John Botica performing Dalmatian dance music from Croatia,
1938-1939

Comprises a group of field materials documenting Peter Botica performing Dalmatian dance music on the Lirica, Misnice, and Svirala from Croatia on May 26, 1938 and January 11, 1939, collected by Sidney Robertson Cowell in Mountain View, California.

Recordings:

May 26, 1938:
Dalmatian dance #1
Dalmatian dance #2
Tuning of lirica and some conversation

January 11, 1939:
Shepherd's dance tune

Portrait of John Botica
John Botica playing the lirica
John Botica playing the svirala
John Botica playing the misnice

Lirica
Misnice
Svirala

Sidney Robertson Cowell refers to the lirica as the "liritza" and the misnice as the "mjersnice."

The svirala is a "shepherd's pipe," the misnice is "made [by John Botica] out of a goatskin," and the lirica is "a 3-stringed bowed lyre, also home made."

"Mr. Botica came here 33 years ago from an island off Dubrovnik, Dalmatia [Croatia], Yugoslavia. . . He is famous for his bagpipe playing, though he does not vary his melody much. He is considered an amateur on the liritza [lirica], The svirala is considered a 'backward' and 'mountain country' instrument, but Mr. Botica likes it."

am Jun-27-97