A collection of rare Balkan Pop songs by Gypsy musicians from Tito′s socialist Yugoslavia, 1960-1980.

'Stand Up, people' is an astonishing collection of rare Pop songs by Roma Gypsy musicians from Tito′s socialist Yugoslavia, 1960-1980. Combing rootsy Gypsy Folk rhythms with the new influences of Bollywood film music, Turkish psychedelia and British and American Pop-Rock, these are the songs of sophisticated artists who were captivated by modernity, but who had not lost sight of the old themes of love, loss, and life on the road. You hear incredibly rare early recordings of the King and Queen of Gypsy music, Šaban Bajramovic and Esma Redzepova, displaying the soulfulness that launched their careers. Other singers are less famous: Muharem Serbezovski and Medo Cun, for example, whose high-octane songs feature driving rhythms and a freewheeling Jazz aesthetic that reaches its peak in spiralling improvised solos. What is perhaps most remarkable about 'Stand Up, people' is its inclusion of incredibly rare Kosovan Roma music. This work, exploiting distinctive oriental sounds, has lain unheard for decades. From the Kosovan Roma wedding-singing superstar Nehat Gaši to super-rare artists who only ever released one single, 'Stand Up, people' digs deeper into the corners of Balkan Roma music than ever before.

released May 31, 2013