Album Notes

When the first grenades were fired in the disintegrating Yugoslavia of the early 90s, a young Bosnian named Robert Šoko came to Berlin to start a new life.He didn't care if his neighbour was Bosnian, Serbian, or Croatian. Robert began to throw parties with like-minded emigrants and played the old yugo hits - a symbol of long gone, peaceful Yugoslavia.Vital survival training of emigrantstrying to regain a lost past, their own history, and identity. After over 10 years, the BalkanBeats parties are "legenda". Twice a month, BalkanBeats are blasting in Berlin's Mudd Club: Gypsy grooves, tribal beats and Balkan ska. BalkanBeats became an international cult affair. Now, Šoko plays New York and L.A. on a regular basis. BalkanBeats are highly addictive - it's in their savage energy, the colourful, fresh timbre, and passion. The inexhaustible diversity stems from Slavonic, Oriental, Jewish traditions, and from the culture of the Roma people. The music's natural openness enables an easy and exciting transfer to modern times. Fresh Balkan bands pick up those traditions and process them into an individual cultural amalgam. Artists such as Let 3 and Magnifico spoof their own Balkan roots, fuse them with rock, ska, or metal, and nevertheless pay respect. Fanfare Ciocarlia, Karandila, and the Boban Marković Orkestar radicalize classical Balkan brass music with maximum virtuoso skill, thus renewing an old tradition to something sounding fresh and exciting. Many of the bands are inspired by completely different traditions. Mahala Ra Banda throw you out of the Bucharest slums into the heat of New Orleans. BalkanBeats presents the greatest hits from the Mudd Club on a CD. Traditional and urban sounds - diverse, explosive, and just over the top.