Ana Pandevska: Electroacoustic mantra »From ex YU to EU«

The composition entitled Electroacoustic mantra »From ex YU to EU« for soprano, mezzo soprano and fixed media was written as inspiration from the events in Macedonia after the breakup of Yugoslavia.

It is called a mantra because of the constant turning in circles about the dispute over the name of the state and the negotiations for Macedonia’s entry into the EU. The musical form of the rondo was chosen, as an association of a circle from which there is no way out and the same disputes and problems are constantly repeated.

The idea is to convey the feelings and preoccupations of the ordinary citizens of Macedonia in the last thirty years. People are constantly preoccupied and in a constant mantra related to the entry into NATO and the EU. For thirty years, all the media have been reporting news about the EU accession negotiations, as well as the necessary forced changes that the state needs to make. One of the changes that is required for the beginning of negotiations is the change of the name of the country. So first there was the name Republic of Macedonia, then the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, then North Macedonia.

The composition deals with this issue and the main theme is based on a traditional Macedonian song »Dve mi momi dve mi drushki–Lazarenki«. A traditional song was chosen as a presentation of the Macedonian identity and a way of traditional singing called nasal, combined with a more modern approach in parts of the episodes through glissandо, whispering, speaking, etc.

Of course, the fixed media and the live vocals complement each other and often there are imitations that make it difficult for the listener to recognize if and what comes from the speakers and what comes from the live performance, just as in everyday Macedonian life, ordinary people do not know what is truth and what is a political game without limits.

(Ana Pandevska)