Various Artists ~ Balkan Blues / Souffles de l’Ame ~ 2CD-Book

Another in the series of beautifully produced German book-format anthologies of Gipsy music, this collection presents both songs and ballads- happy and sad- and those incredibly virtuostic instrumentals that light up the region's "juergas." Romania, Bulgaria, Albania, Serbia, Greece, Bosnia and Macedonia are all represented in a collection that reveals the connectedness of this region’s people, a reality which seems at odds with their constant political turmoils. The informative accompanyinng booklet was written by Dr Manfred Bartmann of the University of Salzburg, a recognized authority on the music of the Balkans.