Almir Mešković & Daniel Lazar – Family beyond blood (Etnisk musikklubb AS, 2023)
Almir Mešković & Daniel Lazar’s second album, titled Family Beyond Blood, serves as a splendid musical playground where the duo explores a diverse range of styles. Influenced by their personal backgrounds and complemented by the remarkable talents of guest artists from around the world, the album seamlessly combines cultural influences with the duo’s artistic expression. It embraces the rich field of world music, conveying the powerful idea that family extends beyond blood relationships.
Family Beyond Blood encompasses a fusion of influences, including tantalizing Romanian doina, deeply-moving Bosnian sevdah, elegant traditional Norwegian Hardanger fiddle, high-spirited African musical traditions, agile French waltz, ornate melodies and poetry grounded in Iranian traditions, and profound Sami yoiking. These diverse influences effectively converge to shape a captivating and distinct sound. Moreover, the album features a superb list of international musicians representing diverse cultures and musical traditions who deliver stellar performances.
Almir Mešković and Daniel Lazar, each with over two decades of experience in western classical and folk music, bring together their Balkan roots along with Nordic elements. Their musical repertoire spans from Balkan rhythms and Nordic folk to improvisation and Roma music. Despite being born in different countries, Almir in Bosnia and Daniel in Serbia, they both share a deep connection to the heart of the Balkans, where music and cultures intersect and evolve. Their serendipitous meeting in Oslo at the Norwegian Academy of Music led to the development of their singular expression, drawing upon the allure of the accordion and fiddle within a living tradition.
In a testament to their musical talent, Almir & Daniel clinched the YAM award for the best concert for young audiences organized by Jeunesses Musicales International in 2022, solidifying their standing as accomplished artists in the world music scene.
Musicians: Almir Mešković on accordion, synthesizers; Daniel Lazar on violin, octave violin.
Guests: Toumani Diabaté (Mali) on kora; Balla Diabaté (Mali) on kora; Marja Mortensson, Sámi Yoik vocalist; Daniel Herskedal (Norway) on tuba; Vahid Taj (Iran) on vocals; Sidiki Camara (Mali) on jembe, talking drum; and Jakop Janssønn (Sámi/Norway) on percussion.
Buy Family Beyond Blood.
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.