GJ RECOMMENDS: MAHALA RAI BANDA AND ŠUKAR

A real Gipsy night is taking place in Ljubljana on Thursday as Mahala Rai Banda is coming to town. Romanian Mahala Rai Banda is one of the best gypsy bands in the world. Formed by violinist and composer Aurel Ionitsa the band plays with an array of styles and genres. Romanian violins & accordions are combined with a brass section consisting of army brass band veterans and musicians from Romania's famous village Zece Prajini – hometown of Fanfare Ciocarlia and a rocking rhythm section. They effortlessly combine a knack for inventive arrangements with an ability to turn every single concert into a wild party. Their music is positioned right at the crossroads between traditional popular music and club-oriented, so called Balkan Beats. This rich blend of sophisticated arrangements, traditional elements and modern outlook puts them in a unique position among all the current bands. Sounds promising? Believe us, it is! The Slovene colective Šukar will be joining the band on stage. It doesn't need a lot of introduction, since it was the first Slovene group to to bring the music of East and Southeuropean Gipsies to domestic audience over two decades ago. Since then they have toured around Europe and even Japan. You can hear their live performance in our GJ player. But for the real action, you'll just have to drag your ass to Križanke on Thursday. See you there!



Thursday, 21.07 Križanke 20:30