The upcoming 32nd edition of the Nishville Jazz Festival will be dedicated to celebrating the 90th anniversary of the birth of the "King of Romani Music," Šaban Bajramović.
A total of 16 bands and orchestras from Serbia and abroad will include selections from Šaban’s compositional opus in their repertoires.
Nishville also extends an invitation to leading performers of pop, rock, and folk music to showcase their skills by performing Šaban’s songs, either with their own bands or the festival's house ensemble.
In previous years, his music has been performed by the likes of Dado Topić, Zoran Predin, Yildiz Ibrahimova, and the world-renowned Bulgarian choir "The Mystery of the Bulgarian Voices."
Thanks to Nishville, Šaban Bajramović remains the only Serbian artist to have had a ten-month exhibition at the world's most famous jazz museum in New Orleans, standing alongside legends such as Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, and James Brown.
Musicians from New Orleans will also guest at the upcoming festival, collaborating with local Niš musicians on Šaban’s repertoire for the musical "Šljivovica," which is set to premiere in New Orleans in April 2027.
Šaban Bajramović was born on April 16, 1936, and passed away on June 8, 2008, leaving behind over 700 compositions. A monument in his honor was erected in 2010 at the amphitheater on the Nišava quay, and in 2018, he received a memorial room with a replica of the monument at the Nishville Jazz Museum. The festival’s highest honor for the fusion of jazz and other musical genres, the "Nishville Grand Prix," proudly bears his name.