Shazalakazoo Presents: The Folklore Breaks (2007

The richness and diversity of cultural heritage in the Balkans are indisputable. The peninsula has been crisscrossed with ancient and modern trade and military routes, allowing for the possibility of cultural exchange between East and West, North and South alike. The region is teeming with influences of various origin intertwined with strong autochthonous traditions going back to immemorial time.

The music of the Balkans is eclectic. Ancient and distinctive melodies were originally played with native instruments, such as primitive woodwinds, reed and clay instruments or percussion. In early medieval times, string instruments, such as lutes and stringed gusle came from Persia through Arab, Turkic and Byzantine worlds. Old musical scales remained almost intact, only the sound altered. With industrial age in the nineteenth century, European instruments - fiddle, clarinet and accordion - came to the Balkans from the northwest. The twentieth century continued this innovative trend with saxophone, which was followed by synthesizers and various kinds of electronic instruments in its second half. Finally, we have computer-programmed folk music, which often uses the very same ancient melodic scales once played in the murky depths of history.

The Folklore Breaks is fully computerised music, with the prevailing nu skool breakbeat rhythm and bass line patterns. This basic rhythm structure is overlaid with either folk samples or folklore-inspired themes played using MIDI controllers. These rhythms, harmonies and melodies are a unique blend. Their origins lie in various Slavic, Gypsy, Vlach, Greek, Romanian and Albanian streaks, or in cultures having substantial influence in the region - Persian, in the Arab world, Turkophone and Francophone worlds, German and Italian-speaking cultures, and finally in Anglo-American global culture which, among other things, brings echoes of cultures distant to the Balkans.

The intention of the Folklore Breaks is simple: it is not meant to be art; it is simple entertainment like the music of its countless predecessors - an important pastime, faithfully accompanying the inhabitants of the Balkan peninsula throughout its turbulent history, in good or bad times alike. This music only kept changing its outer shell, embracing the ongoing evolution of popular instruments, harmonic and rhythmical influences of any current era. Its essence, however, remained the same: less talking, more dancing, and tomorrow is a new day. Some other influence, some other form to embrace. So let’s dance!

by Milan Djuric


SHAZALAKAZOO: THE CHRONOLOGY

1996
-begins as a four-member band (drums, bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals and woodwinds); first public performance in november in Student’s Culture Center (SKC);
1997
-band begets its fifth member, a violinist; jams staged in various places in Belgrade (Engineering Students’ Club, Ethnographic Museum, Jungle Club…) and Novi Sad (Yatac Club);
1998
-bass player leaves Belgrade; he is soon followed by the guitarist and the drummer, and Shazalakazoo is no longer an acoustic ensemble; however, the singer and the violinist switch to electronic music, and Shazalakazoo transforms into a duet of electronic music producers; the violinist quits the violin and begins developing vinyl-record scratching techniques;
1999
-major piece, “Mehanizam”, comes into life;
2000
-live act in Borca Fair;
2001
-begins two-hour show broadcast by the Belgrade Radio SKC, which continues to date; program frequently features traditional music from most various areas - Middle East, Central Asia, North Africa, etc.;
2002
-a piece, “Three Drops”, comes out within the “Belgrade Coffeeshop v. 2” CD compilation (B92);
2003
-a performance staged at SKC Hall for the anniversary of the radio station, and then performances in Croatia: Pula (Media Mediterranea Festival), Sibenik (Underwater Overground Festival) and Dubrovnik (Karantena Festival);
2004
-a performance staged at the “Dope on Plastic” party, SKC; live act at EXIT 04 in Novi Sad; another hit piece “Pheromones” comes with the “Belgrade Coffeeshop v. 4” (B92) and tops the lists of several Serbian radio stations for weeks; performances staged in Pula (Media Mediterranea Festival), and then one at “Karlovci Wine Fest 2004” in Sremski Karlovci, Vojvodina.
2005
-live act in Dietheater Konzerthauss Vienna, Austria (Seriouspop Festival); two performances in Pula, croatia (Dani Rojca Festival and Media Mediterranea Festival); live act at EXIT 05 Festival in Novi Sad; live act at Aprilski Susreti Festival in Belgrade; performances in Novi Sad (Gang Club) and Stara pazova (Puls Club);
2006
-performance at Fine Arts Academy Club in Belgrade, live acts at EXIT 06 festival, Media Mediterranea in Pula (Croatia), Lift Club Fest in Sarajevo (Bosnia and Herzegovina),
2007 -live act at KSET club in Zagreb (Croatia); live act at “Dani Sarajeva u Beogradu” Event, Povetarac, Belgrade.