Belgrade’s Roma Sensation in Aquarius Club

Belgrade’s Kal band fired up the audience in Zagreb’s Aquarius Club on Tuesday night.

Kal, which in Romani means “black”, is the most popular Roma band in the world, which has even appeared on the World Music Charte Europe. Their demo album rose to the top of the chart. 

Their reputation was confirmed in Zagreb’s Aquarius Club last night. Despite the cold and rainy weather, the audience obviously wanted some refreshment, which they saw in Kal’s music.

“Go, rhythm!” shouted the band’s leader and signer Dragan Rustic, one of the founders of the Belgrade Roma attraction. Dragan and his brother Dusan, they said, founded Kal as a response to prejudices and stereotypes which Romas usually face. They confirmed their thesis with their sound.

“Now, the Roma version of (Zagorje region’s) ‘Mamice su strukle pekli’” gave rise to a wave of approval from the audience that danced to Kal’s rhythm. Among the dancing crowd, we saw Alka Vujica accompanied by model Kristina Sajko, and, according to what we saw, the ladies had a great time.

At one point, two young women, who could not remain calm to the dance rhythm joined the band members on stage.

Although some commented that they had expected more from a Roma band, Kal definitely offered something different, but still, that recognisable dose of the emotional Roma sound.

In a little less than two hours of playing, the six-man band fired up the dance floor in Aquarius enticing the visitors to dance, who, after the first beats of the violin, two accordions, a drum, acoustic guitar and bass, forgot that it was raining outside.

View the PHOTOGALLERY form the concert.