Kanbalism

Mjia has finally opened her treasure box and shared some gems with us. We met her last year in Braille and became friends. She has now put together a mix for metamorphosen that will take listeners on a sonic journey through the world of Balkan music. 

"On the personal note, digging, listening and collecting the sound of the Balkan Peninsula has been my sanctuary for the past two years. A safe space where i re-explore my cultural identity and seek for a sense of home. I mainly focus on the ethno elements in the Balkan productions created within the past 34 years. As a first time curator this mix is an anthology of the tracks that has most tightly hugged my soul. It aims to showcase the multitude of cultures on the Balkans as a united whole. 

The beginning is foggy, disoriented and unclear as it departs from the heart of the region with a poem about love as a universal force. Reaching the most melancholic sights filled with the sounds of psychedelic ouds and guitars, it slowly arrives to a more vivid soundscape of a folky jazz. The tapan hits the road and the journey gets more intense. Riding high on hypnotic percussions and echoing chants it reaches the peak of the hill, where a female voice takes your breath away with words about longing and solitude." 

“When this world and the other one touch,
A new one is either born or dies,
From that touch, the living cry,
Sometimes from joy,
Other times from sorrow,
Always from love.”

@mmiyandi

Vasko Serafimov, Igor Trpcev, Dobrila Graseska - Dopir (2022, Macedonia)
Alembic - Alba Verde (2020, Macedonia)
Nenad Vilovič - Istočni pravac (2022)
Vladimir & Kalafat - Komiža (2021, Croatia)
Goran Trajkoski - The Bomb At The Marketplace (2019, Macedonia)
Vlatko Stefanovski & Miroslav Tadic - Dafino Vino Crveno (2002, Macedonia & Bosnia)
Kobza Vajk - Érintkezések II. (2023, Hungary)
Kabadayas - Planet Vedra (2012, Macedonia)
Project Zlust - Nekojsi Tamu (2009, Macedonia)
Michalis Koumbios - Sto Chorostati (2009, Greece)
Krotala - Family Of Nine (2002, Greece)
Bodan Arsovski - The Beauty Of The Evil (1998, Macedonia)
Isihia - Turkish Dance (2002, Bulgaria)
Afion - Po Drum Odam (2020, Macedonia)

Metamorphosen 40 | Mjiajim

Bujrum is the first episode of Sound of the Kanbals, a bi-monthly show on Cashmere Radio.

Bujrum is a word used often in the Balkans, especially in regions influenced by Ottoman Turkish, meaning „welcome“, „be my guest“, „go ahead“. Folk music in the Balkans transcends borders, blending influences across regions while carrying the same essence of history and emotion. This first episode invites you to go ahead and indulge yourself in its contemporary revival.

This show originally aired on Cashmere Radio.
For more info visit: https://cashmereradio.com/episode/cashmere-guest-mixes-sound-of-the-kanbals-bujrum-w-mmiyandi/

Sound of the Kanbals - Bujrum // Cashmere Radio - 24.02.25

The second episode of Sound of the Kanbals dedicated to Easter, the tragic accident in Kocani, the protests in Serbia and the return of spring.

This show originally aired on Cashmere Radio.
For more info visit: https://cashmereradio.com/episode/cashmere-guest-mixes-sound-of-the-kanbals-southeaster-w-mmiyandi/

Sound of the Kanbals - Southeaster // Cashmere Radio - 21.04.25

Floatilla is the third episode of Sound of the Kanbals aiming to fill your ears with jazz, your lungs with air and set your mood for a summer adventure.

This one features a compilation of some of the most brilliant contemporary composers originating from the Balkans such as the Bulgarian saxophonist Dimitar Liolev, Albanian cellist Redi Hasa, Macedonian percussionist Zoran Madzirov and accordionist Yordan Kostov, the esoteric work of the duo ArHai (Jovana Backovic & Adrian Levi), Harris Lambrakis Quartet and Afrodyssey Orchestra from Greece, the trumpeter Goran Kajfes as descendant of the jazz piano player Davor Kajfes from Croatia and the leftfield Running Fast song from the Belgrade’s Burning Compilation, released under Cosmic Sounds label founded by Zeljko Kerleta in UK in ’99.

This show originally aired on Cashmere Radio.
For more info visit: https://cashmereradio.com/episode/cashmere-guest-mixes-sound-of-the-kanbals-floatilla/

Sound of the Kanbals - Floatilla // Cashmere Radio - 16.06.25

The fourth episode of Sound of the Kanbals,  showcasing music from the Balkan Peninsula and its diaspora.

This show originally aired on Cashmere Radio.
For more info visit: https://cashmereradio.com/episode/cashmere-guest-mixes-sound-of-the-kanbals-w-mmiyandi-reggeaneration/

Sound of the Kanbals - Reggaeneration // Cashmere Radio - 09.09.2025

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echoing kanbal music bi-monthly on cashmere radio