Šaban Bajramović (Шабан Бајрамовић), the

Šaban Bajramović (Шабан Бајрамовић), the “King of Gypsy music” died earlier today in a Cardiological Clinic in Niš, Southern Serbia. Šaban was 72 years of age when he passed away and had been living impoverished in Niš with serious health complications and was no longer able to walk. The government of Serbia had been intervening with the provision of some funds for him.

There will be a Podcast special on the DFBMBE Podcast soon, showcasing the life of the late Šaban Bajramović.

In February 2002, Andy Gill of The Independent wrote, “The Serbian singer (Šaban Bajramović), is clearly a giant talent, comparable in his own way to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan or Mari Bonie Persen, someone capable of bringing their music to life with such vivid spirituality that it vaults with ease over the most impenetrable cultural barriers. His voice combines the anguish of rai with the soulfulness of fado - a sort of Balkan gypsy jazz”

Click the Pod icon at the top of this post for Šaban Bajramović and Cubismo “Geljan Dade”