Tamburitza America

Book excerpt: Tamburitza America is the story of an Old-World music tradition, the tamburitza of the South Slavs, which came to America with the immigrants in the late 1800s and early 1900s. It has flourished through several American-born generations.Milan Opacich documents the history of the instrument and features the fine musicians and orchestras and their major contributions both to tamburitza and to American music.Other traditional instrumentsthe flute or frula, the bagpipes or gajde, and the gusleare spotlighted along with the violin, a relative newcomer to tamburitza but an integral part of many popular orchestras.Tamburitza America is also a historic journey through America to the origins of the tamburitza tradition in the countrys in-dustrial towns where work once revolved around mines, mills, and factories. It recalls the vibrant communities where tambur-itza music was heard, first in the boarding houses, pool halls, and saloons and, later, in the taverns, church halls, night clubs, restaurants, and ballrooms.Today, musicians and fans gather throughout the country to hear the bright and happy sound of the tamburitza. Tamburitza America celebrates this rich musical heritage of the South Slavs in America.