Classical composer, traditional musician and rock star, the charismatic Goran Bregovic encompasses and embraces all three, creating a universal and universally-recognisable musical genre.
The story begins in the late 50s in a Sarajevo conservatoire, where Goran learnt to play the violin, the dry exploration of theory leaving him unfeasibly bored.
Even in Tito’s Yugoslavia, rock ‘n‘ roll took the nation by storm in the 60s. Answers to teenage revolts sparked by the genre and growing awareness of the electric guitar’s potential to attract the female of the species guided him to form a rock band. In 1974, the first album from Bijelo Dugme (White Button) won immediate acclaim. Over the next 14 years, they released 12 records with 3 different vocalists, sold millions of albums and became one of the most celebrated and pre-eminent touring bands throughout Eastern Europe.
Goran, as the son of a Serb and a Croat spanned the divides within the region, becoming the talisman of the band. However, observing the growing fanaticism spreading not only across the region, but at the bands shows, he decided to end Bijelo Dugme’s journey.
The next episode began as Emir Kusturica, the famed film director approached Goran to work on his project, “Time of the Gypsies.”
This allowed Goran to explore and develop his love of Gypsy music and his score beautifully complimented the theme of the film. The pair followed this success with “Arizona Dream,” where Goran further developed his repertoire along with the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop.
Goran’s film work expanded through the 1990’s, working with the unique Israeli star Ofra Haza on Patrice Chereau’s film “Reine Margot.” With the Balkan war at its height, working with Kusturica on “Underground,” the winner of the 1995 Cannes Film Festival, Goran employed the vocal talents of Saban Bajramovic and Cape Verdean diva Cesaria Evora.
It was the live stage that next drew Goran’s attention, but there was nothing straightforward about the path his chose. Uniting Gypsy musicians on brass and percussion, a symphonic string section with distinctive male and female vocalists he created his Weddings and Funerals Orchestra, an ensemble that changes size according to requirement between 12 and 42 musicians, lead by Goran centre stage, suited with electric guitar.
The Weddings and Funerals Orchestra has toured relentlessly in the last decade performing over 1200 concerts throughout every continent of the World.
Goran’s musicality and appreciation of genres aligned with his extraordinary ability to assimilate musical cultures lead him to a myriad of further projects, an oratorio entitled “My Heart Has Become Tolerant” about the three monotheistic religions, the first Gypsy opera “Karmen with a Happy End,” along with work with musicians varying from German DJ Shantel, Greek musician George Dalaras, Polish star Kayah, Turkish icon Sezen Aksu and legendary pop singer Scott Walker.
Few musicians have managed to develop such a wide-ranging artistic spectrum, coherently fusing such a broad variety of styles and techniques without losing its identity. Goran Bregovic’s work is always unmistakeable on first hearing and seems to be aimed at the world as a whole, with no distinction of race, sex, age or belief.
Benjamin MiNiMuM/Mondomix
