Fourteen-year-old Aljoša Marcheta has been playing the gusle for two years, and as he says, he chose this instrument because he believes it preserves Serb tradition and customs.
Playing the gusle is not easy, but when love, desire, and will unite, everything, Aljoša adds, is done with ease.
“The gusle is the only true Serb instrument that has been here for centuries and is being forgotten. I decided to take up the gusle, learn to sing, and not allow it to be forgotten,” says the young guslar from Prijedor.
He learned to play the gusle at the Banja Luka Association of Guslars and Epic Poems “Stari Vujadin.” He practiced daily to improve his skills day by day.
He also revealed to us what the gusle consists of.
“The gusle is made of maple wood. Along with the gusle comes a bow. On these gusle, there is a double-headed eagle, in the middle we have Saint John the Baptist, and the Ostrog Monastery,” adds Aljoša.
Aljoša is recognizable at every performance. He does not experience stage fright, and he would like, he says, to have his peers join him in the future.
Aljoša truly is a guardian of Serbian tradition and customs. An example to many, he has proven that effort and hard work always pay off. His greatest reward is the thunderous applause of the audience after each performance.
Source: Atv
