David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York morphed into dance hall

This past Friday and Saturday the David Geffen Hall at Lincoln Center in New York morphed into a dance hall reminiscent of those in the Balkans thanks to the musical genius of Goran Bregović and his Wedding and Funeral Orchestra. Complete with four strings, six-piece men’s chorus, a single drum, one woodwind, two trumpets, two tubas, and two vocalists. On stage, the orchestra seems small compared to what most New Yorkers are used to seeing at Lincoln Center, but when the full force of the orchestra started with the beginning song of Balkaneros, from Bregović’s last album Champagne For Gypsies, one would think it’s a full fifty member orchestra. It didn’t take long for the audience to get out of their seats, because as one concert attendee put it “the music drives something deep within and you cannot help move your body because your soul is being moved at the same time.”

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Bregović’s arrangement of his famous gypsy inspired song was beautifully done. He was able to display the talent of each section of the orchestra with a range of songs that took us from goose bumps to tears to jumping for joy all within two and a half hours of nonstop emotion. Rare is a performance that is able to cover a spectrum of emotions and tap into everyone. At the beginning, a hesitation was present by people unfamiliar with his music to dance, but by the end the sold-out crowd was all on their feet dancing and singing along. The energy of the orchestra grew exponentially as the crowd became more involved. We would dance for one and sit for a couple, but by the end everyone was standing and never went back to their seats.

The music of the gypsies is able to transcend cultures and genres and Bregović is able to tap into that and with an addition of his rock roots to give a truly spectacular concert. When it was all said and done and everyone poured out into the Lincoln Center square the dancing didn’t stop the crowd was ready for another 3 hours of raw dancing and emotion.The gypsy and Balkan spirit will live on for those who attended.

Credit:

Stephanie Berger Photo

www.stephaniebergerphoto.com/