Almir & Daniel with A. Cissoko, M. Mortensson & S. Camara (Serbia / Bosnia)

The duo Almir & Daniel both represent and expand this meeting in their playing. The violinist Daniel Lazar is born in Serbia, while the accordionist Almir Meskovic is born in Bosnia. Both grew up with music influenced by Balkan folk, Romani music, klezmer, classical music and everything in between. The two first met at the Norwegian Academy of Music, and have developed a strong understanding, playing together in the various groups and as a duo.

Live, Almir and & Daniel are known for their skillful and energetic performances. The music they perform is playful and colorful, expanding on the wide range of different styles they grew up with, toying around with everything from Mozart to Balkan and Norwegian folk music. They are virtuoso performers, but what really sets them apart is their ability to forge emotional bonds with their audiences, who come to laugh, dance, cry and marvel at the seemingly infinite possibilities lying there, in the interplay between the fiddle and the accordion.

The duo has worked with various well-established artists and institutions such as KORK, Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra, the Norwegian National Theater, Toumani Diabate, Daniel Herskedal, Silje Nergaard and Jelena Tomasevic. Their first album, Roots, dropped in 2018 and was a demonstration of what the duo is capable of.

This autumn, they will release their second album together with several guests. It contains inspiration from the rhythms of African traditions, the allure of French melodies, Balkan and Romani tunes, the ethereal Scandinavian harmonies, the haunting notes of Bosnian sevdah, the heartfelt Romanian doina and the ancient echoes of Sami traditions. Each guest has been carefully selected, both for their technical skill and their musical personalities. Three of the guests will be joining the duo onstage at Nasjonal Jazzscene - percussionist Sidiki Camara, joik artist Marja Mortensson and the griot Ablaye Cissoko. Oslo World is proud to host their release concert during this year’s festival!