www.songlines.co.uk.
Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar
Devla (Blown Away To Dancefloor Heaven)
Piranha CDPIR 2339
Full time (46 mins)
****
A back-to-basics blast from Boban and the boys
Boban Marković, one of European music’s top trumpet players, has been playing explosive Balkan Gypsy tunes for longer than almost anyone can remember, certainly long before the whole Balkan Beats phenomenon blew up. With his son Marko now leading the band alongside him, Boban has been chasing that hipper club-produced sound over recent albums, so it is a pleasure to note this return to form. True, it is not quite a step back to his early days – his exquisitely soft rendition of ‘Izvorski Biseri’ on Network’s excellent Golden Brass Summit compilation is the undoubted highlight – but with the exception of the clumsily produced dance-rap tune ‘Šljivovica’, Boban and the band are playing with fire in their bellies again. ‘Rommano Biav’ is a perfect example of the all-horns-blasting, wickedly sinuous, Turkish-inflected cocek groove that has made the Gypsy brass sound such an anthemic dance music trend of recent years – an ultra-tight, delicious rhythm that grabs you and just won’t let go. Elsewhere, some top-notch guest vocalists are welcome additions to the party: the Rom-pop sound of ‘Soske Sul Na Avea’, featuring Bulgarian singer Sofi Marinova, is one of the best cuts here, with a blistering trumpet solo just in case you forget who’s really in charge. The production is generally solid and young Marko feels more integrated into the band sound than before: he gives the group an added drive and energy, without being allowed to take over the show. One of the best bands in the business is back.
Lemez Lovas
Washington Post, CD Review >>
The U.S.-based likes of Balkan Beat Box, Gogol Bordello and Slavic Soul Party have done much in recent years to introduce the irrepressible sounds of southeastern Europe into the pop mainstream. As this exultant offering from Serbian trumpet virtuoso Boban Markovic and his son and protege Marko attests, those bands are drinking from a deep and abiding wellspring.
Though steeped in their homeland’s rich brass band tradition, the Markovics and their Orkestar aren’t kid-glove preservationists. Bending, twisting and stomping all over their native music, as well as that of places such as Spain, Africa and the Middle East, theirs is an ever-evolving hybrid, an ebullient fusion of jazz, funk and gypsy rhythms that does more than deliver on the promise of their CD’s title. The record at times sounds like the Balkan answer to a cross between Louis Armstrong’s groundbreaking early combos and the on-the-one funk of James Brown and George Clinton.
Swirling horn choruses and frenetic cadences abound, along with plenty of shouting, trilling voices. „Kazi Baba“ weds a ska backbeat to spoken-word vocals and the occasional hip-hop breakbeat. Another hiccupping vamp, „Hopa Cupa,“ is played at such a runaway pace that the music sounds as though it’s speeding up. The accordion- and sax-sweetened title track suggests the second-line rhythms of New Orleans and features the younger Markovic’s scatting vocals; he raps on the head-bobber „Sljivovica.“
The word „Devla“ is a Serbian shriek of delight, the equivalent of the English phrase „Oh, my God!“ The expression is bound to be on the lips of anyone who hears this glorious record.
LiveJournal Freemaster2005, review by FreeMaster2005 >>
Clad in a suave white suit, it’s not impossible to imagine why urban legends credit gypsy trumpet king Boban Markovic with getting his homeland out of a recent jam: Markovic’s spit-fire precision is rumored to have so seduced Bill Clinton that the saxophone playing president called off the further NATO bombing of Serbia. True or not, one thing is clear: Markovic and his son and prized protégé Marko are the bomb in Balkan brass dance music, harnessing the absolute flexibility of Miles Davis and the cool funk of Herb Alpert in the ultimate expression of their Southern Serbian Rroma roots. Their latest album as the Boban and Marko Markovic Orkestar, Devla: Blown Away to Dancefloor Heaven, flies effortlessly between echoes of the Ottoman Empire and down-and-dirty grooves that would make P-Funk’s jaws drop. Boban’s decades of experience are now fired by Marko’s youthful vibe-an energy sustained by marathon practice sessions and a lifetime spent with dad on stage. As a kid, Marko put in ten hours a day at home with his horn, a practice that drove Boban so crazy he finally insisted his son stand and deliver with the Orkestar. The determined, then fourteen-year-old Marko played so perfectly, he soon became a fixture in the group. But Marko has done more than merely play along. Together, Boban and Marko Markovic are expanding the idioms of gypsy brass, as Marko scats („Devla“), raps in Serbian and English („Benim Gecem“), and even flirts with flamenco („Kazi Baba“). All while keeping true to tradition: the lightning-fast melodies, driving rhythms, and exuberant transcendence of the greatest Balkan brass bands. Of course, to get to dancefloor heaven, you need some help from the Balkans’ gypsy saints, the singers who have made and remade the centuries-old traditions now wildly popular worldwide. There are veteran singers like Rade Krstic („Udre Mila“) who Markovic lured out of his decades-long retirement, or Ljubia Stojanovic („Kum Boemcina“) dubbed „Louis“ for his Balkan-flavored renditions of Louis Armstrong tunes and his love of jazz. There are rising stars like Bulgaria’s Sofi Marinova („Soske Sul Na avea“) and hidden gems like Mustafa abanovic („Maruska“), a little-known idol of the Serbian gypsy scene. Devla showcases the melismatic and dramatic vocal stylings of these singers, adored at home but little known in the West; the best the Balkans have to offer. (text by Tristra Newyear/ Dmitri Vietze) 10/19/09
Montrealeast, CD Review >>
Probablement le meilleur, en tout cas le plus connu des “Gypsy Brass Band”, Boban & Marko Markovic Orkestar, originaires de Vladicin Han, au sud de la Serbie, nous fait le plaisir de sortir un autre album prochainement. Le band, composé de 12 musiciens chevronnés pour la plupart de lignée Gitane Romani, ont remportés plusieurs prix au fil des années, entre autres au fameux Guča Trumpet Festival qui attire des foules de plus de 600,000 personnes annuellement.
En plus de produire une douzaine d’albums déjà, on a pu les entendre dans les films Underground et Arizona Dream d’Emir Kusturica Ils ont voyagé en tournée dans plus d’un trentaine de pays incluant le Québec où nous avons eu la chance de les voir à Montréal l’automne dernier. J’y étais avec quelques amis et c’était une soirée festive absolument délirante, à l’image de la musique de ces gitans modernes.
Depuis 2002, Marko, le fils de Boban, qui étais alors agé de 14 ans seulement, est actif de façon régulière et il est maintenant le principal soliste et arrangeur de la bande. Il a aussi collaboré énormément avec Shantel sur son disque Disko Partizani et a participé à plusieurs shows avec le Bucovina Orkestar de Berlin.
Devla, leur dernier effort, est la preuve que la troupe, tout en restant fidèle à ses origines, sait renouveler son répertoire en variant les rythmes et en s’urbanisant un peu. Toujours aussi dansant, les morceaux sont parfois un peu plus lent que ce à quoi ils nous ont habitués par le passé. Quoique certaines chansons sont quand même extremement rapides. On varie aussi les instruments en utilisant à l’occasion de la flûte en plus des incontournables cuivres. (voir le morceau en sample)
L’album sera lancé le 10 novembre prochain. Je soulignerai l’évenement lorsque ça sera fait, en attendant, faites-vous les dents sur l’excellent Khelipe Cheasa.
- – – – -
Clad in a suave white suit, it’s not impossible to imagine why urban legends credit gypsy trumpet king Boban Marković with getting his homeland out of a recent jam: Marković’s spit-fire precision is rumored to have so seduced Bill Clinton that the saxophone playing president called off the further NATO bombing of Serbia.
True or not, one thing is clear: Marković and his son, prized protégé Marko, are the bomb in Balkan brass dance music, harnessing the absolute flexibility of Miles Davis and the cool funk of Herb Alpert in the ultimate expression of their Southern Serbian Rroma roots. Their latest album as the Boban and Marko Marković Orkestar, Devla: Blown Away to Dancefloor Heaven (Piranha Musik, November 10, 2009), flies effortlessly between echoes of the Ottoman Empire and down-and-dirty grooves that would make P-Funk’s jaws drop.
Boban’s decades of experience are now fired by Marko’s youthful vibe an energy sustained by marathon practice sessions and a lifetime spent with dad on stage. As a kid, Marko put in ten hours a day at home with his horn, a practice that drove Boban so crazy he finally insisted his son stand and deliver with the Orkestar. The determined, then fourteen-year-old Marko played so perfectly, he soon became a fixture in the group.
But Marko has done more than merely play along. Together, Boban and Marko Marković are expanding the idioms of gypsy brass, as Marko scats (“Devla”), raps in Serbian and English (“Benim Gecem”), and even flirts with flamenco (“Kazi Baba”). All while keeping true to tradition: the lightning-fast melodies, driving rhythms, and exuberant transcendence of the greatest Balkan brass bands.
Of course, to get to dancefloor heaven, you need some help from the Balkans’ gypsy saints, the singers who have made and remade the centuries-old traditions now wildly popular worldwide. There are veteran singers like Rade Krstić (“Udre Mila”) who Marković lured out of his decades-long retirement, or Ljubiša Stojanović (“Kum Boemčina”) dubbed “Louis” for his Balkan-flavored renditions of Louis Armstrong tunes and his love of jazz. There are rising stars like Bulgaria’s Sofi Marinova (“Soske Sul Na avea”) and hidden gems like Mustafa Šabanović (“Maruska”), a little-known idol of the Serbian gypsy scene. Devla showcases the melismatic and dramatic vocal stylings of these singers, adored at home but little known in the West; the best the Balkans have to offer.
English review written by FlipSwitch
Blog Critics, CD Review >>
In my quest to expand my musical mind to the breaking point, I head to some interesting places. The latest excursion led me, almost accidentally, to the Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar and their brand of exciting, rapid Balkan brass music.
Boban Markovic is somewhat of a legend in the world of Balkan brass, often recognized as one of the top trumpet players to ever emerge from Serbia. His Boban Markovic Orkestar, based out of Southern Serbia, has been collecting accolades and awards for over 17 years.
Boban’s son, Marko Markovic, joined the Orkestar at the ripe age of 14 and was following in his father’s footsteps with amazing trumpet chops all his own. The Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar soon began to use the youth of Marko with the skill and flexibility of Boban to turn Balkan brass music on its head.
Devla: Blown Away to Dancefloor Heaven finds the Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar playing aggressive, enchanting gypsy brass music with notes of hip hop, flamenco and dance hall grooves tossed in for good measure. The record, out in November on Piranha Musik, rips through exhausting melodies, rapid rhythms and a square mile of talent that will have listeners tapping their feet with all the vigour and flavour of a Serbian BBQ joint.
I was taken by the aggression of the playing, which really starts to dig its heels in with “Udri Mile.” Featuring vocalist Rade Krstic performing out of a decades-long retirement, the opening cut is dynamic, enthralling, and fun.
Ljubiša Stojanovic lends his remarkable vocals to “Kum Boemcina,” delivering a passionate performance over the jazzy track.
A smooth, groovy beat pulses through the title track and allows both Boban and Marko to show off a little. The cut is cool and the smouldering funk and trumpet accents help drive it further into the night. “Devla” would feel at home in anywhere drinks are flowing.
Devla showcases the Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar’s drive, passion and skill with a salvo of fast, enjoyable songs worth repeating. There’s a staggering amount of energy on display here, from the rolling notes of Boban’s trumpet to the youthful exuberance of Marko’s genre-bending performing. For something truly different and breathlessly fun, check out the Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar.
Comments