Zack Condon connects Romani Balkan Brass to the West.

America Meets Macedonia . . . in Paris

I happened upon a rather amazing clip of Zach Condon from Beirut and the Kočani Orkestar playing live at a club in Paris. I've love this image captured by a fan blog (french) in the crowd. You've got a white guy from New Mexico who was learned about Balkan Music in a four month trip to Paris fronting for one of the best Roma Balkan Brass Bands from Macedonia. This is a good example of the disconnect between America and the Balkans--and yet one can visually see Zach Condon acting as the physical and vocal conduit between the Romani Kočani Orkestar and their white Parisian audience. Zach and Beirut are in the NY Times / Review and have a snazzy website. The Kočani Orkestar doesn't have a actual website just a record deal and fans .

Zach Condon is putting the music into something people in the west can understand. Its good music but its also worth noting humor in it. It takes a 21-year-old college dropout from America for the west to start to get the Balkan sound, especially the famous Romani music. So sit back and enjoy the music and don't be afraid to crack a smile.