Frula

The frula (pronounced [frǔla], Serbian Cyrillic: фрула), also known as svirala (свирала) or jedinka, is a musical instrument which resembles a medium sized recorder or flute, traditionally played in Serbia. It is typically made of wood and has six holes. It is an end-blown aerophone. The frula is a traditional instrument of shepherds, who would play while tending their flocks.

For a list of similar instruments, see the section below.

Names

In Croatia it is commonly known as "jedinka". Other local names in Croatia include žveglica, šaltva, kavela, ćurlik. It has also been simply called "Serbian flute".

Overview

The frula is a small wooden flute with six holes. In the Balkans, the frula was played by shepherds while tending their flocks. It is a traditional instrument of Serbia, one of several aerophones used for leisure time, rituals, or accompanying the kolo (circle dance), along with long flutes (duduk, cevara), the double flute (dvojnice), and the bag-pipe (gajde).

Performers

Notable frula players (frulaši) are Adam Milutinović, Sava Jeremić, Tihomir Paunović, Velja Kokorić, Borivoje Todorović, Bora Dugić, Slobodan Vukićević, Spasoje Jović, Andrija and Tomislav Bajić, Radovan Jovanović and others.