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About MR ŽARKO
In the Balkans, people from the Čačak area enjoy a peculiar reputation, partly explained by Žarko Jovasevic as “folkloristic madness”: a very special form of insanity, which he recently imported to west Europe. Moving to Berlin a few years ago, Žarko Jovašević was very impressed by the creative and international music scene he found there. Being born in Čačak ,just a stone’s throw away from the legendary “Guca Trumpet Festival”, he was surrounded by the local music traditions that found a way to his heart. After relocating he decided to form a band in Berlin and started to compose his own songs based on the Balkan sound. The compositions however dwell on the musical ocean, leaving behind the borders of folkloristic traditions.
He presents his show on stage with brilliant musicians from Bulgaria, Russia, Romania, Turkey and USA, who also came to multicultural Berlin in search of compelling music projects. Being the composer and band founder, Žarko Jovašević was the godfather of the band's name “Mr Žarko”. The debut album “Electric Gypsy Disco Noise” from 2013 has surprised Balkan music lovers, as well as many fans outside that scene with energetic songs and catchy tunes, including pumping Balkan rhythms and poetic but subtle lyrics in English. In the following year the band invited well known DJ’s to produce remixes of the songs from the debut album. Versions of DJ Click, DJ Ipek, DJ Kosta Kostov and many others can be heard on the album „Electric Gypsy Disco Noise – The Remixes“, which got high recognition worldwide from DJ’s and radio shows dedicated to global beats.
Recently, the musicians dedicated themselves to the roots of Roma brass music in Southern Serbia. For the new album “Balkan Herbal Clinic”, Mr Žarko included the unique and characteristic sound of such an orchestra for some songs. Therefore the musicians including Producer Philipp Bernhardt travelled to the Serbian town of Vladičin Han, not far from Macedonia, Bulgaria and Kosovo, to record with the local Bojan Krstić Orkestar. Bojan and his virtuosos have a lot of fans in their home region as well as abroad. They won several awards in the annual competitions in famous Guča brass competition , among them main prices like the “Golden Trumpet” in 2015 or the “Best Orchestra” on 2017.
The Vladicin Han recording sessions immediately led to an inevitable outcome. An explosive stage show with both bands playing Mr Žarko´s compositons was born. The collaboration between the two bands turned into an exclusive show fusing 15 unique musicians on stage: MR ZARKO featuring Bojan Krstic Orkestar.
Lineup:
Žarko Jovaševic (guitars, vocals, flute, banjo) Katya Tasheva (vocals) Otis Sandsjö (saxophone) Johannes Böhmer (trumpet) Philipp Bernhardt (drums, percussion) Matthew Bookert (tuba,sousaphone) Murat Denizkusu (percussion) Extended Lineup: Alistair Duncan (Tenor Horn) Jörg Bücheler (Tenor Horn)NEWS

MR ZARKO-working on the new Album !!!
About to hit the record button for some fresh guitar twangy riffs…Best way to spend the lock down time = guitar surfing over corona waves and working in the studio on the new MR ZARKO album! Stay tuned for more…

Mr Žarko live at Sziget Festival 2018
We are happy to play at one of the most famous and phantastic music festivals in the world which is 100 % surrounded by the river Danube. We will play on Saturday 11. August at 17:15, world music stage. Be there!

Mr Zarko feat. Bojan Krstic Orkestar together on stage in Leipzig and Berlin
The big days has come! This weekend we proudly present our new CD „Balkan Herbal Clinic“ on the stages in UT Connewitz in Leipzig on Friday and on Saturday in SO36 in Berlin. And we are not alone! With us on stage is the Bojan Krstic Orkestar from Serbia: West […] read on »