Bojan Zulfikarpašić ( sr-cyr, Бојан Зулфикарпашић), known professionally as Bojan Z. (born February 2, 1968) is a Serbian
jazz
Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...
pianist.
Early life
He started playing and studying piano at the age of 5 in
music school "Kosta Manojlović" in Zemun. As a teenager, he started playing in bands on Belgrade jazz scene, where he received an award as the Best Young Jazz Musician of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
award in 1989. Since 1988 Bojan moved to Paris, France, where he developed a successful career as a pianist, composer and producer.
Later life and career
In 1986 studied with
Clare Fischer
Douglas Clare Fischer (October 22, 1928 – January 26, 2012) was an American keyboardist, composer, arranger, and bandleader. After graduating from Michigan State University (from which, five decades later, he would receive an honorary doctorat ...
at the
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp
Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp is a Michigan nonprofit organization located in the Manistee National Forest that provides summer fine arts camp and international exchange programs in music, art, dance, and drama.
The Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp was found ...
in Michigan. He was influenced by the traditional
Balkan music
Balkan music is a type of music found in the Balkan region of southeastern Europe. The music is characterised by complex rhythm. Famous bands in Balkan music include Taraf de Haïdouks, Fanfare Ciocărlia, and No Smoking Orchestra.
Historical ...
playing in an army orchestra during his
military service
Military service is service by an individual or group in an army or other militia, air forces, and naval forces, whether as a chosen job ( volunteer) or as a result of an involuntary draft (conscription).
Some nations (e.g., Mexico) require ...
in
former Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yu ...
, which would influence all his subsequent work. He moved to Paris in 1988, playing with
Henri Texier
Henri Texier (born 27 January 1945) is a French jazz double bassist.
At the age of sixteen, fascinated by the double bass, Texier became a self-taught bassist, crediting Wilbur Ware most as an influence. He formed his first group with Georges ...
,
Michel Portal
Michel Portal (born 27 November 1935) is a French composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He plays both jazz and classical music and is considered to be "one of the architects of modern European jazz".
Early life
Portal was born in Bayonne on ...
,
Noël Akchoté
Noël Akchoté (born 7 December 1968) is a French guitarist in free improvisation, classical, experimental, and free jazz.
Career
Starting on guitar at when he was eight years old,Philippe Carles, André Clergeat et Jean-Louis Comolli, ''Dict ...
, and
Julien Lourau
Julien Lourau (born 3/2/1970) is a French jazz saxophonist. He is the son of sociologist René Lourau.
Julien Lourau made his début in the group Trash Corporation with guitarist Noël Akchoté and pianist Bojan Zulfikarpasic. He also founded ...
.
In 1993, he recorded the debut album with his Bojan Z Quartet, followed by ''Yopla!''. In 1999, he was engaged in ''Koreni'' (''Roots'') with Karim Ziad from
Algeria
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, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
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, relig ...
,
Kudsi Erguner from
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula in ...
, and
Vlatko Stefanovski
Vladimir "Vlatko" Stefanovski ( mk, Влатко Стефановски ) is a Macedonian ethno-rock jazz fusion guitar virtuoso.
Biography
Vlatko was born into a typical theatrical family. His parents, as artists, often traveled, so soon Ste ...
from
Macedonia. On ''Transpacifik'' (2003) he started collaborating with
Scott Colley and
Nasheet Waits
Nasheet Waits is an American jazz drummer.
Son of percussionist Freddie Waits, Nasheet Waits is a New York native who has been active on the jazz scene since early in his life. Before pursuing a music career, he studied psychology and history a ...
, and continued on ''Xenophonia'' (2006) with
Ben Perowsky
Ben Perowsky (born May 12, 1966) is an American drummer, percussionist, composer, and music producer. He is the drummer on stage in the 8 TONY award winning Broadway musical Hadestown. Perowsky leads the Ben Perowsky Trio, Moodswing Orchestra and ...
and
Ari Hoenig, as well as Frenchman Remi Vignolo. He often uses the combination of acoustic piano with
Fender Rhodes electric piano, often playing them simultaneously, and recently is claimed to be the inventor of "Xenophone", a hybrid instrument, based on the customized Fender Rhodes electric piano. It can be heard on ''Xenophonia''.
He won the
Victoires du Jazz prize in France in 2007 for ''Xenophonia'' and in 2013 for ''Soul Shelter'' as the Best Albums of the Year.
In 2002, Zulfikarpašić was granted the title of ''Chevalier de l'ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' by the French government, and he received the
Prix Django Reinhardt for Musician of the Year from the
Académie du Jazz.
In 2005, he was granted the Hans Koller European Jazz Prize as the Best European Jazz Musician.
Personal life
He was born to a
Bosniak mother, while his father comes from the prominent Bosnian family Zulfikarpašić, who originate from
Foča
Foča ( sr-Cyrl, Фоча, ) is a town and a municipality located in Republika Srpska in south-eastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the banks of Drina river. As of 2013, the town has a population of 12,234 inhabitants, while the municipality has 1 ...
in
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...
.
Discography
* ''Bojan Z Quartet'' (Label Bleu, 1993)
* ''Yopla!'' (Label Bleu, 1995)
* ''Koreni'' (Label Bleu, 1999)
* ''Solobsession'' (Label Bleu, 2001)
* ''Transpacifik'' (Label Bleu, 2003)
* ''Xenophonia'' (Label Bleu, 2006)
* ''Humus'' (EmArcy/Universal, 2009)
* ''Soul Shelter'' (Universal, 2012)
* ''Duo'' (2birds1stone, 2015)
* ''Housewarming'' (Nwog, 2015)
As sideman
With
Henri Texier
Henri Texier (born 27 January 1945) is a French jazz double bassist.
At the age of sixteen, fascinated by the double bass, Texier became a self-taught bassist, crediting Wilbur Ware most as an influence. He formed his first group with Georges ...
* ''An Indian's Week'' (Label Bleu, 1993)
* ''Mosaic Man'' (Label Bleu, 1998)
* ''Mad Nomad(s)'' (Label Bleu, 2002)
* ''Strings' Spirit'' (Label Bleu, 2002)
With
Julien Lourau
Julien Lourau (born 3/2/1970) is a French jazz saxophonist. He is the son of sociologist René Lourau.
Julien Lourau made his début in the group Trash Corporation with guitarist Noël Akchoté and pianist Bojan Zulfikarpasic. He also founded ...
* ''The Rise'' (Label Bleu, 2001)
* ''Fire'' (Label Bleu, 2005)
* ''Forget'' (Label Bleu, 2005)
With others
*
Claude Barthelemy, ''Sereine'' (Label Bleu, 2000)
*
Jean-Jacques Birge Jean-Jacques is a French name, equivalent to "John James" in English. Since the second half of 18th century, Jean Jacques Rousseau was widely known as Jean Jacques. Notable people bearing this name include:
Given name
* Jean-Jacques Annaud (born 1 ...
, ''Sarajevo (Suite)'' (L'Empreinte Digitale, 1994)
*
Matt Darriau
Matt Darriau (born in Bloomington, Indiana), is a Balkan, klezmer, Celtic and jazz musician. His most notable work is with Balkan rhythm quartet Paradox Trio, The Klezmatics, and Orange Then Blue.
Other musical projects include Ballin' the Jac ...
, ''Matt Darriau Paradox Trio With Bojan Z.'' (Felmay, 2010)
*
Angelo Debarre
Angelo Debarre ( (born on August 19, 1962) is a French Romani gypsy jazz guitarist.
Biography
Debarre was born in Saint-Denis, Paris, and began playing at age eight. In 1984, he formed his first group, the Angelo Debarre Quintet. In 1985, t ...
, ''Caprice'' (Hot Club, 1998)
*
Madame Piano, ''Predeli'' (ITMM, 1997)
*
Malouma
Malouma Mint El Meidah ( ar, المعلومة منت الميداح, al-Maʿlūma Mint al-Maydāḥ), also simply Maalouma or Malouma (; born October 1, 1960), is a Mauritanian singer, songwriter and politician. Raised in the south-west of the ...
, ''Nour'' (Marabi, 2007)
*
Amira Medunjanin
Amira Medunjanin (; born 23 April 1972) is a Bosnian singer and interpreter of sevdalinka. She holds both citizenship of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Biography
Medunjanin was born in Sarajevo and her fascination with the Music of Bosnia ...
, ''Amulette'' (World Village, 2011)
* Amira Medunjanin, ''Silk & Stone'' (World Village, 2014)
*
Nguyen Le
Nguyễn () is the most common Vietnamese surname. Outside of Vietnam, the surname is commonly rendered without diacritics as Nguyen. Nguyên (元)is a different word and surname.
By some estimates 39 percent of Vietnamese people bear this s ...
, ''Purple'' (ACT, 2002)
*
Oktobar 1864
Oktobar 1864 ( sr-cyr, Октобар 1864; trans. ''October 1864'') was a Serbian and former Yugoslav rock band.
Biography
1984 – 1992
Oktobar 1864 was formed in 1984 in Zemun by Goran Tomanović and have changed several line-ups before ...
, ''Oktobar 1864'' (Jugodisk, 1987)
*
Michel Portal
Michel Portal (born 27 November 1935) is a French composer, saxophonist, and clarinetist. He plays both jazz and classical music and is considered to be "one of the architects of modern European jazz".
Early life
Portal was born in Bayonne on ...
, ''Dockings'' (Label Bleu, 1998)
* Michel Portal, ''Bailador'' (Universal, 2010)
*
Nils Wogram
Nils Wogram (born 7 November 1972) is a jazz trombonist, composer and bandleader. He began classical study at the age of fifteen. He was a member in the National German Youth Big Band, participated in classical competitions and formed his own ba ...
, ''Work Smoothly'' (Nwog, 2018)
References
External links
Official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Zulfikarpasic, Bojan
1968 births
Living people
Musicians from Belgrade
Serbian jazz musicians
Serbian pianists
Yugoslav musicians
21st-century pianists
Label Bleu artists