Serbian Funk in the Garden

Last night, I went out and partied my body for the first time since early May and have now proven definitively that I am healed! The back is BACK! Rich Bitch, the Serbian funk band that I've been touting since I got hold of them at the radio station here, was playing an outdoor bar near Old Town, the Garden Caffe. (Did anyone ever download their album from my blog when it was up there for 3 weeks?) God, they were great live! My friends and I didn't sit down ONCE after the band's first song. A lot of good funk covers and then a number of Serbian hits from decades past. They brought on a woman lead singer who was the Yugoslavian Tina Turner in the 80's and were doing a lot of her songs from back in the day. She has a GREAT voice! Deep and strong, which I love in chicks!

We danced under towering trees on a stone deck in the balmy night air with a yellow-gold moon shining down on us: me, my boss at the radio station, Vukan, 20-year-old Aussie Stu with the indomitable energy, 2 cute, blond girls from Finland, American Brian, 2 Brits, and sundry other folks from the Hippo. I stood maybe 3 feet away from the horn section boogying down like it was nobody's business. They rocked the house (rocked the open air?)! And I finally remembered why it is that I came here to Budva for these 6 months. Because, it wasn't for the herniated disc in my back and 2 months of bedrest. It wasn't for the sweltering humid heat or the city-wide water shortage that makes cleaning the hostel and washing my hair a particular challenge. And it wasn't for the countless inconveniences that a language barrier, not having a car, and 50,000 tourists on the beaches here tend to cause. I came to meet and talk to and party down with interesting people. And the added bonus was working up a sweat dancing in the streets and then schmoozing with the Rich Bitch saxophonist all night.

There's good music here in the Balkans if you know where to look. It's not all just techno club crap and bad turbo folk, ex-Yu style. Mario, the above mentioned saxophonist told me that the band is releasing their 2nd album next year. It'll be the first to go stateside. I want to see the music videos that come out with the new album. (No joke! I've been promised a DVD.) Good times last night! Good times seeing live music again.