GJ GOULASH REPORT

This time the Tuesday's music night had a typical Gipsy flavour. Centred round Križanke (it started already around 7 p.m.) and Metelkova city – Menza pri koritu (until the early morning) a strong light and warmth of the brass instruments with a no less booming electronic equivalents of Balkanxpress and DJ Tito persistently opposed the rainy June weather. The shine of the brass was the strongest between 9 and 11 p.m. when the stars of yesterday's night were giving themselves to the audience: world famous, but completely “pop-free”, strictly gipsy-like, loud and with a breakneck pace - Fanfare Ciocarlia brass legends (Romania), together with a star of the same importance – Esma Redžepova (Macedonia), who contributed to their last album Queens and Kings (released 2007 on Asphalt Tango Records). At the beginning slightly reserved audience became completely incapable of controlling its bodies converted into Gypsies (screaming into the sky, clapping and shaking from head to toes) after the second song, when the sounds of tubes, trumpets, saxophones, vocal, and drum and bass mixed with a bootlegged “rakija” (it happened directly in front of my eyes or even closer…). Even more excessive enjoyment was noticeable during hits as: Ah ya bibi, Iag Bari, Lume, lume and most famous Dzurdzev dan played between crowd after the bis. Belly dancers Alja and Ines (their bare shaking hips were encircled by a wildly moving golden “aura”) and three more dancers with coloured light tools in hands added their own character to the roaring sounds. Some probably expected more from Esma, who sang only four songs, but nevertheless, I can easily claim that the whole evening (and of course morning) was gipsy-persuasive enough.

PS: You can listen to the DJ sets from Balkanxpress & DJ Tito on the GJ player. Enjoy!


Photo Tjašulja & Filip