Afion (Macedonian: opium, poppy) is a Croatian-Macedonian band that plays western Balkan music (mostly from their homelands Croatia and Macedonia).
Formed in 2003 in Zagreb, Croatia, the band played more than five hundred concerts in clubs and on major festival stages in Croatia and Europe (Bingsjö, Shetland Islands Folk Festival, INmusic Festival, Adriatico Mediterraneo, Balkan Square festival).
Their live performances feature an acoustic sound with the vitality of a rock band. It was the first Croatian band to include music of national minorities of Croatia in their repertoire. They also had a big role in bringing folk music to pop and rock festivals and young audiences.
Afion’s albums “Afion” ( 2006) and Čudni svati (2008) were nominated for the top Croatian music industry award “Porin”. With their many concerts the band gained a cult status and a large number of followers.
In 2012 Afion announced a break (mostly because the singer Lidija Dokuzovic moved to Sweden) but the band members continued playing in different projects and bands (Zykopops, Damir Imamovic’s Sevdah Tahkht, Dunja Knebl & Kololira).
Afion reunited in 2018 after seven years of hiatus. The band members who live in three different countries (Croatia, Macedonia and Sweden) still have the same passion of playing together and telling their stories to the world.
The album “Treći bilbil” (The third nightingale) was released on May 4, 2020. The third nightingale stands for all artists who act in the most unpleasant times and therefore put themselves in danger.
It is a tribute to all the singers who sing in a “wrong dialect” or perform songs from the “wrong side of the border”. The album showcases nine songs mostly from the Pannonian area of Croatia (Medjimurje & Slavonia) and Macedonia.
Afion includes Lidija Dokuzović on vocals; Aleksandar Jovevski on kaval (Macedonian shepherds flute), tambura, gajde; Josip Mazic on double bass; Danijel Maoduš on guitars; Nenad Kovacic on percussion.
Discography:
Afion (Aquarius Records, 2006)
Čudni svati (Aquarius Records, 2008)
Treći bilbil (Aquarius Records, 2020)
Author: Angel Romero
Angel Romero y Ruiz has dedicated his life to musical exploration. His efforts included the creation of two online portals, worldmusiccentral.org and musicasdelmundo.com. In addition, Angel is the co-founder of the Transglobal World Music Chart, a panel of world music DJs and writers that celebrates global sounds. Furthermore, he delved into the record business, producing world music studio albums and compilations. His works have appeared on Alula Records, Ellipsis Arts, Indígena Records and Music of the World.