Žalvarinis
Encyclopedia
Žalvarinis ʒɐlʋɐrinis is a folk rock
band from Vilnius
, Lithuania
. They were formed in 2001 as a collaboration between the black metal
group Ugnėlakis and the pagan folk group Kūlgrinda
. This was reflected in the title of their debut album in 2002, Ugnėlakis su Kūlgrinda. The name of Žalvarinis means brass
.
of Lithuanian people and are sung in their original Lithuanian language
. Žalvarinis' music frequently features singing technique of traditional Lithuanian sutartinė (a form of glee
), usually sung by band's three female singers - examples of sutartinė can be heard in tracks Ailiom susėdom and Dijūta. Authentic pronunciation as well as ancient words and their forms in folk songs are also usually preserved by the band. As a legacy of Kūlgrinda, the band also features few folk-songs of Old Prussians
.
Žalvarinis's sound, on the other hand, while still influenced by traditional Lithuanian folk music, is more modern - generally speaking, it's a mix of traditional Heavy metal
and progressive rock
(see links section for audio samples).
The first album of the band was metal-influenced, however with later albums, the sound becomes more progressive.
The song "Aš kanapį sėjau" (eng. "I Sowed a Hemp
"), taken from the 2005 album Žalio vario was featured on Transformations in Lithuanian Song - a 2006 compilation CD that covered the development of Lithuanian folk music
over many years, published by the Lithuanian-American journal Lituanus
.
Folk rock
Folk rock is a musical genre combining elements of folk music and rock music. In its earliest and narrowest sense, the term referred to a genre that arose in the United States and the UK around the mid-1960s...
band from Vilnius
Vilnius
Vilnius is the capital of Lithuania, and its largest city, with a population of 560,190 as of 2010. It is the seat of the Vilnius city municipality and of the Vilnius district municipality. It is also the capital of Vilnius County...
, Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
. They were formed in 2001 as a collaboration between the black metal
Black metal
Black metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal music. Common traits include fast tempos, shrieked vocals, highly distorted guitars played with tremolo picking, blast beat drumming, raw recording, and unconventional song structure....
group Ugnėlakis and the pagan folk group Kūlgrinda
Kulgrinda (band)
Kūlgrinda is a neofolk/pagan folk band from Vilnius, Lithuania, established in 1990 by Inia and Jonas Trinkūnas. The band owes its name to kūlgrinda - a secret Samogitian underwater causeway.-Discography:...
. This was reflected in the title of their debut album in 2002, Ugnėlakis su Kūlgrinda. The name of Žalvarinis means brass
Brass
Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc; the proportions of zinc and copper can be varied to create a range of brasses with varying properties.In comparison, bronze is principally an alloy of copper and tin...
.
Style
The lyrics for band's songs are usually taken from the folkloreFolklore
Folklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
of Lithuanian people and are sung in their original Lithuanian language
Lithuanian language
Lithuanian is the official state language of Lithuania and is recognized as one of the official languages of the European Union. There are about 2.96 million native Lithuanian speakers in Lithuania and about 170,000 abroad. Lithuanian is a Baltic language, closely related to Latvian, although they...
. Žalvarinis' music frequently features singing technique of traditional Lithuanian sutartinė (a form of glee
Glee (music)
A glee is an English type of part song spanning the late baroque, classical and early romantic periods. It is usually scored for at least three voices, and generally intended to be sung unaccompanied. Glees often consist of a number of short, musically contrasted movements and their texts can be...
), usually sung by band's three female singers - examples of sutartinė can be heard in tracks Ailiom susėdom and Dijūta. Authentic pronunciation as well as ancient words and their forms in folk songs are also usually preserved by the band. As a legacy of Kūlgrinda, the band also features few folk-songs of Old Prussians
Old Prussians
The Old Prussians or Baltic Prussians were an ethnic group, autochthonous Baltic tribes that inhabited Prussia, the lands of the southeastern Baltic Sea in the area around the Vistula and Curonian Lagoons...
.
Žalvarinis's sound, on the other hand, while still influenced by traditional Lithuanian folk music, is more modern - generally speaking, it's a mix of traditional Heavy metal
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
and progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
(see links section for audio samples).
The first album of the band was metal-influenced, however with later albums, the sound becomes more progressive.
The song "Aš kanapį sėjau" (eng. "I Sowed a Hemp
Hemp
Hemp is mostly used as a name for low tetrahydrocannabinol strains of the plant Cannabis sativa, of fiber and/or oilseed varieties. In modern times, hemp has been used for industrial purposes including paper, textiles, biodegradable plastics, construction, health food and fuel with modest...
"), taken from the 2005 album Žalio vario was featured on Transformations in Lithuanian Song - a 2006 compilation CD that covered the development of Lithuanian folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
over many years, published by the Lithuanian-American journal Lituanus
Lituanus
Lituanus is an English language quarterly journal dedicated to Lithuanian and Baltic languages, linguistics, political science, arts, history, literature, and related topics. It is published by the non-profit Lituanus Foundation, Inc., and has a worldwide circulation of about 3,000 copies per...
.
Current members
- Robertas Semeniukas – electric guitar
- Paulius Jaskūnas – bass guitar
- Aidas Buivydas – electric guitar
- Ilja Molodcov – drums
- Ineta Meduneckytė-Tamošiūnienė – vocals
- Laurita Peleniūtė-Pocienė – vocals
- Eglė Pakšytė – vocals
Former members
- Aurimas Lemežis - bass guitar
- Marius Būda - electric guitar
- Ramūnas Pocius - vocals, pipes
Discography
- Ugnėlakis su Kūlgrinda (2002)
- Žalio vario (2005, translates as [Made] of Green Copper)
- Folk n' Rock (2008)