The Night: World Music

I- Balkan Taksim. (61:02 min)
Romanian multi-instrumentalist and singer Sașa-Liviu Stoianovici is fascinated by centuries-old Romance and Slavic cultures. He traveled extensively to study this and to play with local musicians and singers. In Bucharest, he forms the unique duo Balkan Taksi. On the album Disko Telegraf, they find an intriguing balance between traditional Balkan music and electronica. A pounding beat connects these two elements but never dominates. The album relies primarily on the mesmerizing melodies on instruments such as the saz and the atmospheric psychedelic soundscapes laid beneath them. The album offers a look at Balkan culture that is as fascinating as it is danceable.
CD. Disko telegraf – Balkan Taksim.
LABEL: Buda Musique (2021) code: 860364. VIDEO

II- Brass noir. (73:14 min)
Balkan Tango blends with the carnivalesque Klezmer of refined New York trumpeter Frank London, resulting in an exceptional listening experience for audiophiles. The album features some of the most renowned artists from the Balkans, selected by DJ Robert Soko, the creator of the popular Balkan Beat Party.
With Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar, the undisputed kings of Balkan Brass, and Fanfare Ciocarlia, the fastest brass band in the world, both known from the internationally successful Balkan Brass Battle. CD. Brass noir : On the trans-Balkan highway.
LABEL: Piranha (2012) code: CDPIR 2546. VIDEO

III– Parne Gadje. (62:04 min)
An album from 2008 best described as an energetic mix of Balkan, Romani, and world music. The album is particularly notable for its unique atmosphere, where various musical influences come together to create a powerful and authentic sound. Hailing from the Netherlands, the band is known for its distinctive approach and successfully captures the dynamics of their live performances on this record. With an adventurous and sometimes raw interpretation of traditional music, the listener is taken on a journey through diverse styles and emotional nuances. As a result, Parne Gadje’s distinct identity clearly emerges within the genre of Southern and Southeastern European music.
CD. Mangupi – Parne Gadje. LABEL: Smoked (2008) code: SR009. VIDEO

IV– Branko Galoic. (63:22 min)
He was born in Zagreb and played in various local bands until 2000. At the age of twenty-six, he left for Amsterdam, where he started from scratch. Meanwhile, music was being written diligently in Croatian and English. A Bosnian producer heard this, and in 2005 his first album was released on Snail Records. Ultimately, Branko Galoic stayed in Amsterdam for eleven years. After that, he moved to Berlin, where he stayed for three years, and in 2014 he left for Paris. Ples Slobode / Dance de la Liberté, or Dance of Freedom, is his eighth album, recorded with musicians from Portugal, Iran, France, Serbia, Bosnia, and the Netherlands.
CD. Danse de la liberté ; Ples slobode – Branko Galoic.
LABEL: Superpitch (2021) code: CDBRAD186. VIDEO

V– Orkestra del Sol. (60:49 min)
The band is known for its explosive reinterpretation of international brass band music, incorporating diverse influences such as ska, porro, calypso, klezmer, and funk. Trumpet, trombone, saxophones, clarinet, accordion, two drummers, and the epic bass of the sousaphone work together perfectly to create compelling brass lines and beautifully layered harmonies, propelled by an uncompromising rhythm section. Orkestra del Sol’s exuberant live performances are full of humor and imagination—they burst with anarchistic jokes, insanely skillful arrangements, and a mischievous sense of theater.
CD. Lung capacity – Orkestra del Sol. LABEL: Sol (2011) code: SOLCD 004. VIDEO

VI– Lo’Jo. (37:39 min)
An exceptional wind ensemble: clarinets, saxophones, tuba, trumpet, flute, bassoon, trombone… a refined and daring ensemble plays music reminiscent of Lo’Jo’s historical style. The group consists of brass and woodwinds, combining drumming and energetic choral singing. Lo’Jo makes full use of the brass players’ passion to engage the audience. They wander around in their travel attire and share the lyrics of their adventure. In these atypical evocations, we taste the entire culture of a century: jazz, the music of American minimalists, memories of India, the harmonic scents of old Europe, a touch of the Balkans…
CD. 310 Lunes – Lo’Jo. LABEL: World Village (2014) code: WVF 479102.03. VIDEO

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