Goran Arsić
In a world where technology and the rapid flow of information dictate the rhythm of our daily lives, we rarely pause to listen to the whispers of times past. Traditional music, the soul's language of our ancestors, often remains overshadowed by modern trends, with traditional instruments forgotten in old storage rooms, basements, or other places used to store unnecessary items. However, there is one man who refuses to let these sounds fade away – his name is Goran Arsić.
Goran's story is not just about music, but about a deep dedication to preserving something more profound, something that connects us to our roots. Goran is a man who found himself through melodies. Before becoming an Orthodox priest, he was already a devoted collector and artist. His transformation from Father Goran into a librarian and musician is as fascinating as the instruments he collects.
In search of himself, Goran was a traveler through his own life until he finally found what he had been seeking. He initially attended the Prizren Theological Seminary and later studied theology at the University of Athens, which, in addition to Christian teachings, allowed him to begin studying the Greek language. This opened the door for him to explore various musical traditions. A self-taught musician and researcher of linguistic heritage, Goran has been particularly dedicated to the study of Sanskrit. As a result of this research, he co-authored the book Learning Sanskrit (2004) with Platon Atanacković and Radivoje Pešić, aiming to highlight the significant similarities between Sanskrit and the Serbian language.
His long-standing research fascination with two major monotheistic religions, which he studied for years, was recently crowned with what can be called a landmark publication titled Orthodoxy and Sufism (Utopia, 2023). Sufism, a particularly important area of his work, is closely linked to poetry, music, and the distinctive musical instruments used in this genre, which he has also incorporated into the musical repertoire of his band, VED TRIO.
Goran Arsić in front of his house near Vranje
In an interview for Kulturne novine, Arsić spoke about his love for music, which dates back to his early childhood:
Let me first mention a few temporal and spatial layers. Even as a child, I was almost constantly surrounded by music, or rather, I was often immersed in it. It felt completely natural to me. My parents would turn on the radio every day, and everyone in the house would listen to beautiful music from all parts of the former country. Besides the songs from Vranje, I especially remember Macedonian, Bosnian, Šumadija, and Kosovo songs. My mother would often sing with her beautiful voice, and my grandmother and uncle had perfect pitch and hearing. My uncles would frequently play and sing. 'When you were little, just learning to walk, we would go to a tavern. Your father and I would sit, and you would run around until you reached the musicians. The singer would pick you up, holding you in one arm and the microphone in the other, singing like that,' my mother used to tell me.
Given a childhood filled with songs and music, it is no surprise that many years later, Goran came up with the idea to form his own band with friends, which they named Ved Trio. Through their work, they preserve the musical heritage of the Balkans and the Middle East.
The musical band Ved Trio, founded as part of the Society for the Nurturing and Preservation of Heritage (VED) based in Vranje, performs traditional songs from a wide region, including Vranje. Ved Trio is composed of Goran Arsić (percussion), Miloš Nikolić (kaval, bagpipes, clarinet), and Nenad Vještica (oud and sitar) – true ambassadors of these forgotten sounds. Each of their melodies serves as a bridge between the past and the present, offering hope that tradition will not be forgotten in this modern world.
Ved Trio is more than just a musical band – it is a movement, a mission, and a prayer for the preservation of cultural treasures. As you listen to their melodies, you feel as if you are in the heart of the Balkans, somewhere among the mountains, at an old fair where poets, musicians, and artisans meet. Through music, Goran has succeeded in reviving the spirit of the people, reminding us that tradition never dies – it merely waits for someone, like him, to bring it back to life.
Goran Arsić's Collection of Old Musical Instruments
The story behind Goran Arsić’s valuable collection dates back nearly 35 years. In 1990, Arsić received a clay darabuka with a leather drumhead as a gift from a friend, an Orthodox pilgrim. This sparked a deep love for traditional music and instruments, leading him to start purchasing (and occasionally receiving as gifts) various instruments and small musical artifacts over time.
Regarding the idea of getting involved in music himself and delving deeper into the music of his region, Goran said:
As time passed, I began listening to music from all corners of the world. I met and often spent time with some great musicians, to whom I’m especially grateful for introducing me to different layers and experiences of music across the Balkans. Many times, I had the honor of playing with them, even though I wasn’t a musician myself. This encouraged me to study the music, language, and customs of the Pčinja region even more deeply. Though territorially small, it is rich in spirit with its various layers. One day, I said to myself: 'You travel all over the world, but you don’t know your own region well enough!'
A part of Goran Arsić's collection of old musical instruments was showcased during the exhibition titled “Svirka moja, obraz moj” (*"My Music, My Honor"*) at the National Library of Vranje in 2016.
Regarding his valuable collection of old musical instruments and the ways he acquired pieces for it, Goran Arsić said:
"I traveled around and recorded people who sang and played in various surrounding villages, especially in high mountains and often hard-to-reach hamlets, where the oldest layers of melodies, rhythms, and song texts were preserved. Little by little, I discovered bagpipes, duduks, kaval, tamburicas, clay *tarabuka*, *ćemaneta* (lyres), and *okarinas*. Later, many people who played these instruments, or their families, gifted them to me for preservation. They can be seen in the oldest frescoes in our various monasteries.
Goran’s valuable musical collection includes primarily percussion instruments: tarabukas from Jerusalem, Tunisia, and Vranje; bendirs and defs from Iran, Macedonia, and Southeast Serbia; a tabla from India; tombak (zarb) from Iran; clay jars for playing; and cymbals from India. There are also essential wind instruments: flutes and aulos, and duduks from Serbia; kaval and okarinas from the Vranje area, Macedonia, and Bulgaria; bansuris and bamboo flutes from India; ney from Iran; wind instruments from South America and Africa; and a drombulja from India. There is also the pilče – a small clay bird into which water is poured, and blowing it produces a sound that mimics a nightingale.
In his esteemed collection, Goran also has plucked instruments: a tambura over 100 years old made and played by a man from the village of Starac near the St. Prohor Pčinjski Monastery, saz and cura from Turkey, and ćitelije from Prizren and Preševo. Additionally, there are stringed instruments: ćemaneta/lyres from the Pčinja region (Pčinja, Bosilegrad), Pontic lyra, and Cretan lyra. The collection also includes small decorative bagpipes, lyres, and tarabukas.
This collection of traditional musical instruments (small decorative bagpipes, lyres, tarabukas) has been exhibited multiple times, in locations such as Vranje, Kumanovo, Mokra Gora, and Tršić.
But this collection is more than just an assortment of instruments – it is a treasure trove of tradition, heritage, and love for sound. Through his workshops and performances, Goran not only plays but also educates. With every beat of the drum and every tightened string, he imparts knowledge – not just about music, but about a deep-seated love for one’s roots. Each sound he produces carries echoes of the past while also resonating with the pulse of the future.
In a rapidly changing world, the story of Goran Arsić and his effort to preserve the music of Vranje and its surroundings, as well as other regions of the world, serves as a reminder that the most valuable gifts are those we keep in our hearts – gifts from our ancestors, sounds of the past, and a love for tradition.
TEKST: Ana Stjelja
FOTO: Goran Arsić
The production of this story was supported by the Thomson Foundation as part of the Culture and Creativity for the Western Balkans project (CC4WBs). This story was created and maintained with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
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