VOŁOSI KALATA NAKED @ OFFEST 2024
Kalata is a neofolk band from Skopje, which at the very beginning starts off as a project by Simeon Angelovski and Minela Bogdanović. Recognizable by its authentic sound, the group draws a parallel between Eastern and Western culture, with special accent on the traditional Macedonian music. Without borders, musicians rely on their feelings and inspiration and are free to play what their imaginations demands. The whole concept of the band is based on the imagination and creativity of these young musicians, whose love for the modern rhythms and the music of their ancestors contributes to the original sound of Kalata. Since 2018, they have performed all around the country, including D Festival, Pin Music Conference, Zdravo Mladi, Makedox and some European festivals like Mercat de Música Viva de Vic / MMVV (Barcelona, Spain) and Balkan Most Festival: Showcase & Conference 2023 (Veszprem, Hungary). Their first album "Kalata" is finished and will be released this year, with a concert presentation at 23. OFFest. The band is also part of MOST Music Programme, a Balkan Music Export project that supports world music artists and bands from the Balkans region. Today the band consists of six members: Minela Bogdanović (lead vocals), Marija Ilievska (backing vocals), Kiril Kuzmanov (saxophone), Aleksandar Boškov (guitar), Simeon Angelovski (bass guitar) and Damjan Grujo (drums).
The name NAKED stays for open heart and uncovered soul. Ideas of freedom, hope and love have always inspired Serbian band to create music. Naked - one of the most vital representatives of the Balkan world music scene - were founded in Belgrade in 2006. The band immediately attracted the attention of the local audience and stood out on the Serbian music scene thanks to its multilayered and energetic musical expression, receptive, at the same time intriguing original compositions, and compact, well-coordinated playing. In addition to the above, there are convincing stage performances and the image of the group members, which could most simply be described as "very cool". Collaborating for almost two decades, they have released five albums, performed around the world from Chile to Korea and at festivals like Colours of Ostrava, EXIT, Red See Jazz Festival, ACC Festival, to name a few. The style of the band is complex, unaffected, merged. Elements of Balkan traditions, with a touch of Mediterranean, African and Eastern European traditions, in synergy with the features of jazz, funk, rock, free music and a lot of improvisation – all this together creates a recognizable Naked-sound. That sound carries a lot of emotional layers – rebellion, melancholy, joy… All About Jazz calls their music a labour of love, describing the band as a mesmerising unit and a collective whose musical syntax continues to suggest that there are not several musicians here, but one.
Goran Milošević – drums
Djordje Kujundžić – alt and baritone sax
Rastko Uzunović – clarinet and tenor sax
Djordje Mijušković – violin
Branislav Radojković – bass
Special guest:
Petar Hristov – sopran and alt sax
Minela Bogdanovic - vocal
Marija Ilievska - back vocal
Kiril Kuzmanov - saxophone
Aleksandar Boskov - guitar
Simeon Angelovski - bass
Damjan Grujo - drums