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Written in fRoots issue 358, April 2013


GORAN BREGOVIC
Champagne For Gypsies
Wrasse WRASS 308 (2012)

This record’s a well produced, up-tempo Serbian-brass-chugging display fronted by a range of people either Roma or with Roma connections, put together and intensified by Goran Bregovic. On vocals in their various characteristic styles and languages there’s France’s Gipsy Kings, Romanian Florin Salam, American Eugene Hütz, Swiss Stephan Eicher and Irish Selina O’Leary, plus members of their bands and the brass of Bregovic’s Weddings And Funerals Orchestra. But the way it’s presented leaves questions.
     On the cover and in the booklet there are no pictures of anyone other than him, described in the press release as “One of the world’s finest contemporary composers”; front, back and centre-spread there he is, clutching or pouring over himself bottles of Macedonian sparkling wine. (Actually the poured stuff looks like water; no point in ruining the white suit).
Under the track listing the booklet says “All songs composed, arranged, produced and mixed by Goran Bregovic”, but he’s only credited as sole lyricist and composer on one track, the generic fast brass kolo Unca Boogie Woogie, which is one of the only two of the Weddings and Funerals Orchestra tracks that isn’t fronted by guests (the other being Bella Ciao, which is credited trad arranged Bregovic); on all the rest he shares composing credits with the fronting performer. And at the back, in smaller print - the same size as that for the two people who did “legal co-ordination” - it adds the credits: “Orchestration and programming: Ninoslav Ademovic” and “Engineering, programming and mixing: Dusan Vasic”).
     Bregovic contributes touches of guitar, electronics and vocals but isn’t a prominent performer; he directed and produced, and he’s probably made considerable compositional input, but with him it’s always hard to figure out what’s borrowed and what’s new. He has a good ear for spotting possibilities, capturing flavours and developing them, and has brought the music to a much wider public; I can’t understand why, though it might diminish his income, he doesn’t make it clearer who did what, avoid the criticisms and make everyone happy.
     The album he did with Polish singer Kayah in 1999 is very attractive, more varied and subtle than the jolly dancey-shoutiness of this, and is one I go back to even though there he, controversially, claimed composership of Ederlezi and none of the album’s musicians, on whom he depends so much, is credited. But that one’s titled Kayah And Bregovic; at the very least this one should be designated “Goran Bregovic and Friends”.

     www.wrasserecords.com


© 2013 Andrew Cronshaw
 

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