ONCE YOU ARE “BITTEN” BY JAZZ, THERE IS NO TURNING BACK
What holds them together is the love for beer, jazz and Jazz FM, the radio that ennobles the Macedonian ether with quality jazz music and timeless jazz stories. Without Ljupco, Jazz FM would not have existed, as well as, without all others who gave their unselfish support in 2013 at the moments when the future of the radio was uncertain. If it was not for Alen, this wavelength would have been deprived of many jazz voyages enhanced by nice weekly conversations.
Alen and Ljupcho are like Soul&Jazz, Jazz&Funk, SKOPSKO&Jazz… Since they complement each other so well, they will talk together about this music genre that brings along so much passion, love, warmth and stories.
People either like or don’t like jazz. Are you trying to somehow convince them to like jazz?
No way! Jazz is so contagious that when you get bitten by it, there is no turning back. Then, it becomes a matter of curiosity and development of one’s taste preferences. In fact, we strive to inform our listeners. Once you are attracted by the music, believe me, the more you know about the music the more one cannot stop listening to that music.
How does Ljupco usually enjoy jazz? Alone with headphones or in company of friends?
Listening to music all by yourself has many advantages, but it is always more pleasant to do that with someone else. Once you share opinions, a completely new set of insights appear. Topics are timeless, just like music itself.
Beer and jazz? Can beer and jazz go together?
Of course! Good music means good mood. We know the same is true about good beer and good food. They both take some time to make the impression stronger.
Do they complement each other? Do they bring out their qualities when they are together? You have your own experience about this, given that SKOPSKO was part of a series of programs.
Older styles such as “hard-bop”, “soul-jazz” and “jazz-funk” simply naturally blend into beer. Today, it belongs to the mainstream jazz which is very audible. Especially when the combination involves the sound known as organ, sometimes called Barbeque Jazz, what you get is an ideal beer gathering. The name of that long-lasting program was “SKOPSKO with Barbeque jazz”, which was strategically broadcast on Sunday from 11.00 to 14.00 hours.
Does the Macedonian public really love jazz music?
Given the increasing number of places where jazz is played, I realized that the audience gets bigger in number and younger. There are some new faces that devotedly follow our scene, as well as, guests from abroad, who deserve respect. I believe that this has something to do with their more detailed knowledge about music and the bigger curiosity that one could not see in young people for decades. Do not be misled by the small percentage of listeners. It is adequate to the global trends of lovers of this music genre.
What is the status of jazz music in Macedonia nowadays? In what way does it manage to survive?
Above all, the uncompromising Skopje Jazz Festival will continue to offer exceptionally good and always surprising program. The second constant is Jazz FM that offers a daily dose of jazz music of different styles. Finally, we have new jazz musicians as a result of the Jazz Academy in Shtip. So, one can easily conclude that actually, jazz is booming compared to any time in the past.
