Vladimir Kozlov

Goran Bregovic

November 4, 9pm, B1 Maximum, 11 Ul. Ordzhonikidze, m. Leninsky prospekt

‘Orchestra" is perhaps too mundane a term for Goran Bregovic's touring ensemble, the "Weddings and Funerals Orchestra".

With a contingent containing any or all of a gypsy brass band, traditional Bulgarian polyphonic singers, electric guitar, folk percussion, strings and Orthodox Church male singers, the "everything but the kitchen sink" approach creates a distinctive sound-world.

The tag-line for the new album, "Alkohol", reads "If you don't go crazy, you're not normal" - giving a flavour of the anarchic attitude of this music.

It's argued that Bregovic played a key role in the international success of movies by Bosnian Serb director Emir Kusturica, including "Underground", "Time of the Gypsies" and "Arizona Dream". But the Balkan tie-up worked both ways, with Kusturica's success also feeding the musician's global reputation.

Bregovic, who is of Bosnian and Croatian descent, first earned national fame in the 1970s and 1980s as a guitarist with the rock band Bijelo Dugme (White Button), one of the most popular acts of the Yugoslavian scene of the time. And had the band's career successfully continued, Bregovic might have never turned to film music. But Bijelo Dugme folded in 1989, and the composer accepted Kusturica's proposal to score "Time of the Gypsies".

The film turned out to be an immense international success, and so was its soundtrack, making Balkan music a fashionable thing. Still, Bregovic's music was more complicated than just Balkan folk stuff. He was able to successfully blend Balkan musical inspirations with European classicism and Romany themes, adding some elements of traditional rock and pop music, which helped to attract wider audiences than just fans of "world music."

Roughly at that time, Bregovic's unique style was born, and although the composer has explored other avenues, he has never strayed too far from those roots.

His best known work to date is the soundtrack for another Kusturica film, "Underground", which brought the director the Golden Palm at the Cannes Film Festival. And although the director and the composer soon parted ways, with Kusturica's band "No Smoking Orchestra" now appearing in his films, the period of their collaboration remains a highlight in the career of both.

But Bregovic has never abandoned the concert stage, continuing to take his band all over the world in the belief that recordings alone cannot convey the energy and spirit and Balkan rhythms.

Formed in 1998, it doesn't really have a constant lineup, and the number of musicians onstage may vary from ten to 40, and guest singers and musicians from the country where it is performing are often brought in.

Audiences and critics seem to be equally fascinated with performances by the Weddings and Funerals Orchestra. "The "world-music cult-favourite" artist label that has been attached to Bregovic [...] ought to be blown away by this powerful and sophisticated party music", a writer for Eyeweekly.com noted in a review of the band's recent Toronto show. "Bregovic is a world class visionary in combining regional folkloric sounds with grand orchestrations and contemporary beats", he added.

Bregovic's most recent album, tellingly titled "Alkohol", was released last year, and material from it is likely to be performed in Moscow, alongside old hits. And, incidentally, those who attended a recent show by Kusturica's No Smoking Orchestra at the same club, will be able to compare the two.