Goran Bregovic (AFP Photo / Attila Kisbenedek)
Balkans music sensation rocks Kremlin Palace
Published 07 October, 2008, 11:56
Born in a crossroads of cultures and civilizations, in an area of rich and tragic histories, musical sensation Goran Bregovic has been entertaining listeners with his infectious blend of traditional Balkan and worldly influences for decades now.
Bregovic and his Wedding and Funeral Band made their latest stop in Moscow at the Kremlin Palace where he is promoting his new album, ‘Alcohol’.
The Sarajevo native was in born in 1950 to a Croatian father and Serbian mother, which has always led Bregovic to call himself Yugoslavian by nationality.
Bregovic has become a household name in the Balkans and his popularity has spread to the rest of the world. His music has been performed by Iggy Pop and used in many films, including the Borat movie and Emir Kusturica's epic ‘Underground’, about Yugoslavia’s tumultuous history.
Ironically, Bregovic was tossed out of music school at a young age for “lack of talent”. However, he continued to pursue music and learned to play the guitar on his own. He worked as a construction worker during the day and played in bars at night. Eventually he formed the rock group Bijelo Dugme.
The group, meaning White Button, came together in 1974 and drew much of their influence from famous rock groups Led Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. They went on to become the most famous rock group from Yugoslavia until they eventually broke up in 1989.
These days Bregovic performs with his eclectic Wedding and Funeral band, which on any given night can be made up of between 10 and 40 performers. His music has deep traditional Balkan roots as well as European classical influences and of course, rock music.
The group’s core is a gypsy brass band with the addition of strings, percussion and tuxedo clad choirs. His concerts usually end up with a packed audience dancing uncontrollably in the aisles.
“My music is music for alcohol,” Bregovic says. “It is a culture where all of the music is only for drinking, and if you want to be an important composer for them, you should write music for alcohol.”
Bregovic’s recent performance at the Kremlin Palace contained 38 musicians and was accompanied by the male Moscow Patriarchy Choir, Peresvet. They now take their intoxicating show back on the road, finishing their tour of Russia in Novosibirsk and then moving on to Turkey.
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