3 Guys, One Guitar!
Trio Balkankse žice, or Trio Balkan Strings in English, is a Serbian music group. The group consists of Zoran Starcevic and his sons.
As we know them, bands tend to have their own instruments and usually contain a variety, including drums, guitars, and keyboards, etc. Instead, Trio Balkankse žice breaks the boundaries of a traditional band. They invented a method of playing the same guitar together with six hands.
The trio performs original guitar music and is a fusion of Balkan music including Bulgarian, Romanian, Serbian, Moldavian, Gypsy, Macedonian, Greek, Hungarian, Moldavian and Mediterranean. They take inspiration from a variety of different genres of music. This includes Ethno, Swing, Classical, and Jazz.
Their style is incredibly unique, from their fusion of cultures and genres, to how they play on stage. The trio does not perform as a band most conventionally. They have performed in many Jazz and World Music festivals all over the world, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and more.
In November 2019, Trio Balkankse žice played their song ‘Hava Nagila to an audience. Their performance begins with one man sitting down on a chair, with a bandana on his head, and is playing the guitar solo. He is then joined by one of his sons, who is also wearing the same bandana.
Whilst his father continues to play, he leans over him and starts playing his section. The third and final member, the other son, comes into the frame, matching their bandanas, and performs his part alongside his brother and father. Now, all three members are gathered around the guitar, playing their own part of the song.
The song showcases their style of Balkan Swing and Jazz. It is upbeat and cheery. The audience begins to clap and stamp their feet along to the beat. At the end of their performance, the audience applauds them. The trio gathers together and embraces each other as they present themselves to the audience. Their management is run by their family company, Starcevic Production. They have been performing since 2003 and in 2021, they entered their 18th year of performing in the music industry.