Every now and then I go to one of the big music stores and look for the so-called world music section. This section tends to move about a great deal. As of late, I stick to Africa, but I always look around, as well. Today I stumbled upon The Rough Guide to the Music of the Balkans.[1] It covers a wide geographic area: Albania, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Romania, and Serbia. But the reason why I immediately decided to buy the compact disk is the photograph on the front cover. It shows Rovinj or Rovigno, perhaps the most beautiful and well-preserved Venetian town on the western coast of Istria. To be sure, many an old foe of Venice would have gladly tossed it, Saint Mark and all, into the merry Balkans. Anyhow, the collection does contain a piece from Istria, as well. I had to have it.

Footnote

1. London: World Music Network, LC 11067.