*A FREE BALKAN BRASS CONCERT*
We are honoured to announce that Nizo Alimov will be descending from the foothills of North Macedonia, spiriting us back to the lands we used to call home with his Balkan Brass Band.
The haunting evocative trumpet carries its clarion call through the hills and mountains, exhorting all those within earshot to join the festival. Dance, sing, shout and hug.
Join us at Canoe Landing Park, after the Canada vs Bosnia match, for a journey into yesteryear, before the roads were paved and we knew all our neighbours.
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Born in 1986 in Štip, eastern Macedonia, into a musical family, Nijazi “Nizo” Alimov recorded his first song at 13 years of age. He started learning baritone horn from his uncle Ramče Ibraimov when he was 16 years old. He became a member of the famous brass band led by Kočo Agušev, and then was invited to join Kočani Orkestar by another uncle, Redžaji Durmišev, then he began touring extensively to Japan, Mexico, Brazil, Taiwan, Australia, U.S.A., New Caledonia, India, Russia, Tunisia, France, Italy, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Spain, and Switzerland. Nizo has also collaborated with various artists and bands, such jazz trumpetist Paulo Frezu Antonelo, pianist Antonelo Salis, as well as Beirut, Taraf de Haidouks, Duke Bojadžiev, Ferus Mustafov, and Esma Redžepova. Since 2008 he has worked extensively with the film composer and arranger Kiril Džajkovski.
Nizo has performed in major festivals such as Paleo Festival, Balkan Trafik, Exit, Sziget, Woodstock, North Sea Jazz, Vryheid Festival, Musicastrada, Les Nuits Européennes, Dromos Festival, and Fusion Faire Fest. In addition to baritorne horn, Nizo also plays trumpet, saxophone, trombone, clarinet, tapan, piano, kaval, and çifteli. He has performed on many albums with Kočani Orkestar, and also released a CD in 2007 with his brother, trumpet player Serdžuk Alimov. In 2010 they were featured at the Durham Brass Festival in the U.K. Nizo currently has his own studio where he composes and arranges music.
