A Shot of Bregovic

It's an oversimplification to say that Balkans like to sing, dance, and drink. And yet, these are the activities most often found in the Balkan art that makes its way stateside. Take Goran Bregovic's first U.S. release, Alkohol, for instance. Not only is the Sarajevo native's disc named after the titular libation, but it is separated into two sections, Champagne and Sljivovica, the latter of which is a flammable form of plum brandy widely imbibed in the former Yugoslavia. In the press notes for the album, the 59-year-old composer even admits the music is "to be listened and danced to and accompanied by strong drinks." While not exactly a big name in the U.S. -— his widest exposure here was having music included in Borat, although he also composed the soundtracks to the art-house films Time of the Gypsies and Underground -— Bregovic is huge in his home country, having fronted the biggest rock band in Yugoslavia (the White Button) in the '70s and '80s. Nowadays, he leads the Wedding and Funeral Orchestra, which mixes the euphoric, grungy sound of a Gypsy brass band with the more stately music of a string quartet. Here's hoping they stock sljivovica in the lobby.
Sun., June 21, 7 p.m., 2009