the Movie Fails to Attribute Use of Macedonian Folk Song in Soundtrack

Rating: 1/10 (3 April 2007)

Hollywood blockbuster 300, based on Frank Miller's cult graphic novel about Spartan resistance to Persian invasion, includes a copycat of the famous Macedonian folk song "Zajdi, zajdi, jasno Sonce." However, the soundtrack author Tyler Bates failed to provide proper attribution, and now claims the melody as his own copyrighted work.
Macedonian portal On.net revealed that intro to the song "Message For The Queen," number 24 on the 300 Original Motion Picture Soundtrack has the same melody as the famous Macedonian folk song "Zajdi, zajdi jasno Sonce" Set, set bright Sun. Internationally renowned for its characteristic melody and melancholic lyrics, this song has been included in numerous anthologies and has been interpreted by a number of Macedonian star singers, including Aleksandar Sarievski, Zafir Hadzimanov, and Toshe Proeski. During the last 60 years, this was one one of the songs that people of former Yugoslavia most often associate with Macedonia, as shown in the 1998 movie Powder Keg by Serbian director Goran Paskaljevic.
On.net also published a response by Tyler Bates, who claims that he "can't say there is a specific source of inspiration for the cue." The portal urges its readers to use Mr. Bates' e-mail to send him original versions of the song, so he can be reminded of where it came from.
http://www.realitymacedonia.org.mk/web/news_page.asp?nid=4433