The Op Sa! Balkan Orchestra, King Naat Veliov + Faith i Branko

Doors: 7pm till 11pm
Entry Price: £7 at the door
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Our monthly Tuesday treat with the Op Sa! Balkan Band rampaging through their repertoire of classics and originals rooted in the Serbian Kolo, the Turkish Cocek and beyond, with very special guest King Naat Veliov of Kocani Orkestar and Faith i Branko…

“King” Naat is a Roma trumpet player. His mother tongue is Turkish, his citizenship Macedonian, his culture Slavic. He speaks as many languages as the number of fingers on his hand, and with the sound of his horn he explores different cultures, repertoires and styles, playing Macedonian horos and Turkish maqams as well as jazz, mambo and Cuban son.

Naat was born in Kocani, Macedonia in 1957. In his twenties he was already the leader of the local Roma brass band, Ko?ani Orkestar. They played at weddings and parties and recorded an LP with the national Yugoslavian company Yugoton.

Kocani Orkestar achieved stardom among world music bands. Led by Naat, they played all around Europe and recorded several albums. Naat now shares his time between tours all around Europe and a quiet life in the Roma neighbourhood of Ko?ani – playing in local restaurants, at weddings or at bachelor parties that last until morning.

In an electrifying new collaboration with Op Sa! Balkan Band, King Naat Veliov is making his first solo trip to London (previously representing Ko?ani Orkestar) to work with the London-based group, record and also for music workshops. We’re thrilled to have the maestro trumpeter playing in London in what is to be a potpourri of Macedonian Gypsy songs, dances, modern originals and crown anthems!

Faith i Branko play frenzied Gypsy folk on a razor’s edge to which to dance to your heart’s content.

“Faith and Branko Ristic form the core of their high-energy live performance, combining the accordion, violin, effects pedal and tabor pipe to take the audience on a journey from melancholy Roma violin laments to storming ‘Kolos’ and explorations into jazz improvisation, swing and Gypsy Rumba. These styles form the heart of the set, which – for the majority – is joyous, passionate, boisterous, fiery and spirited. Branko’s violin – described as ‘something that Paganini would be proud of’ [Lach Walter] soars at break-neck paces whilst Faith’s ‘nimble accordion accompaniment provides a beautiful bedrock” [The Guardian].