The Best Of

Surely, if this venture was about for a while, this would've been a logical way of finishing off what was a great year. Sadly not. But, again, I will try to celebrate the New Year with great things to come. The one thing I am really looking forward to is the BALKAN BRASS BATTLE featuring Fanfare Ciocarlia and Boban Markovic Orkestar that is descending on London's Koko in Camden in May 2011. 'Balkanalia' was made famous by Emir Kusturica and his films (notably Underground, Arizona Dream, Black Cat, White Cat and earlier Yugoslav gems such as Maratonci trce pocasni krug and Tata na sluzbenom putu and Sjecas li se Dolly Bell). It was his collaboration with Goran Bregovic and the success of the soundtrack from Underground that got the Ex-Pats swinging. Kusturica himself has a very successful band called The No Smoking Orchestra, but sadly, hasn't achieved the epic success Bregovic enjoys all over the world. London finally gave in with the recent influx of Eastern European Immigrants and the appearance of indie-hipster-king, Eugene Hutz of Gogol Bordello. One of my personal faves is also Miss Platnum, a Romanian Missy Elliot and Magnifico, a Roma Cowboy, hailing from the bosoms of my Motherland (that gave birth to Laibach as well, don't you know..). If you catch the bug, you shouldn't miss the Guca Brass Festival in Serbia, where all the brass bands from the region come to compete for the Golden Trumpet. There are concerts 24/7 and spit-roasts on every step of the way. A bit commercial nowadays, it hosts more people than Glasto, and is considerably cheaper and...wilder, I guess in it's Balkan ways. Next year it kicks off on 10th August. So, be there!
I hope this rattles your appetite, if you haven't yet thought of jumping into the Bal-kan-kan mosh-pit, 2011 is certainly the time to do it. See you all then. Thank you and good night!





Fanfare Ciocarlia ©Asphalt Tango


Boban Markovic Orkestar ©Asphalt Tango


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