- artist:Alice in WonderBand
- featured artist:Ana Vrbaški, Marko Dinjaški, Goran Vujičin
- style(s):Balkan, Body Music
- country:Serbia
- formats:CD (Compact Disc)
- record posted by:World Music Association of Serbia
- label:Nordic Notes / CPL-Music / Folk Galore / Beste! Unterhaltung
- publisher:Nordic Notes / CPL-Music / Folk Galore / Beste! Unterhaltung
- buy this record
Links
- Jovano, Jovanke - music video
- Ergen Dedo - music video
- Mesečinka - music video
- Uči me, majko, karaj me - music video
- Multilink, digital releases
- Ruse kose / Kâtibim / Apo xeno topo
- Cigančica
- Reviews - RikaTaka Michael Brinkschulte, Der Hörspiegel
- Album review - MICS, Nikola Glavinić
- Album review - Galgóczi Tamás, Ekultura.hu portal
- Album review - Alessio Surian, Blog Foolk Magazine
Balkan sounds with a difference! The Alice in WonderBand from Serbia celebrates an unusual and convincing genre mix on their debut album RikaTaka, New Balkan Rhythm. The duo is not afraid of new sounds! Acoustic and unusual sounds combine with the music tradition of the Balkans. Folk songs from Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia, Northern Macedonia, Bulgaria, Moldavia, Greece, Turkey, Albania, Kosovo and even Hungary make you curious about the rich musical tradition of the region. They are currently in the MOST Balkan Music Export program.
Alice in WonderBand’s live performances incorporate elements of body music and body percussion. Their performance is a mixture of dance, movement and music. The musicians take the audience on a journey through the Balkans. At the end of a concert, artists and audience are a singing and clapping community. "We combine music, theatre, dance, movement and acrobatics with the art of body music and use the body as a rhythmic instrument," the two artists report.
Creating a whole orchestra with just two people is a challenge. It appeals to us because this approach is very direct and we can communicate with the audience in a simple way," the two musicians answer when asked what drives them artistically. The debut album RikaTaka offers Alice in WonderBand the wonderful opportunity to get to know the musical heritage of the Balkans better. "The more we learn about it, the more we realise that the connections between these countries are manifold. This opens the doors to a sense of cosmopolitanism for us," the musicians are pleased to say. What gives them particular pleasure: "It is interesting that the audience reacts similarly, from the youngest to the oldest. People enjoy the rhythm and the melodies and actively participate in the concerts. Balkan music is a treasure: we have rearranged the songs and enjoy every concert," they enthuse.
One of the highlights of RikaTaka is the rousing piece "Ergen Dedo" (Grandfather Bohemian), which is based on a Bulgarian folk song and tells of the adventures of a grandfather who goes to the village dance and shakes a leg with the young girls there. The idiosyncratic "Mene Majka Jednu Ima" (I am the only child of my mother) is based on a Bosnian folk song and is about the melodramatic story of a girl who wants to marry a poor wretch. But her own mother would rather marry her off to a rich judge! The yearning love song "Jovano, Jovanke" originally comes from Macedonia: it is about the pain of unrequited love. And the ballad-like "Ruse Kose" (Red Hair) with its roots in Serbia, Turkey and Greece connects all three Balkan cultures in a musically convincing way!
RikaTaka, New Balkan Rhythm was published on 4th of November 2022.
The album is No 7 on World Music Charts Europe December 2022 and No 10 on Balkan World Music Chart.