True or not, one thing is clear: Marković and his son, prized protégé Marko, are the bomb in Balkan brass dance music, harnessing the absolute flexibility of Miles Davis and the cool funk of Herb Alpert in the ultimate expression of their Southern Serbian Rroma roots. Their latest album as the Boban and Marko Marković Orkestar, Devla: Blown Away to Dancefloor Heaven (Piranha Musik, November 10, 2009), flies effortlessly between echoes of the Ottoman Empire and down-and-dirty grooves that would make P-Funk’s jaws drop.
Boban’s decades of experience are now fired by Marko’s youthful vibe—an energy sustained by marathon practice sessions and a lifetime spent with dad on stage. As a kid, Marko put in ten hours a day at home with his horn, a practice that drove Boban so crazy he finally insisted his son stand and deliver with the Orkestar. The determined, then fourteen-year-old Marko played so perfectly, he soon became a fixture in the group.
But Marko has done more than merely play along. Together, Boban and Marko Marković are expanding the idioms of gypsy brass, as Marko scats (“Devla”), raps in Serbian and English (“Benim Gecem”), and even flirts with flamenco (“Kazi Baba”). All while keeping true to tradition: the lightning-fast melodies, driving rhythms, and exuberant transcendence of the greatest Balkan brass bands.
Of course, to get to dancefloor heaven, you need some help from the Balkans’ gypsy saints, the singers who have made and remade the centuries-old traditions now wildly popular worldwide. There are veteran singers like Rade Krstić (“Udre Mila”) who Marković lured out of his decades-long retirement, or Ljubiša Stojanović (“Kum Boemčina”) dubbed “Louis” for his Balkan-flavored renditions of Louis Armstrong tunes and his love of jazz. There are rising stars like Bulgaria’s Sofi Marinova (“Soske Sul Na avea”) and hidden gems like Mustafa Šabanović (“Maruska”), a little-known idol of the Serbian gypsy scene. Devla showcases the melismatic and dramatic vocal stylings of these singers, adored at home but little known in the West; the best the Balkans have to offer.
Od Scra
Boban i Marko Markovic Orkestar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Песма која моју душу отвара
Црно вино, друштво, жене, забава
То је живот, нина нина ни на на
Весели сте весели, тако ваља другови
С песмом душу отворим
И на време не мислим
Весели сте весели, тако ваља другови
С песмом душу отворим
И на време не мислим
Друштво моје, само то је рај
The lyrics to Boban I Marko Markovic Orkestar's song "Od Srca" describe the joy and release that comes with music, alcohol, and socializing. The rhythm of the song corresponds with the rhythm of the singer's beating heart as the song opens his soul. The singer describes the pleasure he takes in his company, drinking "grape nectar," and being in the company of women. He sees this as the good life, where time ceases to be a concern, and worries simply float away.
The chorus, "You're happy, so am I, my friends, with the song I open up my soul, and I don't think about time, my friends, only my company, that's paradise," emphasizes the idea that the singer finds his bliss in the people he surrounds himself with, and the experience of music and revelry they create together.
Overall, "Od Srca" celebrates the power of music to bring happiness and human connection, and emphasizes the importance of taking time to appreciate the simple pleasures of life.
Line by Line Meaning
Ритам којим моје срце удара
The rhythm that my heart beats to
Песма која моју душу отвара
The song that opens up my soul
Црно вино, друштво, жене, забава
Black wine, companions, women, fun
То је живот, нина нина ни на на
That's life, nina nina ni na na
Весели сте весели, тако ваља другови
You are happy, as it should be, my friends
С песмом душу отворим
With the song, I open up my soul
И на време не мислим
And I don't think about time
Друштво моје, само то је рај
My company, that alone is paradise
Весели сте весели, тако ваља другови
You are happy, as it should be, my friends
С песмом душу отворим
With the song, I open up my soul
И на време не мислим
And I don't think about time
Друштво моје, само то је рај
My company, that alone is paradise
Writer(s): boban markovic, traditional
Contributed by Lauren H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Don
on Maruska
Ano