Balkan rock star Goran Bregović and his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra are making a very welcome return to Australia, bringing back their Gypsy-fuelled brilliance to our shores this November, this time with 2 legendary vocalists from Goran’s original band, Bijelo Dugme.
Bijelo Dugme (trans. The White Button) was a Yugoslav rock band, based in Sarajevo, widely considered to have been the most popular band ever to exist in the former Yugoslavia and one of the most important acts of the Yugoslav rock scene.
Officially formed in 1974, the band’s debut album “Kad bi bio bijelo dugme”, released the same year, brought them nationwide popularity with its Balkan folk-influenced rock sound. The band’s future releases featuring a similar sound maintained their huge popularity, described by the media as “Dugmemania”, and the band’s work, especially their symphonic ballads with poetic lyrics, was also widely praised by the critics.
In 1989, the band broke up and Bregović continued his career as a film music composer – cooperating mostly with Emir Kusturica who during the 1990s became one of the most internationally known modern composers from the Balkans. On numerous occasions, Bregović stated that he would not reunite Bijelo Dugme.
However, in 2005, Bijelo Dugme indeed reunited, with Goran Bregović on guitar, Željko Bebek, Mladen Vojičić Tifa and Alen Islamović on vocals. The reunion saw huge media attention in all the former Yugoslav republics and the band performed three concerts only: in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Zagreb, Croatia and in Belgrade, Serbia.
Now Bregović is marking 40 years since the formation of Bijelo Dugme and the release of their debut album with a series of international concerts with his popular Wedding and Funeral Orchestra, featuring Alen Islamović and Mladen Vojičić Tifa sharing vocals. To date they have performed across Europe and North America, and are now bringing the show for the first time to Australia with 3 huge dates announced!
TOUR DATES
Friday 3rd November: Astor Theatre, Perth
Saturday 4th November: ICC , Sydney
Monday 6th November (Cup Eve): Festival Hall, Melbourne
Tickets on sale 9am, WEDNESDAY JUNE 21.
Head to www.OnTourPresents.com
