Program Guide 2008 Program Guide | Página 31

Goran Bregovic Tales & Songs For Weddings & Funerals With his roots in the Balkans and his head in the 21st century, Goran Bregovic brings his 37-piece Wedding and Funeral Choir and Orchestra to the State Theatre for a big-hearted spectacular Bregovic’s music captures the history, the struggles and the hopes of the people of the Balkans. The music ranges from the traditional to the contemporary, the themes from love to death and everything in between. This is a concert event not to be missed. Comprising a gypsy brass band, classical string section, an accordionist, male choir, female vocalists, the raw sounds of rock-accented guitar and folk-style percussion, the sheer vibrancy on stage is intoxicating and the urge to dance, irresistible. Goran Bregovic is also performing at Becks Bar @ Meat Market. See page 35 for details. Before the war in Bosnia, Bregovic’s hometown Sarajevo was considered the hub of Yugoslav music and at its heart was the rock band dubbed ‘The Beatles of Yugoslavia’, Bijelo Dugme (White Button). Bregovic formed the band in 1974 and it swiftly became one of the most celebrated groups in all of Central Europe. When the band split in 1989, Bregovic’s solo music took on a new complexity, comprising an innovative combination of folk music, Gypsy rhythms and rock ‘n’ roll. “His capacity to synthesise all musical cultures of the Balkans and to pep them up with that particular nuance that renders them contemporary, and his inborn sense for internal rhythm of sequences on stage, make his concert one of the most risky, devastating and attractive events going.” El Mundo, spain As the instigator of ‘turbofolk’, as his style came to be known, Bregovic has composed for and performed with many artists from around the world, ranging from the Ath