to have been given teaching position and such great trust
and freedom in my
work, by one of the strongest schools I know, and I was only 25. I
don't have to teach subjects I have no interest in, though I know them,
for example the history of the acoustic guitar or 19th century repertoire.
For the last 5-6 years I have students from all over the world who
contact me, and one of the reasons they want to study here is the fact
that I am one of the teachers. How can that not be fulfilling? There
are still no people with methodology of combining acoustical guitar,
broken rhythms, improvisation and arrangement where classical techniques
are
used on completely different kind of music. I developed that technique
and I am still doing it and learning during that process.
The other advantage is the high level of my students. Vlatko had the
opportunity of meeting them last year when he held his seminar in America.
They are exceptionally talented people,and that is one of the reasons
why
I have to keep in shape. As a teacher I am trying to teach them to
be better than me, but as a player I must be better than they are.
That gives me the energy.
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-For the last concert of this summer tour of Croatian towns, which started in Karlovac, you have chosen Rovinj. What are your impressions from the tour like?
Stefanovski:The first part of the tour
was continental and the other was at the seaside, which is natural.
It is only logical to relax at
the seaside after exhausting concerts, than to go from the coast to
the continent. The concert I remember the most is one we gave in Opatija.
We played there 2 years ago and that was also a great concert.
-How do you feel in Istra?
Stefanovski:I adore Istra. I have a few books about Istra and I could draw a parallel between Istra and Macedonia. It is different than the rest of Croatia. The scenery is also different. Paysages are magnificent. I had a chance to take a walk in Groznjan, Premantura...
Tadic:I've spent many years in Groznjan
at the seminars of musical youth. At the time I was starting to play
guitar and Groznjan was my
only real source of information. I was 14-15 at the time. These seminars
are still taking place and have really high quality, as they had before.
We would live for a year on that information we've been given during
that 14 or 15 days of seminar, literally.
Besides the music and the thrills, as Vlatko was saying, the whole
nature is something that is permanently engraved in my memory and I
am happy
to be here again.
-In the end, if you had to choose between love and music, which would it be?
Stefanovski: I think love, but not everyone is talented for love.
Interview: Domagoj TERZIC
