Ljiljana Buttler reviews

About the CD "The Legends of Life"

-...The overwhelming tone of The Legends Of Life is one of sad resignation over doomed love, as the lyric translations reveal. Buttler's deep, sobbing, androgynous voice is just made for this kind of melancholic wallowing and it's on the mournful ballads such as Kazi Zasto Me Ostavi and Jos Ne Svice Rujna Zora that she really excels. It's hard to tell her apart from (male) Gypsy legend Saban Bajramovic on the stunning duet Rupini, another undoubted highlight....read more
(John Lusk, BBC - WORLD REVIEW MUSIC - januari 2008)

Concerto Austria 2oo8,

 

-GLAUBE DER TRATSCH GESCHICHTEN NICHT read more

 

-After a Stellar Career in the Kafanas (music bars) of former Yugoslavia, Gypsy singer Ljiljana Buttler fled the Balkan war for obscure exile in Germany in 1990 before intrepid producer Dragi Sestic'rediscovered' her. With the viruoso acoustic group Mostar Sevdah Reunion, they made The mother of Gypsy soul (2003), a breathtaking collection of classic Bosnian sevdalinka - slow, tragic love songs. This 2005 follow - up of Roma and Yugoslav standars is marvellous. Buttlers's deep, sobbing voice is given sterling instrumental support, in particular by Mustafa Santic's accordion and clarinet and quest violinist Slobodan Stancic. A few upbeat dances lighten the mood, but otherwise misery has seldom sounded so musical.
(john Lusk, BBC Music magazine proms, august 2007 - BBC Music Choise)

-....The legends of Life is, to me, an even better album than Mother of Gypsy Soul. For a start, singer and band are more familiar with one another so the music rolls effortlessly forward. Ljiljana's wonderfully deep voice sailing above the ensemble's beatific playing...
...A colossal Achievement...
(Garth Carthwright, Froots Magazine, UK, june 2007)

-Now here is a voice that has been lived in. Once a leading light of Balkan gypsy music, Buttler spent a decade or more in obscurity in exile, at one time working as a cleaner to make ends meet. A comeback album won acclaim a couple of years ago, and this new disc is every bit as atmospheric. Buttler’s voice is surprisingly masculine and bluesy; and, if it is occasionally wayward, she has magnificent support from that Bosnian institution the Mostar Sevdah Reunion, creating a relaxed ambience poised between jazz, folk and blues. Another local legend, Saban Bajramovic, makes an appearance, but this is very much Buttler’s show.
(Sunday Times, UK, April 2007)

 

-Live concert

...Zelfs als je geen woord van de teksten verstaat("waarom, God, ben ik een wees"), is het om te janken zo mooi.
(Ton Maas, de Volkskrant, The Netherlands, November 2004).

About the CD "The mother of gypsy soul"

-...Ljiljana Buttler is one of the great re-discovered voices of Eastern Europe. Deep, dark and distinctive. Her recording with the Mostar Sevdah Reunion band, "The Mother of Gypsy Soul (Snail Records) is one of my CDs of the year and impresses everyone I've played in to.
(Simon Broughton ,Songlines, UK, September/October 2002)

 

-...Ljiljana Buttler's debut CD is delicious: Ljiljana's deep, almost masculine, voice picks out words and tosses them into the air with effortless grace. And the instumental backing by Mostar Sevdah Reunion and legendary trumpet virtuoso Boban Markovic is inspired: the musicians spoon out the notes with a tangilble, almost erotic, delicacy while Ljiljana sails above them, her voice caressing the listener. (Garth Carthwright, FRoots Magazine, UK January/February 2003)

-Songlines recommends, ...Something very special indeed. (Kim Burton, Songlines, UK, September/October 2002)

 

-...a master piece in every aspects. (Mark Nolis, Roots Town Music, Belgium)

Gypsy Cosmic blues, 5***** ...Mother of Gypsy soul is simply one more perfect album with signature of Mostar Sevdah Reunion and the best CD released by Ljiljana. (Zlatko Gall, Slobodna Dalmacija, Croatia, May 2003)

 

...beautiful music which breaths sadness, bitterness, melancholy and hope. Beautiful recorded and produced. 5***** (Twentse courant, Holland, 03.02.2003)

.... No Risk Disc! (Platomania, Holland, february 2003)

 

...a fantastic music product - probaly the greatest gypsy singer in the world. (Senad Avdic - Slobodna Bosna/ Bosnia and Hercegovina, 20.02.2003)

...Er zijn van die stemmen die een kreet in zich dragen. ledereen kent er wel een. Billie Holiday bijvoorbeeld. Edith Piaf. Ray Charles. Wie gevoelig is voor zo'n recht tot bet hart sprekend geluid zal meteen vallen voor dat van Ljiljana Buttler. (Frank van Herk,Review Volkskrant 22 januari 2003 (National Dutchpaper)