LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA — In the 11th century, a group of people migrated westward from India’s war-torn Rajistan region. Over the ensuing centuries, they gave and took musical styles to and from the various lands they settled in or passed through, while still maintaining their own distinct (and highly insular) cultural identity.  They gave Spain flamenco.
They took the “brass” sound from Turkish military bands.  Known as Roma, or “Gypsies,” they have had a profound influence on one of Europe’s top rock musicians.

When Goran Bregovic, of (former) Yugoslavia, left multi-million-selling rock band Bijelo Dugme (”White Button”) in the late ’80s for a successful career in film scoring, he often used Gypsy-inspired themes and musicians — particularly for director Emil Kusturica’s acclaimed films, Time of the Gypies and Underground.  Now, between movies, theater and opera, Goran manages to tour the world with his Gypsy-flavored and spectacularly entertaining Wedding and Funeral Orchestra.

The show at a packed-to-the-rafters UCLA Royce Hall started with a serious-looking, black-clad string quartet playing something “classical”…and rather serious.  Then, from the back of the auditorium, in traditional peasant gear, marched in a six-piece Gypsy brass band (with drum) — Gypsy brass bands, perhaps with Brazilian carnival samba, being the world’s most infectious PARTY sound.  The strings somehow melded seamlessly with the brass.  We were in the hands of a master.

A six-man, tuxedo-clad mens chorus took the stage along with two peasant-garbed Bulgarian female sister singers.  Enter Goran Bregovic in his characteristic white suit, picking up a guitar (and a large glass of whiskey) and leading off a wildly passionate two-and-a-half-hour (sans intermission) concert that had the crowd mesmerized, even weeping at times, and ultimately dancing wildly in the aisles.

“Cajesukarije-Cocek,” from the film Underground, featured singing sisters Ludmila and Daniela Radkova’s mind-boggling and uniquely Bulgarian harmonies (a la Le Mystere de Voix Bulgares) paired with pumping Gypsy brass which got the crowd clapping.

Many in the audience seemed to know and chant along with the songs, like multi-tempo ensemble piece “Mesecina” (1.38 million views on YouTube).

The evening provided many moods, as “War,” also from Underground, was somber and atmospheric, the strings sustaining minor-key chords while Stojan Dimov’s lone Balkan clarinet wailed soulfully above it.

A medley of tunes featured red-hot trumpeter Bokan Stanovic weaving and riffing amid the driving, trilling brass section (many of the instruments circa late-1800s), with drummer/singer Alen Admeovic adding sweet and powerful Balkan-tinged vocal acrobatics.  Brass players doubled on flutes at times.  Dimov cut loose on his sax and clarinet — his passionate improvs sounding almost klezmer-like (Jewish and Gypsy music can seem remarkably interchangeable in certain instances).  The audience was ecstatic.

In “Sanctus Deus,” I actually saw tears in the house (and am too macho to admit a few rolling down my own face), as the male chorus served hushed liturgical harmonies made all the more poignant by a sole female Bulgarian voice.

And throw in the “kitchen sink,” including a crazy, Balkanized version of Joey Dee’s R&B (Sittin’ in my…) “Ya Ya.” Goran smiled as he conducted his orchestra, his whiskey glass somehow refilled (and emptied) again and again. The pure joy and passion of the music could have lifted the roof off of Royce Hall.

Bregovic thanks the Gypsies for the musical soul of his group.  Quoting him from The San Francisco Chronicle: “Gypsies started making music when there was no copyright and music was inherited. They still think that anything they like is theirs. They take freely and think nothing of grafting a Spanish harmony onto a Turkish melody with and odd Bulgarian beat.”

This musical philosophy has particular resonance to Bregovic, as a half-Serb, half Croat from war-torn Sarajevo; his life’s mission seems to be to break down barriers…and to party — both of which he did brilliantly during the evening.

After Los Angeles, San Francisco will be the last stop on Bregovic’s North American tour.  Until you can catch his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra live, we recommend his album: Alkahol and Champagne.