Unable to tour during the pandemic, Goran seized the opportunity to record an album of five works, written for three solo violins, a symphony orchestra, a sextet of male voices , and, of course, his Wedding and Funeral band. For his latest album, ‘The Belly Button of the World’, Goran has created three lyrical tales based around Christian, Jewish and Muslim liturgies which are performed by soloists Mirjana Nesković (Serbia), Gershon Leiserson (Israel) and Zied Zouari (Tunisia). With this album, Goran Bregović fuses the core of his creativity with his musical journey so far : classical, wild, unique, eclectic, and always unexpected…

First of all, if you haven't seen Emir Kusturica's film Underground yet, do so now. You'll discover a masterful depiction of 20th-century Balkan history through metaphor, by turns comically zany and profoundly heartwrenching (I cried). The soundtrack that Goran Bregovic created for UNDERGROUND is a wonderful stew of Balkan influences: gypsy brass, some old geezer singing in Romani, and great big drums pounding complicated circle-dance rhythms. Showing that today's borders are arbitrary, he also brings in three singers from the Shopsko region of Bulgaria, whose traditional vocal techniques include some striking yelps and leaps of sevenths.