Nekoč, Nekje (B. Kovačič) [Sheet music]

‘Nekoč, Nekje’ (Slovenian for ‘Sometime, somewhere’) is an infrequently played but beautiful waltz by Boris Kovačič, originally played by Vital Ahačič on the chromatic button accordion on an Ansambel Borisa Kovačiča album from 1974, ‘Čolnič Sreče‘. Everything that Vital played was not only technically brilliant, but also full of feeling, and when paired with Kovačič’s compositions (of which there are hundreds), the result is something really special, as evident on all Ansambel Borisa Kovačiča recordings.

Although it was originally played in A flat on the chromatic button accordion, it becomes a real challenge to do it justice on the piano accordion in the same key. Therefore my sheet music arrangement in the key of A is aimed at the piano accordion. I feel is easier to play, particularly when you come to part D (in the key of D). I’ve also included finger numbering for most of the chords and runs in this song.

Trivia: Vital Ahačič was one of few to play a chromatic button accordion in the Oberkrainer/Narodnozabavna genre in Slovenia. His sister Marija Ahačič Pollak recorded a few songs with Kvintet Avsenik in its early days, however only one recording to my knowledge has been preserved (in fact, ‘Tam Kjer Murke Cveto’ was meant to be recorded by Marija but she was not able to sing on the day of recording). Marija then unexpectedly moved to Canada, cutting short her career with Avsenik, but later on recorded several songs with her brother Vital Ahačič.