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What do you get when you put five flügelhorns,
four tenor horns, a helicon, and several percussion instruments together in
the same band? Besides the very good possibility of hearing a terrifically
raucous sound and seeing seldom-seen brass instruments, you have the
makings of a contemporary gypsy brass band. Believe it or not, one of the
best known of these Balkan-based bands makes an appearance in Springfield
on Sunday, July 20, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts.
Hailing from the town of Vladiãin Han, in
southern Serbia, Boban Markoviç formed his first orkestar nearly 20 years ago and has
since taken his act far beyond the borders of his homeland to international
fame. Considered by his peers and fans worldwide the greatest of many horn
players originating in the Balkan region, Markoviç has released
several records and tours Europe constantly and North America occasionally.
After winning so many times and with such high marks in the region’s
famed Guãa trumpet festival competition, he and the band no longer
compete, attending as performers only. It’s joked that President Bill
Clinton and our NATO allies spared Markoviç’s area a bombing
back during the war years of the 1990s because of Clinton’s awareness
of and fondness for the gypsy brass band sound. True or not, it’s
interesting to see what having a musician’s perspective in the White
House does for the arts.
According to music historians, the Balkan brass band
sound originated in the military bands of the Ottoman Empire, who used
brass in the same way the Scots used bagpipes: to terrify the enemy before
battle. Some of these same historians claim that a diaspora of Gypsy
immigrants to the U.S. in the mid-1800s helped influence the beginnings of
jazz as the Eastern-flavored melodies performed on brass instruments were
played over the evolving blues progressions of African-American pianists
and guitarists. It’s all conjecture, of course, but it’s
entirely plausible and makes for a very compelling story.
Markoviç now travels with his son Marko on
second flügelhorn and occasional vocals, passing the torch to the next
generation and in doing so keeping the music fresh with new influences.
Though he hews to the tradition of wailing horns in minor keys and Gypsy
melodies, the younger Markoviç also incorporates funk beats and
Latin rhythms.
A very good example of your tax dollars at work, this
concert is a culmination of efforts by several entities: the Chicago
Cultural Center’s “Music without Borders” series, the
Governor’s International Arts Exchange Program (I wonder whether
Blago knows about it) of the Illinois Arts Council, and our very own
Hoogland Center and Springfield Area Arts Council.
Starting around 3:30 p.m. the Springfield
International Folk Dancers will perform Balkan folk dances in the
Hoog’s lobby to heighten the mood. Feel free to attend in your very
best Gypsy outfit and join in the festivities.
The Boban i Marko Markoviç Orkestar performs
at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 20, at the Hoogland Center for the Arts (420 S.
Sixth St., 217-523-2787, www.scfta.org). Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for youths and
seniors.
Contact Tom Irwin at tirwin@illinoistimes.com.
This article appears in Jul 10-16, 2008.
