GJ REPORT: BALKAN BOY @ WOMEX

As we mentioned, a Slovene artist Magnifico with his bend Turbulentza performed on this years edition of Womex.
The concert was quite a succes, and the positive after effects are already being noticed, with new gigs booked straight after Womex appearance.
What can we say about the show itself? It was on programme late, but the pavillion on Plaza Espana was still quite full... The show started with the hit Avanti popolo. Other songs from the new album Grande Finale ( iThink, Bosangero Nero, Emily, Ubiču te, The land of champions...) followed. The proof of Magnifico's popularity over the borders of our little alpine land, were the enthusiastic cheers of some Italian guys, when the band played the first tones of Hir aj kam, hir aj go. This and Madona were actually the only two old songs that Slovene Madonna, as Magnifico was described in the programme book due to his constant changes of image, played.
The Gipsy Jungle part of the audience was quite disapointed Dennis Beganovich aka Kiki, Magnifico's trombonist and back vocalist, wasn't around. The brass section just wasn't as effective as it should be. We also missed some of the more Balkan sounding songs.
But all in all, it wasn't bad, not at all. The positive critics or our friends and even the members of seven samurays (the jury at Womex) are a living proof. Some were not that impressed; they said the show was good, but they've expected more. What is certain is, Magnifico brought a breeze of modernity and pop in to some extent traditional concert scene.


Photo by Tito