Divano Prod

Oriental brass bands are a Gypsy specialty throughout the Balkan region, from Serbia to Macedonia.
These brass bands were created in the 19th century, in imitation of Turkish military brass bands which had replaced the traditional ensembles based on oboes and
drums. The sound of Oriental brass bands was introduced to l...arger parts of the Western public by the
soundtrack of Emir Kusturica's film 'Underground'.

Performed by two trumpets, three tubas, saxophone, clarinet, zurla (traditional oboe) and percussion, their style of music is aptly described in their region as Romska Orientalna Musika - 'Rom' meaning 'Gypsy'.

The Kocani Orkestar's last album, The Ravished Bride is undoubtedly their strongest album so far: the power and excitement of the band's explosive live performances is masterfully translated, and the arrangements are more inventive than ever. Many of the tracks on The Ravished Bride are romantic or epic love songs, carried by the thrilling, undulating voice of charismatic young singer Ajnur Azizov, and exploring new directions in Balkan pop. There's also an unexpected foray into the Latin world, with a rendition of Mexican standard 'La Llorona', and a nod to the band's roots with a couple of traditional Macedonian pieces.

This is the band's 3rd album from Crammed Discs, after Alone At My Wedding (get the conceptual continuity ?…) in 2002 and L'Orient est rouge in 1997, with which the band took the Western world by surprise. Their powerful rhythm section, their passionate soloists, and the sheer funkiness of their beats would lead any audience to break into dance… despite the fact that Koçani Orkestar use many asymetrical rhythms, those 7/8 or 9/8 time signatures sometimes called "Aksak" in traditional Turkish music (Balkan brass bands originally appeared in the 19th century, and were inspired by the military brass bands of the Turkish janissaries).

This album became a favourite among young artists in the US and the UK, most notably the budding indie rock sensation Zach Condon aka Beirut, who covered several Koçani Orkestar tunes, constantly referenced them in his interviews and even performed with them at a special concert for La Blogotheque in Paris.

The band have also been championed by artists as diverse as Balkan Beat Box and Cibelle, and have had tracks remixed/reinterpreted by prominent artists in the fields of world music, electronic and rock music (from Señor Coconut, Animal Collective, Lightning Head and Susheela Raman to Mercan Dede, Smadj and Buscemi), all of which helped them gain a wider audience, as did the inclusion of one of their tracks in the soundtrack to the movie Borat.
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