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1905, 2018

Kikinda Owls: Transformation Capacity

By |May 19th, 2018|Categories: Serbia Stories, Traditional Stories|0 Comments

Kikinda Owls: Transformation Capacity

When was the last time you saw an owl? At the local zoo, perhaps? Well, if you pay visit to Kikinda in the middle of November, in the city center, on the city square, you may feast your eyes with a hundred or so sitting in a tree!

Indeed, this small town in the north of Serbia is a real treasure for owl lovers. Even the BBC covered the story about the biggest long-eared owl roost in the world. How big, you may ask. Well, it’s not called the World Owl Capital for nothing! The Urban Birder also mentions it as one of the greatest urban city bird watching experiences. With a little imagination, you could picture yourself standing in the middle of Hogwarts’ post office. Except that this time the owls won’t’ be hooting and resting in a tall tower. They’re feeling more at ease in the middle of the town square.Kikinda’s trees seem to be just the best place in the world. Around 750 birds were spotted enjoying themselves in the town center, and a tree can have up to a hundred of them!

Truth be told, you shouldn’t expect to see Hedwig sleeping on a branch here either. This species is probably closer to Ron’s Pigwidgeon or Errol, judging by its greyish looks. The Latin name of Kikinda’s favorite bird species is Asiootus, or as it’s more commonly known – the long-eared owl. Regardless of their perhaps too ordinary looks, these owls are really something special. While most of other species prefer solitary roosting, the long-eared type is much more sociable than its relatives. Communal roosting isn’t what most owls do. Normally, you’ve seen only an owl or two sitting on a tree in the wild, haven’t you? Now imagine a hundred pairs of big, wondering eyes looking at you from a single tree. You see my point. What the long-eared owl perhaps lacks in stunning or extraordinary appearance, it more than makes up for it by turning into one mesmerizing sight when grouped together!

As you can see, these lovely nocturnal creatures are one of Kikinda’s genuine attractions. Unfortunately, their capacity for transforming the town’s life hasn’t been explored to the fullest.

As a town, Kikinda is in a very favorable location. It’s just 40 miles from the Hungarian border, and less than 5 miles from Romania. This town is situated in the most nationally diverse region of Serbia. Consequently, it is a home town to different ethnic groups and religions, living together and embracing their diversities. Sadly, what is common for all of them is the current unfavorable economic situation. The unemployment rate is rather high (14%), and women comprise half of that number. The unemployed female population comes from different backgrounds. Some have graduated only from elementary school; others finished high school, while some ladies are senior citizens. In addition to all this, tourism has been decreasing at a steady rate of 9.5% since 2006. The future doesn’t look too bright for Kikinda and its kind folks. But that’s where the owls come into play.

Let me now repeat the question: when was the last time you spotted an owl? However, don’t think about a living creature this time. Allow me to rephrase it: When was the last time you saw an image of an owl? Indeed. You have to admit, owls have become a pretty huge part of marketing in the last couple of years. 2018 could rightfully be called the year of the unicorn since we’ve started seeing rainbow horns everywhere. Nevertheless, cute, funny owls with their curious, confused stare are still very much present. You must’ve noticed they’ve been literally put on every mug, notebook, t-shirt and bag there is (among all the other stuff). Why shouldn’t Kikinda do the same? What I have in mind here is the good old branding.

Having already proven the originality and phenomenon of Kikinda’s owl situation, the only thing left to be done is creating a local brand. Surely, there are lots of manufacturers using owl images to create souvenirs, but the official owl image has still not been created, which is a real shame. Producing a recognizable and genuine brand image would create new business opportunities for creative industries and increase tourism rates a great deal. It is universally acknowledged that a brand is what draws people to visit places. You can’t come back from London without something as much as a red telephone box keyring, can you? It’s simply a must! Even if you couldn’t care less for such trinkets, you’ll buy one it because someone asked you to. A brand is one of the main motivators for tourists. As for the local population, it could be a real life savior by creating new job openings.

Kikinda is famous for its local crafts and handicrafts. There is wax and soap production, licitars (special heart biscuits makers), traditional leather shoe makers, embroidery and so on.  Surely with an increase in production comes a need for new job vacancies, too. In addition, citizens would be encouraged to start their own little manufactures. With a bit of support from the government and non-government organizations regarding the promotion and initial investment, the need for the branded items would keep rising. A starting point could be setting up the local owl festival (or proclaiming an owl month!) and putting Kikinda on the map of European bird watching tours, as well as other tourist arrangements.

Needless to say, apart from the economic influence, the new business ventures would also create bonding opportunities, too. Plenty of local crafts are family businesses. Creative industries usually make space for different family generations to participate. Actually, time spent working together on a mutual goal is family time well spent.

As you can see, there’s much more in Kikinda’s long-eared owls than meets the eye. Hopefully, their potential will soon be recognized and tourists from all over the world will be pouring in to get to know this charming, friendly town. By producing a brand, Kikinda’s citizens will greatly improve their finances, and begin creating tighter bonds among themselves as well, which is truly priceless.

About the Author

Bojana Petkovic
Bojana PetkovicJournalist
A writer, a proofreader, an English teacher. Interested in making the world a better place, fascinated by different cultures and customs, and keen on travel and fitness.
1905, 2018

Maca Papucarica – traditional shoemaker from Kikinda

By |May 19th, 2018|Categories: Creative & Art Entrepreneurship, Serbia Stories|0 Comments

Maca Papucarica – traditional shoemaker from Kikinda

When we talk about Serbia, I’m sure that many people first think about tasting food or visiting some villages that look much-less like they are still in the 15th century, but few people really think about traditional clothes and shoes. There are musicians and dancers who wear traditional shoes and clothes while performing across the globe, but people pay more attention to their moves and singing than to their shoes, for example. Made from leather, traditional shoes – Opanci(plural), or opanak (singular) – made in Serbia are very light, comfortable and durable shoes. They are traditional peasant shoes. The basic piece of leather is larger than the sole, with holes on the sides.  Thin strings of leather make shoelaces that are wrapped around the ancle so that opanci fit perfectly. In the winter, people wear socks made of wool inside of a (cold) leather opanci.

People used to make opanci themselves only few generatios ago. For example, my grandfather told me that his brothers and him could make their own opanci from a piece of leather. And when I was a child, my mom got me one of them from the fair we visited and they were super light and really effortless to wear. These kind of shoes are still popular among older farmers, even some younger because they are very comfortable for every day wearing.

In Serbia nowdays, people don’t make their own shoes anymore, but there is one lady who makes traditional shoes for anyone who likes to experience wearing them or who wants to dress traditionally for special occasions, like weddings, which is becoming more popular today among intellectuals who want to make their wedding unique. For example, when my friend from Serbia married her Indian husband and they (as well as their families) were both wearing their ancestors’ traditional clothes, and she got her clothes and shoes designed specially for this occasion by the people who make them.

There is many people from Serbia and other former Yugoslavia countries who have migrated to developed countries and they often buy traditional shoes as a gift or to wear them themselves on special ocasions.

There are only about a dosen people who can make traditional Serbian shoes and only one of them is fourty-something Mirna Rackov from Kikinda who used to work as a shoemaker in local factory until she started her own small manufacturing business in 2009. The interesting fact is that traditionas shoe-makers were mostly men. There is a few more women in Serbia who make traditional shoes, but Mirna is the only one who got Certified from the Serbian Government.

She used to work for the small manufacturing business that she didn’t own and she wasn’t satisfied with the paycheck and working conditions, so when she got the offer to make traditional shoes, she liked the process of making them and she decided to quit her job and start her own business. That was a very brave step to take in Serbia, having in mind that many people don’t have jobs or are afraid to quit a low-paying one they are not satisfied with.

By now, she has made over 5000 pairs of leather traditional shoes. Traditional bands and dancers are wearing her shoes as well as people who want to have the shoes for special family gatherings or weddings. Her shoes are now in the USA and Australia and currently she is working for two Serbian traditional bands from Romania.

She can make Serbian, Montenegrian, Bosnian, Croatian and Macedonian traditional shoes. She is also making boots, dancing shoes and flats. She has over 25 models of different handmade shoes. She can make 5-6 pairs of shoes per day.

When she made opanak for the first time, she liked the process more than making other types of shoes, because the only material she needed to make an opanak was natural cow or pig leather, so it was a unique experience for her as a shoemaker.

The making process is difficult and demands different stages – cropping, drilling and making a model. So few original old shoes has been saved so it is hard to get an example of them. When she gets an example, she can make identical copies, but the making time depends on the difficulty of a pattern. The estimated time of making one pair is from three hours up to three days, if it is a new example for her.

The price per pair of opanci/traditional shoes is 20-40EUR, depending on the price of the leather she is using.

Her contribution is not only to the economy of Kikinda, but to the conservation of national cultural heritage not only of Serbia, but also of Montenegro, Bosnia, Croatia and Macedonia.

She used to wear traditional shoes when she was a child and she named her business by a story – Shoemaker Kitty, this is what the name of the business really is.

Besides traditional shoes, Mirna also makes modern leather shoes in different colors and styles, of which some are inspired by traditional shoes.

She has a facebook page and an istagram profile where she post photos of her work.

Instagram: @mirnarackov_maca_papucarica

https://www.facebook.com/SZR-MACA-PAPUCARICA-731876766823241/

About the Author

Mila Djukanovic
Mila DjukanovicJournalist
Loves nature, culture, education, travel and Serbian villages. Currently in Dalian, China
2204, 2018

Papula

By |April 22nd, 2018|Categories: Gastro (Culinary) Heritage, Serbia Stories|0 Comments

Papula

Although the Vojvodina countryside is fertile, the economic circumstances and diet in Vojvodina in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to the testimonies of travel writers, were not enviable. The land belonged to the emperor, as in every feudal system. The emperor decided to lease the land according to the size of each family in order to improve agriculture. Thus, the largest families were able to farm 13 hectare, out of which slightly more than 9 hectares was arable land. Depending on how they handled the land, the next year they might have an even smaller area. With this land area, there was enough pasture for cattle breeding. It might be assumed that the diet of these farmers was not a big problem. However, many Austro-Hungarian doctors, teachers and travel writers talk about the poor nutrition of Serbs. They write about the practice of poor cow and milk use, about poor food, and about how Serb women were bad housewives. We cannot accept such testimonies without due consideration. Numerous things influenced these testimonies. First of all, the writers have a superficial knowledge of Serbian family life, which has always been hidden from strangers, and of differing customs, which to outsiders seem strange.

This is certainly the truth of these claims. The most likely explanation for them is that the basic profession of the Serbs in Vojvodina was the military. Military life implies instability, and hence it took time to develop the habit of keeping and storing food. Besides this, the diet of Serbs in Vojvodina was influenced by the Orthodox Church and its numerous days of fasting throughout the year.

The fasting was strictly respected. From the records of Austro-Hungarian doctors, it can be seen that much of the strict adherence to the fasting was regarded as the main cause of the sickness among the people. The significance of the Easter post is best seen from the custom that on the day after Shrovetide dishes were necessarily burned to cleanse them of fat. During the six-weeks of fasting,  simple dishes were prepared from the available vegetables (cabbage, beans, potatoes), fish on festive occasions and grain meals. In addition to the shabby beans, a thick bean paste or “papula” was also prepared.

Recipe

  • 500 grams of dried white beans
  • 2 finely chopped onion
  • a few chopped garlic cloves
  • 200 milliliters of oil
  • salt
  • paprika powder
  • parsley leaf

Preparation

Wash the beans with water. Then, place them in a pot, cover them with cold water, and heat them to boiling on the stovetop. When the beans have boiled, drain the water in which they were boiled. Then, pour more hot water over the beans. Add the onions, and cook until the water becomes white but not until the beans have dissolved.

Blend the bean mixture or mash the beans until they are a smooth paste. Then, add salt and pepper to taste and add the chopped garlic. Finally, sprinkle the beans with oil spiced with paprika and garnish with chopped parsley leaves.

About the Author

Mirjana Rikalo
Mirjana Rikalo Journalist
designer and artist
2204, 2018

About Kikinda

By |April 22nd, 2018|Categories: Cultural Heritage, Serbia Stories|0 Comments

About Kikinda

The municipality of Kikinda belongs to the Northern Banat District. Kikinda is situated at a rather favourable geo-strategic position at 7.5km from the border with Romania and 60km from the border with Hungary and is the largest borderline city along the entire Serbian-Romanian border. The municipality consists of the city of Kikinda and 9 in habitated towns. The social-demographic structure demonstrates that the population of this municipality participates with approximately 40%in the total number of inhabitants of the Northern Banat District. According to the ethnical structure there are about 75% of Serbs, approximately 12% of Hungarians and 13% of other nationalities living in the municipality.

 Population contingents and flow in Kikinda, 2009-2012

2009 2010 2011 2012
Total 61790 61007 60251 58824

Source: Municipalities in Serbia, 2007-2010; Municipalities and regions in Serbia, 2011-2013.

Municipality building, Kikinda / Photo credits: Foto Sretenović, Kikinda

The economic structure of the municipality of Kikinda predominantly consists of manufacturing production –metal industry, gas processing, manufacture of tiles and bricks, chemical industry and food industry. As to the level of economic development, the municipality of Kikinda belongs to second-category municipalities with the achieved macro-economic indicators of 80% of the average for the Republic. Owing to its large industrial conglomerates (the “Kikinda” foundry, “Le Belier Kikinda”, “Toza Marković”, MSK Kikinda), metal, tile and brick industries, production of methanol and acetic acid, the economy of the municipality of Kikinda is oriented towards export, whereas export accounts for about 62% of the total export of the Northern Banat District. First factories in Kikinda were established in the mid 19th century: Suvača and latter Damfil’s steam mill in 1862 (today “The Mill of Kikinda”), Bona’s brickyard in 1866 (today “Toza Marković”, Bona’s iron and tempera foundry in 1908 (“Kikinda” foundry), thus testifying of a long-lasting tradition of development of the municipality’s industrial base. The Kikinda area has the largest natural gas and oil deposit in Serbia with approximately 50% of the total national oil and gas production.

The fields of agricultural production and food industry account for significant economic capacities. In addition to fruit and meat processing, production of flour, bakery products, biscuits, cookies and in the surrounding villages also production of milk and dairy products (the famous Mokrina cheese) are particularly prominent. Owing to its specific weather conditions, the Kikinda area is extremely favourable for any type of wheat, which was essentially a prerequisite for the development of flour production and baking industry. The Mill of Kikinda (which uses Suvača on its logo for flours) started developing when the railroad Vienna – Budapest – Szeged – Kikinda – Timisoara was constructed and when the steam mill was built in 1869. The wheat of Banat at that time was highly valued, while the quality of the flour from Kikinda is evidenced by archival records that include labels from 1885 containing numerous medals won at fairs in Vienna, Munich, Budapest, Paris and London. The reason for this is the fact that the North Banat is the driest part of the Vojvodina, and it is fact that drought often causes less yields, but better grain quality. Certain records show that the very flour from Damflin’s mill in Kikinda was used at the Viennese court in the 19th century.

Suvaca, Kikinda / Photo credit: Foto Sretenović, Kikinda

“The Mill of Kikinda” currently owned by Agrokor continues the tradition of production of various sorts of flour and other products and mixtures from wheat and other grains such as: Kikinda flour, white flour for fine pastries and mixture for croissants, graham flour, bran, wheat germ, wheat and maize grits and world-famous traditional stone-ground flour. As to the field of bakery production and production of pasta and pastries, in addition to the production of Kikinda flour, AD Banini Kikinda is one of the largest manufacturers of confectionery in Serbia. Kikinda Bakery, today owned by the “AS Braća Stamenković” Company, famous for production of Kikinda strudel, the production of which was renewed early in 2014, is planning to commence production of “Ljilja’s soup” – soup noodles produced by the traditional recipe, made only from flour and eggs the annual production of which is to be 300kg.

According to business activities, the employment rate in the territory of the municipality of Kikinda is highest in the manufacturing industry sector with about 30%, followed by trade, education and healthcare sectors with approximately 5%. The largest number of employed persons i.e. 85% works in economic activities. It is notable that although a relatively stable number of employed persons have been maintained, particularly during the period of economic crisis, the pace of employment, especially of women, is significantly slower as opposed to men. Unemployed persons account for 14% of the total number of active population (94 persons on 1,000 inhabitants), out of which 24% of first job seekers. Women participate with about 50% od the total number of unemployed persons in Kikinda, and as a vulnerable category in the labour market, they are hardest-to-employ workforce, whereas according to the data of the local employment service the largest number of unemployed women are with elementary and secondary education, as well as unqualified and those in older age groups. The described situation demonstrates unfavourable macro-economic conditions in the local labour market, in addition to an insufficient degree of usage of the working female resource and insufficient level of development of local economy in terms of absorption of the working female contingent and its low participation in the local economy.

Employment and unemployment rates in the territory of the municipality of Kikinda, 2009-2012

2009 2010 2011 2012
Employed persons(total) 15722 15000 15185 14194 15256
Female 6619 6405 6529 4894 Na.
Male 9103 8595 8656 10170 Na.
Unemployed persons (total) 6433 6086 6259 5545 5.714
Female 3276 3196 3271 2755 Na.
Male 3157 2890 2988 2207 Na.

Source: Municipalities in Serbia, 2007-2010; Municipalities and regions in Serbia, 2011-2013. Business Registers Agency

Employed persons in the territory of the municipality of Kikinda according to the classification of business activities, 2009-2012

Agriculture 2009 2010 2011 2012
Mining of ores 898 844 660 574
Manufacturing industry 343 295 287 256
Electricity 5100 5038 5147 5108
Water management 266 262 124 123
Construction Na. Na. 191 200
Trade 466 368 410 290
Transportation 1190 1202 1113 1060
Accommodation and food service activities 772 759 679 671
Information and communication 103 92 75 69
Financial activities Na. Na. 174 173
Agriculture 151 135 116 90
Real estate 328 368 12 12
Professional services Na. Na. 161 152
Administrative services Na. Na. 412 176
Public administration 449 461 482 509
Education 1278 1303 1348 1344
Healthcare 1239 1214 1155 1178
Arts and recreation Na. Na. 165 171
Other service activities 316 301 78 69

Source: *only persons employed in business companies. According to: Municipalities in Serbia, 2007-2010; Municipalities and regions in Serbia, 2011-2013.

A total of 410 companies and 1,353 entrepreneurs conducted business operations in the territory of the municipality of Kikinda in 2016. Data on the structure of economy demonstrates that the local economy is segmented into large companies (metal processing, food processing, chemical and other corporations) and a certain number of entrepreneurs. Out of the total number of entrepreneurs, approximately 12% (106 entrepreneurs) generate profits larger than €30,000, whereas the largest number thereof employ up to two employees. These are predominantly family-owned stores. According to the number of registered entrepreneurs, Kikinda is below the average for the Republic since there are 22 entrepreneurs on each 1,000 inhabitants, which is by about 35% lower. In the territory of the municipality of Kikinda there are 4,910 registered husbandries, out of which 70% have 2 members engaged in the work of thereof.

According to the records on the tourist flow kept by the Statistical Office of the Republic of Serbia, the number of arrivals and overnight stays in the municipality of Kikinda has been steadily decreasing since 2006. The average annual rate of decline of the tourist flow in the primary tourist market accounts for approximately 9.5%. In 2013 this municipality was visited by about 4,395 tourists, which totals to approximately 40% of the overall number of tourists who visited the Northern Banat District. Out of the afore-specified value, there are a significant number of seasonal workers hired in companies that have their branch offices in Kikinda, including the largest number of them in Oil Industry of Serbia. Development of tourism in the municipality of Kikinda resembles the situation in the entire Northern Banat District, which is characterised by an insufficiently developed material basis for development of tourism, including also road infrastructure, insufficient promotion, insufficiently attractive and tourist amenities and infrastructure poorly adjusted to the modern tourist.

The nearest international road border crossing with Romania is in Nakovo   10 km from Kikinda, as well as the fully functional border crossing Vatin – Moravica, which is 100km away from Kikinda.

The railways in Kikinda have a long-lasting tradition owing to the fact that the railroad track Szeged-Kikinda-Timisoara was built in 1857, still being in use in the part between Timisoara and Kikinda. At the moment there are two departures a day from Kikinda to Žombolj, and immediately after the arrival to Žombolj there are departures to Timisoara, and vice-versa.

Around Kikinda there is Kanjiža spa, located 56 km away from Kikinda, which is a spa health resort with the average number of visits amounting to 10.720 a year and with approximately 53.639 overnight stays per year; the Spa in Melenci, located 40 km away from Kikinda (with approximately 3.575 visits a year and approximately 28.146 overnight per year); the city of Zrenjanin, which is 58 km away and the town of Novi Bečej at 39 km from Kikinda.

In the territory of Northern Banat there are a total of 60 immobile cultural heritage, out of which 23 are of large importance and 4 are of exceptional importance, while there are also 50 manifestations and 96 cultural organisations and institutions that organise cultural and tourist-related activities. There are 14 immobile cultural heritages, about 25 organisations and their programmes and 41 cultural-tourist manifestations that might be marked as competition only in the territory of Kikinda.

Cultural institutions that organized cultural program and manifestations are:

  • National Museum of Kikinda – Founded in 1946. It has a tradition of carrying out museum-related activities and organisation of various programmes in the field of heritage. It has a permanent display, temporary and visiting exhibitions, workshops, and manifestations. The number of annual visits to the Museum accounts for about 35,000. Most visited are exhibitions with themes involving the Mammoth.
  • Center for Fine and Applayed art
  • “Pumpkin Days” festival This manifestation takes place on the first week of October. It is visited by local and foreign tourists and it lasts for three days. It is dedicated to harvesting of crops and it is the day when farmers compete in the quantity and size of their agricultural products, i.e. in this particular instance these are pumpkins –ludaja ( a squash variety typical of Kikinda). The largest part of the manifestation is based on the promotion of local traditional culture. “Pumpkin Days” are also a kind of a Balkan-based pumpkin weigh-off, since the results pertaining to the heaviest and longest pumpkins are then forwarded to the World Pumpkin Confederation in Ontario (Canada) and Collins (USA).
  • “World championship in the egg-tapping game” in Mokrin A traditional manifestation taking place each year at Easter. It completely relies on the Easter tradition particular for this region. A huge number of visitors come to this event, mainly from Kikinda and Mokrin, as well as from other surrounding places.
  • Harvesting festival in Sajan, municipality of Kikinda A manifestation dedicated to harvesting. It has been organised since 1994.

Mokrin itself is interesting place owing to the fact that the Serbian famous poet Miroslav Mika Antić was born there. Furthermore, other manifestations are organised in this village, including the “gander fights”. Over the last several years, the “House on the Flat Hill” cultural complex has been developing, wherein creative workshops with gastronomic themes are organised in addition to exhibitions, art colonies, regional poet encounters, concerts etc.

About the Author

Hristina Mikić
Hristina MikićCultural Economist
Cultural economist and creative entrepreneurship philanthropist
1804, 2018

Mamaljuga

By |April 18th, 2018|Categories: Gastro (Culinary) Heritage, Serbia Stories|0 Comments

Although the Vojvodina countryside is fertile, the economic circumstances and diet in Vojvodina in the 18th and 19th centuries, according to the testimonies of travel writers, were not enviable. The land belonged to the emperor, as in every feudal system. The emperor decided to lease the land according to the size of each family in order to improve agriculture. Thus, the largest families were able to farm 13 hectare, out of which slightly more than 9 hectares was arable land. Depending on how they handled the land, the next year they might have an even smaller area. With this land area, there was enough pasture for cattle breeding. It might be assumed that the diet of these farmers was not a big problem. However, many Austro-Hungarian doctors, teachers and travel writers talk about the poor nutrition of Serbs. They write about the practice of poor cow and milk use, about poor food, and about how Serb women were bad housewives. We cannot accept such testimonies without due consideration. Numerous things influenced these testimonies. First of all, the writers have a superficial knowledge of Serbian family life, which has always been hidden from strangers, and of differing customs, which to outsiders seem strange.

This is certainly the truth of these claims. The most likely explanation for them is that the basic profession of the Serbs in Vojvodina was the military. Military life implies instability, and hence it took time to develop the habit of keeping and storing food. Besides this, the diet of Serbs in Vojvodina was influenced by the Orthodox Church and its numerous days of fasting throughout the year.

The fasting was strictly respected. From the records of Austro-Hungarian doctors, it can be seen that much of the strict adherence to the fasting was regarded as the main cause of the sickness among the people. The significance of the Easter post is best seen from the custom that on the day after Shrovetide dishes were necessarily burned to cleanse them of fat. During the six-weeks of fasting,  simple dishes were prepared from the available vegetables (cabbage, beans, potatoes), fish on festive occasions and grain meals. In addition to the shabby beans, a thick bean paste or “papula” was also prepared.

How to cook

Boil half a liter of salted water on the stove and add 250 grams of corn flour (or cornmeal as it is called in the US). While the flour is poured in, it is necessary to mix it constantly so that it does not form lumps. Over a low heat, cook the corn flour for about 15 minutes while continuously stirring. Once the “mamaljuga” has cooked, keep it warm.

In a pan, heat the lavender oil (or sunflower oil) and briefly stew it with a spoonful of paprika powder. To serve, cover the “mamaljuga” with the oil and paprika sauce.

About the Author

Mirjana Rikalo
Mirjana RikaloJournalist
designer and artist
1404, 2018

Traditional Nepali Performance Arts

By |April 14th, 2018|Categories: Akron Stories, Performance Arts|0 Comments

The art of traditional Nepalese music and dance

The Importance of Keeping the Traditional Music of Nepal Alive in Akron, Ohio

Guitars as thin as your arms, a wide variety of shapes and sizes of drums being played with your hands, such instruments like the Tungna, Madal, and Tabla are all part of the Nepalese culture. Puspa (seen below, holding the guitar) is beyond belief a terrific musician and a college student who knows the importance of Nepal’s musical heritage. Puspa spoke about how traditional instruments are being forgotten and why it’s important to continue to teach Nepali music to children to be passed on generation to generation.  

The combination of the Tugna and Madal provide a rich tone that is stylish to Nepalese culture. Puspa plays the Tunga and explains, “This can be called a Himalayan tune which is important in every family in our cultural aspects which can be passed on for generations”

Sitting at Puspas family’s home I noticed that once Puspa played the Tugna the whole family joined in playing an instrument.  Once they all started playing you can feel the joy and throbbing enjoyment in the atmosphere. Indra who plays the drums (seen on the right below) explains, “This music brings all different languages together.”    

Following that Indra stated that this is part of manhood in the Nepali culture. He explains, that it’s a sense of fellowship and someday he will soon teach his son like his father taught him. Indra has been playing for years and quickly picked up the talent when he was a child.

Puspa stated that, “Music is culture and will transfer to one generation to the other. If you take something from our culture our kids will transfer our culture, music, and arts to another generation which will preserve, promote, and extend our way of life.”  

While most music in America is made digitally, Puspa and Indra have showed me the importance of Nepali music. Such traditional instruments like the Tugna, Madal, and Tabla are being preserved to be taught and passed on for generations.

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About the Author

Ramon Wise
Ramon WiseJournalist
Ramon Wise is a junior at the University of Akron, he was born in Akron, Ohio and raised in Denver, Colorado. He’s pursuing a BA in media studies and a minor in international politics. He’s currently working as a part time independent director and as a reporter for WZIP and ZTV. After graduation he plans on continuing to enhance his skills as a videographer, writer, and editor for a production company someday.
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