The Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH)

The Society of Folk Dance Historians (SFDH)

Martin Koenig

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BACKGROUND

Information: Martin (Marty) Koenig, teacher and editor of books about Balkan folk traditions.

Martin was founder/director of the Balkan Arts Center (later co-director of the Ethnic Folk Arts Center; today, the Center for Traditional Music and Dance) in New York City. His interests extend to all facets of ethnic music and musicians: his passionate involvement with traditional music and dance has driven him to conduct fieldwork encompassing extensive research resulting in the production of audio recordings, films and videos as well as the curating of concerts and festivals. He has taught Balkan dance at universities and folk dance centers throughout the United States, Canada, and western Europe and has been a pioneer in promoting awareness and appreciation of these traditional forms of music and dance through producing recordings of traditional songs and dance music by village musicians from the Balkans, and ethnic musicians in the United States.

In the last few years he has been working to exhibit and publish his unique and extensive collection of images stored in files and boxes wedged into every available space in his home and office. Reconnecting with the areas in southeast Europe where he previously worked, he revisited Greece, Bulgaria, Macedonia, and Serbia in 2005, and in 2006 was invited to stage a one-person photography exhibit at the Bulgarian National Gallery in Sofia. That exhibit, as well as other Balkan photographs have subsequently traveled to New York City, Chicago, Seattle, Los Angeles, Montreal, and Toronto. A 96-page hardcover book with accompanying music CD and photo cards were published from this exhibit: Voices & Images From Bulgaria, 1966-1979.

In spring of 2015 he produced a music CD that he recorded in the 1960s and 1970s: Playing ‘Til Your Soul Comes Out! Music of Macedonia. The recording is issued by Smithsonian Folkways and serves as a sonic time capsule of musical life in 1960s Macedonia, untapped in previous recordings. Extensive liner notes written by Martin and ethnomusicologist Sonia Seeman provide further insight into Macedonia’s rich traditional culture and musical traditions.

PUBLICATIONS

Voices & Images from Bulgaria, Barking Rooster Press, 2011.

RECORDINGS

"A harvest, a shepherd, a bride; village music of Bulgaria." Collected in Bulgaria & produced by Ethel Raim & Martin Koenig, Nonesuch H 72034. 1970.
"In the shadow of the mountain; Bulgaria folk music." Collected in Bulgaria & produced by Ethel Raim & Martin Koenig, Nonesuch H 72038. 1970.
"Cherish the Ladies: Irish Washerwomen Musicians in America." Martin Koenig & Ethel Raim, Project Directors. Shanachie. 1995.
"New York City: Global Beat of the Boroughs – Music From New York City's Ethnic and Immigrant Communities." Smithsonian/Folkways 2001. Martin Koenig: Photography. Ethel Raim: Executive Producer Compilation Research Assistant Senior Advisor.
"Shashmagam: Music of Bukharan Jewish Ensemble." Martin Koenig: Director, Producer, Phtotgraphy. Smithsonian/Folkways. 1991.
"Village Music of Yugoslavia Songs and Dances from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, & Macedonia. Recorded in Yugoslavia by Martin Koenig. Nonesuch Explorer Series, 1995 (orig 71).
Voices & Images from Bulgaria. Vashon Island, Washington: Barking Rooster Press. 45 photographs with explanatory text of life in Bulgaria rural communities on the cusp of change over a span of 20 years. Accompanying CD. 2011. 95pp. Hardcover.

FILMS

"Brîul dance." 1966. One reel, 8 mm, 100 ft., silent, black and white film. Filmed by Martin Koenig in Dobrudja, Romania. Koenig later gave this copy of the film to Eugenia Popescu-Judetz. It documents Gheorghe Popescu-Judetz, in street clothes, demonstrating a Brîul.
"The Popovich Brothers of South Chicago." Director: Jill Godmilow, in collaboration with Ethel Raim and Martin Koenig. New York: Ethnic Folk Arts Center, c1978; Chicago, IL. (60 min.) Released as motion picture by Balkan Arts Center in 1978. Credits: Director and editor, Jill Godmilow; advisors, Ethel Raim, Martin Koenig; photographer, Tom Hurwitz. Presents portrait of South Chicago's Serbian-American community as reflected by the Popovich Brothers, a tamburitza orchestra that has played for the community for 50 years. Also explores the role of traditional music in the continuity and survival of ethnic cultural traditions.
"Pericles in America." Martin Koenig, researched with Ethel Raim, and produced and directed by John Cohen. This one-hour documentary film is about a Greek-American musician and his community in America and Greece.
"The Spirit Travels: Salute to Immigrant Culture." Martin Koenig, co-produced with Ethel Raim and Howard Weiss, and directed by Howard Weiss for the Ethnic Folk Arts Center. This one-hour documentary video is about ethnic music in America.

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