The Balkan Invasion

The Balkan Invasion invited contemporary musicians from Scotland and the Balkans 
to compose original new works at the Forest in Edinburgh in April and May 2006. 
Made possible by the  Visiting Arts Creative Collaborations in Music Awards, 
Balkan Invasion is the latest of many Scottish and former Yugoslav artists’ events 
organised by Firefly International since 1999. The material contained in this recording 
was performed in venues across the UK including Glenuig Hall 
in the North West Highlands of Scotland supporting Bonnie Prince Billy 
and Harem Scarem, Stereo in Glasgow,  The Forest in Edinburgh and 
the Battersea Arts Centre in London. 

The participants included members of Edinburgh’s own gypsy brass generals 
Orkestra Del Sol (Glastonbury, Thames Festival), 
Fopp award winning hip hop troupe the Abdominal Showmen (Scottish Hobo Society), 
electronic wizard Dan Seizure  (Greenman Festival, Curios), 
guerrilla fiddler Jack Richold and the Jimmy Joyce Rolls Royce Band from

Bosnia Herzegovina.

ARTISTS:

Edin Mutfic: Accordion, vocals, acoustic + electric guitar

Edina Vosanovic: Vocals + piano

Sanjin Vosanovic: Bass + acoustic guitar

Edo Soldin: Electric guitar

Marcus Britton: Cornet trumpet

Olivia Furness: Tenor saxophone

Dan Gorman: Harmonium, beats, synths + percussion

Mikel Krumins: Beats and rhymes

Jack Richold: Violin + Vocals

Stephen Patterson: Congas + Percussion

Haley Beavis: Vocals

Miroslav Mitrovic: Words

Forest /Firefly International Exchange Project 2006

Itinerary

WEEK ONE

Monday 17th to Sunday the 23rd of April

Rehearsal and collaboration Process

Monday 17th of April
Visitors Arrive: The band will be taken to their accommodation with time to settle 
and rest before meeting.

Meet at the Forest 7pm.
The Jimmy Joyce Rolls Royce band meet with the Edinburgh musicians involved.

Tuesday 18th April
Meeting at the Cave Studio @ 12pm to plan and discuss outline for project, 
ideas and define which groups are working together.

Wednesday 19th and Thursday 20th April
11am at the Forest
Start rehearsing. The overall group will be split into three working groups for the 
duration of the project.

Friday 21st April
11am at the Forest
Continue Rehearsing. Meeting with all musicians at the Forest, 6pm, 
to discuss progress of project and plan for week two.

Saturday 22nd April
Meet 10am at the forest Café
The Jimmy Joyce Rolls Royce Band, in tandem with Dansiezure,
travel To Malaig on the west coast of Scotland
to support Bonny Prince Billy on his “Masters and Everyone” Tour.

Sunday 23rd April
Return from Malaig to rest and prepare for week two

Week Two
Monday 24th,
11am @ The Cave Studio
Begin preparation of final pieces. Each group, combination of musicians start to define the final ideas 
for their collaborative pieces and begin work on the final compositions.

Tuesday 25th of April
11am @ The Cave Studio
Continue preparation of final pieces.

Wednesday 26th of April
11am @ The Cave Studio
Continue preparation of final pieces.
Meeting @ the Forest 6pm, to determine progress of pieces and 
possible times for final recordings.

Thursday 27th of April
11am @ The Cave Studio
Rehearse final compositions for recording and performance.
Friday 28th of April
11am @ The Cave Studio
Rehearse final compositions for recording and performance.
6pm @ the Forest
Meeting at to organise recording times.

WEEK THREE
Monday – Wednesday: Depending on what work has already been 
done over the course of the weekend, 
recording will continue over these three days with a deadline of Wednesday at 5pm.
Tuesday – Friday: Youth Workshops and Education Programme. 
Due to Lis Murphy’s change in 
schedule the youth workshop program has been moved to the final week.

Monday 1st of May
11am @ The Cave Studio
Recording (with a possibility for working until 12pm.)

Tuesday 2nd of May
Lis Murphy Arrives from Manchester.

11am @ the Cave Studio
Recording until 5pm (Possibility for extra recording time after 8pm if needed)

6pm – 8pm in
First day of Youth Workshops 

Wednesday 3rd of May

Final day of recording
Youth Workshops from 6pm – 7pm

Performances

Friday 5th of May
11am @ The Cave.
Final rehearsal for Weekend performances, including Rehearsal for participants 
of the youth workshops
7pm @ The Forest, Opening Performance
The opening Show at the Forest Café will involve a live 
performance from the bands, 
incorporating a performance from the young participants of the workshop project.

Saturday 6th of May
Final Performance @The Forest, Sound-check 6pm, Doors open 10pm.

Monday 8th of May
The Jimmy Joyce Rolls Royce Band return home
Final recordings and art works are sent to Clear Sound and Vision 
for mastering and printing.

thank you Ryan for the beautiful photos.