How does one go about transferring bossa nova to Slovenia and Slovenia to bossa nova? When Primož Vitez recorded his first covers of music by Jobim and Caymmi in Rio de Janeiro in 2003, he certainly wasn’t asking himself this question; without knowing it, however, he started to provide the answer. Among the songs he recorded was ‘Ne prižigaj luči v temi’, Privšek’s Eurovision hit from 1962, when the bossa was still nova and was taking its first tentative steps onto Slovenian soil. Almost half a century on and Bossa de Novo are steadily cooking up a strange brew that features a variety of musical ingredients from a little closer to home, complete with accordion (a comparative rarity in bossa nova) and an array of plastic bags and similar items of improvised percussion (a comparative rarity anywhere). Even before the release of their debut album Vivo!, the group were shifting away from standard bossa nova, retaining only the less familiar aspects of it, and picking up Balkan pop, songs by Slovenian pioneers, Yugo rock and even Italian canzoni (for lovers of something a little quieter perhaps) along the way. The second album goes even further, featuring original compositions, a piano and even more genre-bending, and should be ready in time for the festival. Don’t just call it bossa nova – this is ‘bossa de novo’.
Primož Vitez – vocals
Aljoša Kosor – guitar
Marko Gregorič – double-bass
Drago Ivanuša – accordion, piano
Mitja Vrhovnik Smrekar – percussion
Discography:
Vivo! (Goga Musica, 2006)
Črnobel portret (Drugod, 2009)
Quinta essência (RTV Slovenija, 2013)
Andante (2014)