Original Kočani Orkestar
The Original Kočani Orkestar (TOKO) is a 7-piece Balkan brass orchestra from the Turkish-speaking Roma community in Kočani , North Macedonia . Since their soundtrack for Emir Kusturica's feature film The Time of the Gypsies , they have been known across Europe and tour frequently in Central Europe and from Italy to Finland.
Music and lyrics
The style of this Roma wind orchestra is known in its own region as "Romska Orientalna Musika". It is a very fast played, danceable mixture of Balkan brass sounds and Turkish-Bulgarian rhythms. The odd time signature , unusual for Central Europeans , z. B. 11/8 bars can hardly be replayed without extensive practice.
In contrast to the Romanian " Fanfare Ciocărlia " known in Germany , in addition to regional folklore sounds from Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania and Turkey, elements of South American popular music ( Mambo , Samba ) and light music of Indian, Turkish and Chinese origin are sometimes integrated.
Vocals are only used sparingly on concert tours outside of Germany, as the texts remain inaccessible due to a lack of translation. They are mostly very traditionally oriented little stories about love, jealousy, grief and humor.
Band history
The band leader Naat Veliov learned a varied repertoire from his grandfather from childhood , the members of the formation are mostly relatives and neighbors. Through the musical accompaniment of weddings, funerals and birthdays, the musicians grew into the tradition and continue it.
They had their international breakthrough in 1989 after the worldwide success of the feature film Time of the Gypsies , in whose score Naat Veliov and his Orkestar played a key role .
In 1999 the group split up, Naat Veliov had to fill two positions in his combo and changed the name to Original Kocani Orkestar . The group around the two former members continues to use the old name Kocani Orkestar .
At the center of the combo is the virtuoso trumpeter Naat Veliov, who was born in 1957 and provides constant musical dialogues on stage with his son Orhan, the saxophonist Elsan and the tuba player Dalkran. His father Hikmet plays the bass tuba and is also a permanent member of the ensemble. The percussionist at the Turkish-Balkan Darbouka, Ali Memedivski, is related by marriage to the family. Percussionist Redzaim Juseinov plays the basic rhythm with a bass drum carried in front of his stomach while he beats the duller notes on the right and the main rhythm on the left.
Current occupation
- Naat Veliov, solo trumpet ( cornet )
- Dalkran Asmetov, tuba
- Elsan Ismailov, saxophone
- Redzaim Juseinov, bass drum (in front of the stomach with pelvic attachment)
- Ali Memedivski, Darbouka
- Hikmet Veliov, bass tuba
- Orhan Veliov, trumpet
Discography
- Gypsy Folies (plans, 2003)
- Alone At My Wedding (Cramworld, 2002)
- Cigance (plans, 2001)
- Band Of Gypsies (Crammed Discs, 2001, with Taraf de Haïdouks )
- Gypsy Mambo (plans, 1999)
- L'Orient Est Rouge (Cramworld, 1998)
- The Ravished Bride (2008)