I was looking all over to find a copy of the DVD, which showed up on Youtube (in not so good quality) with Goran Bregovic’ Gucha 2007 concert.
Finally – with the kind support of a number of known and unknown Serbian friends (Thank you, Vlado!!) I have the music.
It is another example of the beauty of the voices of Ludmila Radkova and Daniela Radkova. The two sisters, who used to sing for the Bulgarian National Choir Philip Koutev, are now performing about 80 times a year with Goran’s Weddings and Funerals Orchestra.
The Gucha concert (August 2007) was only with the brass orchestra, unlike the 2006 New York concert, which was with the full orchestra (string, choir).
The Gucha configuration actually made the Bulgarian singers be established in the center of the concert – be that as leading vocals or as back vocals. They were singing “Ne Siam Kurve Tuke Sijam Prostitutke” from Karmen with A Happy End, and with a slightly different arrangement of the music and their voices. The “ne, ne, ne” (no, no, no) in the Gucha performance was pronounced with a voice that sounded like they are already spoiled; the characters say “no”, but actually it’s not clear if they are against.
Another brilliant piece was “Na Zadnjem Sjedistu Moga Auta“, but it is probably easier to say which ones were not at the level of my expectations, rather than to count each of the really good songs. You can see some of the songs at my Youtube playlist here. Unfortunately you won’t see there “Sta ima novo” (So Nevo Si in the Tales And Songs From Weddings And Funerals album), which is a really good piece, as performed in Gucha.
I hope that Goran with these wonderful singers and musicians will be able to come again to New York, and if not, perhaps I will go to one of his concerts in Europe this coming summer. It’s worth doing it. I’ve been to six of his concerts (two of them back in 1982, when his rock band, Bijelo Dugme, performed in Bulgaria)