Recently uncovered this Boban I Marko Markovic Orkestar video that has recently made it’s way out from the Romani mahala (neighbourhood) of Vladicin Han in Southern Serbia and can now be found jostling amongst the pimple-squeezing, bedroom karaoke-singing, wobbly gig footage world of Youtube.

This in itself is of no major significance; Boban and Marko are the biggest names within a Serbian brass band tradition that makes the current UK Dubstep explosion look like a quaint scene that could do with a little more exposure, and as such inarguably warrant some nifty promo videos to support their splendid Balkan Brass Funk and encourage some more nerdy Western Europeans to fork out fifteen quid for their newest releases.
There is a particular significance though to this particular video and its implications which, whilst subtle, convey an interesting view of where this tradition may be being led by the pied pipers of Vladicin Han.
Musically, Cocek Sljivovica shows the range of contemporary influence that 26-year-old Marko has bought to his father’s sound since joining the Orkestar in 2002: Elements of South American carnival ooze between the stomping brass riffs and Marko alternates between rapping in the gang vocal style so adored by the Balkan scene[1] and crooning in the fluid, open way of a seasoned wedding singer.

And it sounds proper, this isn’t a 50-something guy trying to sound groovy, it’s a 20-something guy who just is groovy.

Visually, however, it’s a case study in what may appear to be the Balkan Brass bandwagon beginning to veer off the muddy country track that’s kept it so beloved by the West’s Birkenstock-wearing chai-tea-drinkers and Serbian nationalists alike.

The video is not the usual collage of live footage and shaky Handycam scenes with even shakier acting that we’ve grown accustomed to. Far from it, it aspires to be a glossy HD international-standard promo, and of course why not? They want to be global pop stars, and I’m not for a second going to suggest that they are artifacts who should be kept in their village and only let out when supervised by an appointed ethnomusicologist. But, for the love of God, please not like this.

Within nano-seconds of pressing play the promo descends into an inexplicable series of scenes revolving around a swimming pool, a barbeque and a ‘prestige’ car that looks suspiciously like a Ford Focus with Mercedes logos taped onto the hubcaps.

In a feat of logic that would’ve confounded Captain Beefheart himself, the chosen compliments to these scenes are Balkan Santa, who looks on gleefully at a plate of grilled meets in front of him, a series of Yugobabes parade around in front of a spit-roasting hog and all the while Marko is clowning around in his car like a sixth former outside the school gates.

Obviously there is a liberal amount of tongue-in-cheek about the video, and it’s designed to showcase the quirkiness and party spirit of Balkan Brass Band Music; however the problem arrives when we consider that Marko Markovic is a ground-breaking musician, doing remarkably intelligent, progressive, and yes, fun things with a traditional music.

However, by creating a super-slick promotional video of this style he is inverting what we hear from a fascinating, groovy instrumental style into slightly naff commercial pop.

If, like he says, Markovic really is serious about taking this music forward and potentially becoming as much of a global pop star as the likes of Manu Chao or even Santana then he needs to do what all pop stars have done since the death of Ziggy Stardust and consider what consumers actually want and not what he personally aspires to. This means that the whole package has to be there; great tunes, a relevant image and a narrative that people can accept and identify with.

Be tongue-in-cheek, but, for goodness sake, just don’t look like you’re taking it so seriously.