The Fujara is deservedly called the "Queen of Harmonic Flutes". Originating in the heart of Slovakia, it reflects, like no other musical instrument, the ancient shepherds' culture and the songs of this region. On the wide areas and lonely alpine pastures the shepherds once played for themselves and the livestock, called the herd together with the flute and communicated with other shepherds over long distances in the mountains. It was not until later in its history that it was also played in an ensemble, the so-called Echo Play where a song was intoned by several shepherds in an offset sequence.
Today the Fujara is highly appreciated in many countries because of its unique sound. In 2005, her traditional music and the instrument itself were included in UNESCO's list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity. The rich overtones of its natural scale invite you to improvise and the smoky-tender sound can also be found in many modern pieces of music. The unbelievable abundance of playing possibilities ranges from delicately breathed notes, also called mumlanie (whispers), to the sharp, partly rhythmically blown overtone scales of the upper octaves, the ruzfuk. The Fujara can sound in up to four octaves, but not all notes of the scale can be played.
Our Fujara is made by hand in the Czech Republic from elderberry by a Slovakian craftsman in the highest technical perfection and in Slovakian tradition. Each instrument is unique in its form and is lovingly engraved. The surfaces of the instrument are sealed with linseed oil following the old tradition. The blow pipe has a cork stopper at the bottom, which allows condensation, which can occur during playing, to escape easily.
The best way to discover the sound of the Fujara is outdoors or in large rooms.
The key notes of the playable overtone scales are:
Fujara A2: A2, B/H2, C#3, D3
Fujara G2: G2, A2, H/B2, C3
Get more background information in our blog
In 1995 during the opening celebrations of the cultural centre of the Slovakian town of Detva, the president of the parliament of Slovakia and the later president Ivan Gašparovič, gave a memorable present at the reception. Gašparovič played on the bass flute Fujara that has the height of a man. What more is the Fujara than a symbol of national sovereignty of Slovakia?
In real life, Marco Trochelmann is a high school teacher for music and German. He discovered the Slovakian bass flute Fujara during his university studies. The instrument put a spell on him, he could not take it out of his hands. Until today, he has been producing several Fujara CDs and compositions for the instrument. In an interview with Helen from DAN MOI he talks about his experiences as a cross-boarder musician in Slovakia and describes the sound parameters of the Fujara.
The musician, composer and music teacher Bernhard Mikuskovics spoke to Helen from DAN MOI about his very personal story with the Slovakian flute Fujara. "I appreciate the visual beauty of the Fujara; I appreciate its unique sound." Bernhard Mikuskovics plays those sensitive instruments practically everywhere. The sound of the instrument comes either in nature or in a church particularly well into effect. The interview aims at inspiring the listener to try out the Fujara, even at uncommon places – to get out of the own four walls.
