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Wind of change?

Academic and Artistic Perspectives on Experiences of Change in Southeast Europe · 61st International Academic Week 2023

  • Maria Adamopoulou
  • Denovaire
  • Oriane Girard
  • Daniel Göler
  • Artan R. Hoxha
  • Deema Kaneff
  • Karamarković/Denovaire
  • Florian Kienzle
  • Dragana Konstantinović
  • Krienke/Zorger
  • Nina Krienke
  • Nikola Lero
  • Vesna Madžoski
  • Tomislav Matković
  • Mikaela Minga
  • Visar Nonaj
  • Eckehard Pistrick
  • Antoni Rayzhekov
  • Dubravka Stojanović
  • Fabio Ashtar Telarico
  • Dejan Ubović
  • Miljana Zeković
  • Sergiu Zorger
  • Igor Štiks
  • Sounds of Transition, Transition of the Urban and Regional
    Tomislav Matković
    Born in 1966 in Mannheim, Germany. My father was a Gastarbeiter, my mother German, I am a Halbdeutscher. While being in the 4th grade of Primary School my family moved to Imotski, Croatia. After finishing High School there I started studies in philosophy and archeology at the University of Zagreb. I worked since 1996 for Radio Imotski and since 1998 for Radio Grude. Since 1999 I was continuously recording and archiving ganga songs, the archaic songs from the Dalmatian hinterland and Western Hercegovina, which I published with scientific essays on http://www.ganga.hr/index.php/pivanje. I reworked and transformed them as DJ in disco clubs, alerting the youth for the richness of their own tradition.

    Rethinking the Ganga-Remix-Project

    In 2000 I started the Ganga-Remix-Projekt focusing on the traditional vocal practices in the Dalmatian Zagora and in Hercegovina. During that period I performed simultaneously as a DJ in night clubs while researching at the same time the richness of traditional Dalmatian and Hercegovian music. The most popular electronic music styles during that time were Ethno-Trance, Ethno-House, Goa and Ethno-Techno and they inspired me to mix modern beats with our local tradition. I invited DJs and producers to remix Techno and House with ganga and then I disseminated these tracks on air and as a DJ in disco clubs.

    Klapa Kampanel, Primošten/Zagreb: U poju se mala (In the field a little orange grows), remix by Illumination

    The resonance was astonishing, so that I eventually received more than 80 remixes. We called this new musical style Gangawerk (a name combining ganga with Werk, a homage to the famous band Kraftwerk). We have produced selected remixes in 2001 on CD and tape:
    “Gangawerk – Fusion Of Techno And Ethnic Music Of Dalmatia And Herzegovina” https://www.discogs.com/release/8055165-Phrulex-Gangawerk

    My intention was to play and disseminate these remixes on parties, in clubs and cafés to bring the spirit of tradition onto the dancefloor. In this way young people could access to the astonishing beauty of their own culture in an easy and uncomplicated manner.

    “Tri san puta na prozorin skaka” from Gangawerk by DJ Naranèa feat. Jerko Bakula. Released: 2004.

    “Analog Ganga” by MariN. Released: 2004.

    Young people often consider tradition as a boring and old-fashioned reminiscence, but his project caught their intention and it confronted them for the first time with the creative potentials of their own rich musical heritage. Tradition was reshaped, staged in new and unexpected places and adapted to the needs of modern times.

    osvrt na projekt remixiranja gange

    Projekt remixiranja gange, tradicionalnih pjevanja dalmatinske zagore i Hercegovine, pokrenuo sam 2000. godine u vremenu kada sam kao DJ nastupao u disko klubovima. U isto vrijeme, istraživao sam bogatstvo tradicijske glazbe Dalmacije i Hercegovine. Popularni elektronski glazbeni pravac tog doba bio je ethno trance i ethno techno, što mi je dalo inspiraciju da spojim moderne ritmove s našom tradicijom.

    Pozvao sam razne DJ-e da rade remixe tradicionalne glazbe, a odaziv je bio izvanredan — prispjelo je otprilike stotinjak uradaka. Cilj mi je bio puštati te remixe na svojim partyjima u klubovima i kafićima, čime bih na plesni podij prenio duh naše tradicije. Ovaj pristup omogućio je mladima da dožive ljepotu vlastite kulture na način koji im je zanimljiv i pristupačan.

    Naime, često mladi percipiraju tradiciju kao nešto dosadno ili zastarjelo, a kroz ovaj projekt uspio sam privući njihovu pažnju i na kreativan način ih upoznati s bogatstvom naše glazbene baštine. Tako je tradicija dobila novo ruho, prilagođeno suvremenim okruženjima i potrebama.

    Phrulex – Crne oči ispale ti diko RMX.

    Suggested citation

    Tomislav Matković: Rethinking the Ganga-Remix-Project, in: Göler, Daniel and Eckehard Pistrick eds. 2025. Wind of Change? – Academic and Artistic Perspectives on Experiences of Change in Southeast Europe [online platform] https://transformsee.de/rethinking-the-ganga-remix-project/ [last access: 30.01.2025].