About the project
The aim of the project „Iepazīsti un mācies spēlēt bubynu!!!” (Discover and learn to play bubyns!) is to actualise the use of traditional folk music instruments in the culture environment of the 21st century. One of the results of the Project is the website www.skaniarmani.lv, that will facilitate more active circulation of information on folk music and musicians, provision of opportunities for learning the playing techniques of bubyns in the virtual environment, thus furthering the use of the instrument in different genres of music.
The idea of the Project was developed in cooperation of the Tautas muzikantu biedrība (The Society of Folk Musicians) and Zane Dukaļska, who is a representative of the younger generation of the bubyns players, placing the instrument on the list of the Latvia’s Intangible Cultural Heritage. The content of the website is based on the MA thesis by Z. Dukaļska (2020) „Rāmja bungu bubyna tradīcija Latgalē” (‘The Tradition of the Frame Drum bubyns in Latgale’), as well as the material gathered by the Society.
Within the framework of the Project individual musicians and groups of musicians playing the instrument and having included it into the set of instruments of the respective groups were studied, the makers of the instrument were interviewed. There are video lessons made available aimed at teaching the basic techniques of the instrument’s playing.
Zane Dukalska
Bubyna is a carrier of the game

I became interested in bubyna by starting to participate in Rēzekne folklore group “Vīteri (since 2007). At the beginning, I learned to play the instrument from video material about folk musicians, especially Peter Vereba from Dagda.
Later, I started researching the instrument while studying at the University of Latvia for bachelor's and master's studies and participating in folklore expeditions, as well as learning the skills of playing bubyna with ethnomusicologist Rimas Garsoniene in Lithuania. For several years I played bubyn in the post-folklore group “Rikši” (2010-2018) and other musical projects.
Since 2010, wired practical instrument games in master classes in person or in a digital environment. I am currently playing in the music association "Dzilna".