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Goran Bregovic and The Wedding and Funeral Band (Serbia)
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May 29, 20:00
YotaSpace 
Film composer Goran Bregovic was born in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia on March 22, 1950, beginning his music career in 1966 as the bassist with the local rock band Bestije. After a three-year stint as a member of Kodeks, in 1971 he joined the underground trio Mica, Goran and Zoran; three years later Bregovic founded Bijelo Dugme, one of Yugoslavia's most successful and influential bands until their breakup in 1988. He first turned to film work in 1978, composing the score to Mica Milosevic's Nije Nego; Bregovic's most fruitful collaboration was with director Emir Kusturica, for whom he score 1989's Dom Za Vesanje, 1993's Arizona Dream, 1995's Cannes Film Festival winner Underground and 1998's Crna Macka, Beli Macor. Concurrent solo recordings include 1996's P.S. and 1999's Ederlezi. 'Songbook' followed in 2000.
Since Goran Bregovic ended his collaboration with Emir Kusturica, he has explored more traditional musical horizons and returned to the stage with his Orchestra for Weddings and Funerals. Despite the commercial success and enthusiasm of his global tours, the composer continues to experiment with his region's gypsy traditions and to explore the music of the world's three major monotheistic religions.
At the ninth edition of the World Sacred Music festival in Fez, Morocco, the Bosnian was invited to present his creation 'And my heart will be tolerant'. In the composition, Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths come together in a hymn of reconciliation and openness. Yet Bregovic's dexterity continues to surprise: in 2004 he combined his vision of Bizet's Carmen, (which he called Bregovic's Carmen with a happy end) with a documentary film by Italian director Milos Radovic. Nevertheless, Bregovic's music continues to resonate with the diverse cultures of the Balkans.
Being one of the great all-rounders of Balkan music, in the 70s Goran Bregovic was one of the biggest rock stars in what was then Yugoslavia, but then he moved on to create a new hybrid music of his own, mixing brassy Gypsy themes with choral and orchestral styles for film scores or his own Weddings and Funerals Orchestra. His album 'Alkohol', released in 2012, was an often raucous and exuberant celebration of the Gypsy influences, but now comes a retrospective reminder of his wildly varied output over the past 20 years.
The Gypsy brass is in evidence, of course, on tracks like 'Gas Gas Gas', taken from the 'Alkohol' album and featuring DJ Shantel, but it's matched against fine, drifting choral works like 'Mesecina Moonlight' or the orchestral 'Underground Tango'. Then there are collaborations with a remarkable variety of other musicians, which include a stately track from the Turkish diva Sezen Aksu, a laidback ballad from Scott Walker, and an easy-going, understated song from Cape Verdean star Cesaria Evora. Best of all there's 'In the Death Car', with slinky, half-spoken vocals from Iggy Pop matched against both choir and brass.
The album of 2012 Champagne for Gypsies is in reaction to the extreme pressure that Gypsies (Roma) have been experiencing lately across Europe (expelled from France and Italy, houses burned in Hungary, beaten in Serbia). This album is meant to remind us of our favorite gypsy musicians, who left their mark on popular culture around the world. The following artists have kindly accepted to perform on this recording along with Bregovic's Wedding and Funeral Orchestra: from the generation of The Gipsy Kings from France and Stephan Eicher from Switzerland, to the new generation of artists such as Eugene H?tz (of Gogol Bordello) from Ukraine, USA and Brasil, Florin Salam from Romania and the amazing new talent Selina O'Leary from Ireland. In Champagne for Gypsies Bregovic pay a toast to their talent which has inspired composers across the centuries. The album has been listed for 4 weeks in 2 different charts. Its first appearance was week 39/2012 in the Italy Albums Top 100 and France Albums Top 150 and the last appearance was week 41/2012 in the Italy Albums Top 100. Its peak position was number 54, on the Italy Albums Top 100, it stayed there for 1 week. Its highest entry was number 59 in the Italy Albums Top 100.
Goran Bregovic & his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra was in YotaSpace Club in past year with their "In Champagne for Gypsies" program in support of the self-titled album which has inspired composers across the centuries. An upcoming Moscow concert will be a real crazy Balkan party including some of the band's greatest hits and new songs. The King of the Balkan beats was playing with the hearts and souls of the Moscow audience. It will be hard for you to keeping from dancing with this overwhelming and loud rhythms during two hours of pure energy.
More info
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