Perija
Dark Folk
Perija is a dark folk band that plays with many music influences, from traditional music of the areas they live in, middle-eastern maqam music and some north-African styles, to blues, post-punk, atonal and jazz. Their songs are in different languages of the Balkans, as to share an idea of equality between nations and ethnicities. The main themes that flow through their songs are the important social issues of the present, the lyrics are usually poems or cut-up technique pieces from acknowledged authors and sometimes even newspapers clippings. Perija is a Turkish root word denoting fairy, but also some etymology sources trace it back to a Proto-Iranian word 'parika' - a woman of low status, concubine. Both of these aspects are intertwined into the sound of their music, an inspiration flowing from nature, contrasting a society built upon prejudices.