Mrak

Boban Marković is a member of a distinguished Romani musical dynasty, an outstanding trumpeter and bandleader, and an inventive composer and arranger who has extended the rich brass band tradition of southern Serbia with his cosmopolitan approach. The music here, which alludes to worldwide musical currents ranging from reggae to funk, Latin and Bollywood, draws on popular hits from the old Yugoslav hit parade. These exceptionally disciplined performances draw on the band and Marković's many years of experience in the tough local wedding market, as well as in the studio and the world music stage, combining immaculate ensemble playing with fine solo work, more than capable vocals and an irresistibly captivating groove.

A trumpet solo breaks into the tight section work on the funk-inflected ‘Dukat’ to drift from a jazz flavour to the intricate ornaments of the southern Serbian style. There is also a fine sequence of solos on trumpet and saxophone over the unusually rich harmonic language of the gently flowing ‘Dusha’. But perhaps the most fetching of the tracks emerges from a combination of a gapped, syncopated rhythmic backing with a traditional dance on ‘Zvecarka’, enriched by superb clarinet from (presumably) saxophonist Zhivorad Dimitrievski.