Repertoire

Armenian Miserloo - (Zephouri Nman)

Bar (Medly: Karoun, etc.

or Ghapama)

Beejo

Daldala

Daronee (Gorani) 

Dzaner Bar

Haleh

Hooshig Mooshig  

Kessabsi Barer 

Khumkuma 

Laz Bar

Meg Hadik (Rus. 2-Step)

Papouri

Sareri Hovin Mernem 

Sepastia Bar

Sevani

Shuffle 10/8

Siroon Akchig

Qele Qele (Chirak)

Tamzara  1. "Raisin Stomp", 2. Alashkert, 3. Kharput

Zwiefacher: Alte Kathe

Bannilou Lambaul

Changerais Tu

Bavno Oro

Bučimis

Cekurjankino Horo

Dospatsko Horo

Jove Male Mome

Khustendislka Račenica

Molih Ta

Sandansko Horo

Sedi Donka

Trgnala Rumjana

Nabrala Je

Neda Voda Nalivava

Doudlebska Polka

Metsakkukia

La Bastringue

Karagouna

Kori Mi Paringile 

Never On Sunday (Syrtos)

Thalassaki Mou (Kalamatianos)

Tsamikos

Tsakanikos

Lerikos

Mori Shej

Várba harangoznak

Erev Ba

Ma Navu

Sholem

Zemer Atik

Belasicko Oro

Bufcansko

Legnala Dana

Makedonski Devojce

Jovano Jovanke

Tino Mori

Tragnala Rumjana

Opincuta

Bialy Mazur 

Kujawiak 

Terentija Polka

W Moim Ogrodecku 

Oberek

Sie Pani

Swir Swir Mazur

Train Song

Clopotelul

Gori Gori

Korobushka

Troika

Those Were The Days - Uralskaya Riabinushka

Ersko Kolo 

Godecki Cadack

Nishka Banja

Prekid Kolo 

Savila Se Bela Loza

Setnja

Horehronsky Csardas

Hambo

Langdans

Waltz 

Schottis

Kristallen den Fina

Bandura

Hej Sokoly

Hopak

Kolomejka

Mouse Plays Balalaika

Oj Maju Maju

Oy U Hayu Pri Dunayu 

Oy U Luzi Chervona Kalyna

Suyanka

Tomu Kosa

Zelenaye Zhyto Zelenaye 

Annotations for a selection of the Kotwica Band Repertoire

"Bar" means "dance" in Armenian. We play a medley of dance tunes including, "Springtime"; "The Road to the Catskills"; "My One and Only"; and an American favorite, a lover's lament, "Everything is a Lie".

Ghapama is an Armenian folk song, "I harvested the squash, I came home, a hundred ravenous people, one squash, what shall I do?" 

Daldala is an Armenian folk dance in 5/4 rhythm. "Daldala" means "back, go back" - referring to the steps in the dance.

Gorani is from the Daron region of ancient Western Armenia. This province was devastated during the genocide but in the 1960’s, Azat Gharibian, director of the Armenian State Song and Dance Ensemble, revived this song about loss of one’s beloved and one’s homeland.     

Dzaner Bar meaning "Heavy Dance" in Armenian, is from the province of Kharpert and is played in a unique 9/8 rhythm.

"Hooshig Mooshig" (nonsense words of endearment) is a traditional song-dance from Yerzenga in historic Armenia. It was a popular song with playful lyrics widespread throughout much of Western Armenia and other regions of the Ottoman Empire inhabited by Armenians. There were many different regional variations of both the lyrics and the melody. Most versions start with the phrase ‘Ouska Goukas?’, meaning "Where do you come from?"

Kessabsi Barer is a suite of dances from the Armenian villages that were once on the border of what is now Turkey and Syria.

Khumkuma (from a Kurdish woman's name "Khemkhme") is danced by Kurdish  and Armenian immigrants and their descendants.

Laz Bar is a dance from the Black Sea in ⅞ rhythm.

Sareri Hovin Mernem, "I'd Die for the Wind in the Mountains" is an Armenian lament about a lost lover and lost homeland.

The Tamzara is an Armenian dance in a distinctive 9/8 rhythm which was widespread across much of the Armenian Plateau and continues to be a favorite in the Armenian diaspora. Villages and towns had their own local versions.  Here we feature David on oud playing a medley of those village tunes.

Zwiefacher:"Alte Kathe" - Zweifachers are Bavarian dances with unique patterns of waltzes (¾) and pivots (2/4).  "Alte Kathe" has the simple pattern of: Waltz, Waltz, Pivot, Pivot - so the musical measures are ¾, ¾, 2/4, 2/4, ¾, ¾, 2/4, 2/4....

Changerais Tu - "Will You Change" is a humorous song about counting sheep for the Breton dance, "An Dro Retourné."

Molih Ta is an a cappella song, "I begged you, mother, not to marry me off so young" for dancing "Pravo Horo" a basic Bulgarian dance known by most Bulgarians today.

The Croatian song "Nabrala Je" tells the story, "She picked strawberries, she picked three bunches of flowers, she picked a green hyacinth flower in the meadow. She gave what she had picked to her beloved."

Doudlebska Polka is a Czech tune and dance - a playful "mixer" in which dancers try to catch their favorite partner to dance the next time through the dance.

Kori Mi Paringile is from the village of Poliyiros on the Halkidiki Peninsula in Northern Greece. "The young girl sent word for me to go in the evening but I, being hard of hearing, didn’t hear and went at noon! Her windows were brightly shining, her partridges were without water. Partridges, where is your lady? She went to the well to fill her jug."

Thalassaki Mou is a Greek song, in the Kalamatinos dance ⅞ rhythm.  The words are, "The Sea, the Sea, bring my sailor, bring my love, back to me!"

Eba Sto Karo (Lerikos) was recorded in the mid-1950s by Rena Dalia, a rebetiko signer from Greece - the lyrics translated say “Let’s go for a spin to Sheepshead Bay, to Rockaway to ease your sorrow."

Mori Shej ("My Daughter") is a Roma song from Hungary composed by Joszef Balough for his baby daughter, Sabina.

Sholem is an a cappella Jewish song for peace - and we invite the audience to sing along with us on the chorus.

Makedonski Devojce ("Macedonian Girl") is a song in ⅞ rhythm counted "1,2,3; 1,2; 1,2" The lyrics translated are, "There never was born a prettier girl in the world than a Macedonian.  There are no stars prettier than your eyes. Your hair, like silk is prettier than a fairy. When you sing, you out-sing the nightingale, and when you dance, you make my heart dance."

The Mazur is a Polish national dance in a ¾ meter with the accents on 1 and 3.  We often follow with a slow romantic dance called a Kujawiak and finally an Oberek - a lively dance with lots of acrobatic tricks.

W Moim Ogrodecku is a spirited Ukrainian song, "Young Johnny is talking to Mary in her garden of roses, rosemary, strawberries, blueberries, and lilies. Will she water his horse? No, she won’t. She’s afraid of his horse! Who does she love? Will she be his? She doesn’t know yet if her mom will let her."

Clopotelul ("little bell") is a song-dance from Bucovina in the Carpathian Mountains in Romania.  "On bad days, days of misfortune, I dance Clopoţelul for an hour, and we turn with spirit like we used to dance, for a week.

Gori Gori is a Roma song, "Burn, burn, my heart with love."

Niška Banja is a very popular Serbian folk song, “the Baths of Niš”.  Nis is a spa town in south Serbia blessed with healing waters and a reputation for a hedonistic lifestyle. Every generation has a new set of lyrics for this lively tune in 9/8 meter.

Kolos are upbeat Serbian dances choreographed by dance masters for the ballroom.  Prekid Kolo, ("Pause Kolo") has an interesting syncopation in this tune which features the accordion and fiddle.

Savila Se Bela Loza is a lively Serbian tune "Todor kissed Toda three times. That was not a grapevine around the fence, rather, that was two lovers."

Setnja means “a walk” or “stroll” in Serbian.  This song is a children's dance with lyrics saying "Mile passes by our region to see what heaven is like. Come Mile, sing and dance the kolo with us."

Horehronsky Csardas is a song from the border of Slovakia near Hungary, "This Hel’pa is a nice town.  And in Hel’pa there are a hundred handsome boys. This hundred, that hundred are not to my liking. Only for one does my heart ache."

Göran Olsson, a fiddler and tradition-bearer from Jämtland, Sweden, led the Kotwica Band in a master-class to learn and refine Swedish folk dance music repertoire.  

"Langdans" is an ancient (dating back to the middle ages) Swedish dance in a triple meter with accents on "1" and "3."

The Hambo is a traditional Swedish couple dance that originated in the 16th century. It is a turning couple dance music played with a strong accent on the first beat. The Schottis is a dance in 4/4 rhythm related to the German/Bohemian reinlender.

Kristallen Den Fina is a beautiful Swedish waltz: "The crystal, the fine one, may shine like the sun, like the stars twinkle in the sky.  My friend and flower of love. Oh, if we were able to come together, I would be your friend and you my dearest one."

The Ukrainian song, Bandura, refers to a Ukrainian stringed instrument of the same name."Because of my Bandura, I have become a bandurista. I would have given up my soul for those brown eyes. Dear Maria take my heart and give me yours."

Hopak is a spirited Ukrainian dance and Kolomejka is a dance from the Hutzul region of western Ukraine on the border with Poland.

The Mouse Who Plays the Balalaika is a song from Kiev from the folktale about Natasha, a mouse who wanted to play the balalaika and it features David performing some fancy tricks on his strings!

Oj Maju Maju is a Ukrainian song, "O Mama! I have eyes, but nobody to look at. I have hands but no one to hug. I have legs, but no one to dance with."

Oy U Luzi Chervona Kalyna is a Ukrainian folk song, "In the meadow a red viburnum has bent down low. Our glorious Ukraine has been troubled and we’ll raise that red viburnum up and rejoice."

Tomu Kosa Dobre Kosyt is a Ukrainian song from the Carpathian Mountains region. "My scythe would mow the fields if my sweetie brought me food. My darling is on the mountain with her curly, bouncy hair and brown eyes crying. She is not lazy. She bought a crooked comb for her hair. And me, I’ve got a hut on the hill and a girlfriend in the village."

Zelenaye Zhyto Zelenaye is a folk song from Ukraine about bringing in the green rye harvest while the guests are already waiting to eat.