[FA Worldmusic] Saban Bajramovic RIP

[Shira Cion]

Balkan 'Gypsy King' Saban Bajramovic dies
Belgrade, 9.6.2008, 22:10, (FOCUS/ROMEA)

Saban Bajramovic, a crooner celebrated as the "king of Gypsy music" in 
the Balkans, has died at the age of 72, the newspaper Politika reported 
Monday, cited by AFP.

Bajramovic, who had been forced to stop performing several weeks ago 
because of serious health problems, suffered a fatal heart attack and 
died at a hospital on Sunday in his southern Serbian hometown of Nis.

Born in Nis on April 16, 1936, Bajramovic skipped school as a child and 
got a street education in music like many of the region's Roma, or 
gypsies.

Bajramovic founded a band while serving a jail term for deserting the 
army at the notorious communist-era Goli Otok island prison off 
Croatia's coast.

After being freed, he released an album in 1964, the first of many in a 
prolific career as a singer, composer and contributor to soundtracks 
for films including director Emir Kusturica's prize-winning "Black Cat, 
White Cat."

Bajramovic's death was described as "an enormous loss to the national 
culture" of Serbia by its culture minister Vojislav Brajovic in a 
message of condolence issued to his family.



Shira Cion
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