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Saban Bajramovic

'Herdelezi, 18 Original Recordings 1969-1984'

Musicians:
Saban Bajramovic

Label - Croatia Records, Serbia

Classic recordings from the King of the Gypsies - Saban Bajramovic.

Superb compilation of Saban Bajramovic material taken mainly from the now defunct Yugoslavian label Jugoton. Bajramovic recorded with several labels in the 1970s many of which have now disappeared. So this compilation serves us well for the high water mark of Saban's career.

"Saban Bajramovic: For citizens of former Yugoslavia, Saban is, quite simply, the King of the Gypsies. His voice is an eerie instrument, capable of conveying great sorrow and beauty. As a songwriter - well, to the Roma he's Bob Dylan and James Brown in one, a man capable of singing 'last night, another beating from the police' with great conviction."
Garth Cartwright, Independent newspaper

From sleeve notes:
'The recording companies of former Yugoslavia could count on the fidelity of Gypsy troubadour Saban Bajramovic no more than the many stops he made in his life and career in which he wouldn't or couldn't settle down. Traces of his song- writing and singing talents can be found in the archives of virtually all record labels of the time, so if anyone should ever attempt to compile the best of his output on disc, they would face almost insoluble problems of tracing the masters, determining the chronology of the various versions of his songs, not to mention the legal aspect of the whole mess. Jugoton too was caught in the unpredictability of Bajramovic's wanderings, so this CD reminder of his Zagreb vinyl road skips over time, just as his music meandered through styles under the influence of various showbiz strategists. The first ten cuts were originally released as five singles between 1969 and 1979, and later brought together on LP, while the other eight come from the album Sudbina Si Murni (1984).

Today Saban Bajramovic has difficulty recalling the details of his relations with Jugoton, but he does remember that most of them were arranged by the company's Belgrade representative, who was very familiar with Saban's working surroundings. Thanks to professional instinct, Bajramovic recognizes the names of his bandleaders Mustafa Ismailovic and Zoran Pejakovic, but the tracks do not remind him of the particular time and place in which they were recorded. When he actually hears them, however, his lined face immediately lights up. "This one is regal", he will say of one song, whereas another is "so-so, `oriental', nothing much". "Where'd you find that one?", he'll ask with genuine curiosity.

Then he resignedly concludes that he still hasn't written the best Gypsy song, "the one that would make it to the Eurovision Song Contest"! This statement clearly shows in what kind of milieu he scattered his particular brand of genius.'

USD 15.99

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Visit the Saban Bajramovic web site at:
www.sabanbajramovic.com

Saban Bajramovic

'Herdelezi, 18 Original Recordings 1969-1984'

This symbol  indicates an mp3 sound clip for that track. Click on the symbol and wait for the clip to start. For more information click here. Tracks

1. Opa, Cupa (4’14”) Saban Bajramovic - Ismailovic Mustafa - Ibrahim Barcic  2. Lidi, Lidi, Lidi (5’47”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 3. Jek Dive Sabajle (Jedno Jutro Rano) (3’54”) Saban Bajramovic - Barcic Ibrahim - Ismailovic Mustafa 4. Saima (3’31”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 5. Nataša (4’11”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 6. Herdelezi (Uranak) (3’49”) Ismailovic Mustafa - Saban Bajramovic - Jakub Osmanovic 7. Ki Sofija Me Geljum (Gdje Da Je Naðem) (3’49”) Saban Bajramovic - Barcic Ibrahim 8. Nici, Nici, Nici (4’37”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 9. Parni Haljina (Nevestin Deo) (3’32”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 10. Merima (4’01”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 11. Zuhra (3’36”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 12. Maja (4’29”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 13. Rasima (4’42”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 14. Nasvalo Sem (Bolestan Sam) (4’55”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 15. Sudbina Si Murni (Sudbina Je Moja) (3’42”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 16. Ne Mangava Te Kelav (Želim Da Igram) (2’53”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 17. Marizela (3’41”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic 18. Caje Mori Tu Šužije (3’56”) Saban Bajramovic - Zoran Pejkovic

Duration (73'45") Our mp3 samples are approximately 30 seconds long and of low(ish) quality for a fast download (file size app 300KB)