Vasil Hadžimanov
Tenacious, ever-present, a musician of infinite work energy and musicality, Vasil Hadzimanov, a pianist, composer, arranger, and an educator, is an unavoidable link of Serbian jazz, from the end of XX century and the beginning of the new millennium, a person that bares a binding gene strain of ancestors that have, each in their own way, left a mark on Balkan music and cultural heritage. Ever since the first lessons that, with lots of patience, selflessness and introducing him to the world of jazz, were given to him by Vojin Draskoci – a world renowned bass player and composer, Hadzimanov has followed his own world of colors and sounds. Upon being educated at Berklee College of Music, Hadzimanov decides to return to Serbia, where he forms ‘Vasil Hadzimanov Band’, that, since the early ‘90s, is playing clubs with.
Since band’s first lineup, ‘Vasil Hadzimanov Band’ has gone through several sonic and personal transformations, remaining true to the principal of giving each band member full autonomy. Since their first album ’11 razloga za…’ (2001) via ‘Can you dig it?’ (2013), all the way to ‘Lines in sand’ (2018), Vasil Hadzimanov presents himself as a follower of modern streams, progressive sound and fusion of different types of music, that he is successfully merging into, what we now could call, World music. Aside his own band, Vasil is also performing with (to name a few) ‘Trio Sveti’ (with Marko Djordjevic and Branko Trijic), ‘Toni Kitanovski Trio’, ‘Bace Quartet’ (with Theodosii Spassov, Bachar Khalife and Ace Petrov), ‘Csaba Toth Bagi Balkan Union’, ‘Misko Plavi Trio’ and others.
During their long-lasting career, ‘VHB’ has published seven albums, many of whom had respectable circulations and numerous positive reviews the World over, and in the time of global discography crisis regarding classical, jazz, or artistic music in general. Beside recording with his band for domestic record labels, Hadzimanov also records a trio album ‘El Raval’(2011) with Martin Gjakonovski on bass and Aleksandar Sekulovski on drums.
Since 2011 he has been teaching at Stip Music Academy in Macedonia, as a part time professor and head of the jazz piano department. He works as a 1-on-1 educator, and also participates in numerous masterclasses, including ‘Tutti’, a project done in collaboration with Norwegian Ministry of Culture.
In 2015 Vasil takes role of a moderator and a host of ‘M lab’ (RTV Vojvodina), a TV show of musical educational variety, where he welcomes numerous top musicians, such as: David Binney, Bojan Zulfikarpasic, Koja (Disciplin A Kitchme), Zoran Kostic Cane (Partibrejkers), Zafir Hadzimanov, Toni Kitanovski, and others.
In the same year, he starts a collaboration with Bojan Zulfikarpasic. The two of them, as a piano duet, perform in Belgrade, Novi Sad and Paris and are hailed with great reviews from fans and music critics alike. In December of 2017, they have published their first album ‘Live at Kolarac’.
In 2016 the World Music Association of Serbia and ‘Etnoumlje’ magazine have published a compilation album, celebrating 25 years of Vasil Hadzimanov’s work.
Hadzimanov’s sound, (in which we certainly sense an influence of what he has, in his youth, heard in the music of the exceptional Joe Zawinul) we can predominantly hear a constant strive towards fusion and incorporation of new ideas, that were brought by, as he himself says, ‘the usage of Balkan motives in an immediate and sincere way’, outside of cliché grafting of traditional art expressions on to a jazz weft.
Aside plenty of concerts and performances throughout former Yugoslavia, and devoted international activity, Hadzimanov is also writing music for numerous movies, documentaries and TV shows.
Leaning on to vast legacy of traditional music that is, by his saying ‘music that we shouldn’t be ashamed of, but on contrary, be supportive of and give it more air time’, Vasil Hadzimanov is certainly a composer that, in one of the crucial periods in national musical history, in time of devastating vacuum in the production that supports true values, saw the message of his predecessors and, in a right way, molded it into an authentic musical expression.
All published albums and music of Vasil Hadzimanov are proclaimed to be the artwork of national importance for Serbia.
The album “Alive” has been honored as one of the top releases of 2016, by the acclaimed USA “DownBeat” Magazine.
DISCOGRAPHY:
Vasil Hadžimanov Band
▪ “11 razloga za…” (2001, PGP RTS)
▪ “Kafanki” (2003, PGP RTS)
▪ “3 – Sega Mu e Majkata” (2007, PGP RTS)
▪ “Života mi” (2009, PGP RTS)
▪ “Can You Dig It? ” (2013, Zmex, SRB (CD) i OverJazz Records, GER (DD))
▪ “Alive“ (2016, MoonJune Records, USA / Metropolis Records, SRB)
▪ “Lines in Sand“ (2018/19, MoonJune Records, USA / VHBand, SRB)
Vasil Hadžimanov Trio | w/ Martin Djakonovski & Alek Sekulovski
▪ “El Raval“ (2011, SJF Records)
▪ “Melody Rhymes“ (2021, independent edition)
Vasil Hadžimanov & Bojan Zulfikarpašić PIANO DUO
▪ “Koncert na Kolarcu“ (2017, independent edition)
Vasil Hadžimanov
▪ “25 Years of Music“ – CD Compilation of various music works (2016, WMAS / Magazin Etnoumlje)
Vasil Hadžimanov & Dušan Jevtović
▪ “DUO“ (2019-2020, Spain)
FILM SCORING:
▪ “Belgrade – to leave or to stay“ Goran Paskaljević 2002 (TV Movie, Arte TV)
▪ „When I Grow Up, I’ll Be a Kangaroo“ Raša Andrić 2004, Movie
▪ “Basketball Players“ Dejan Zečević 2005 (TV Show, Propaganda/RTS)
▪ “Heart’s Affair“ Mika Aleksić 2006 (Movie, Stvar Srca Production/Living Pictures)
▪ “Sisters“ Vlada Paskaljević 2011 (Movie, Monte Royal Pictures)
▪ “Open Doors“ Raša Andrić 2013 (TV Show, Monte Royal Pictures)
▪ “Dug moru” Goran Gajić 2019, I season (TV Show, Monte Royal Pictures)
▪ “Forbbiden Aunt“ Bojana Novaković 2018 (Documentary, SENSE Production- in development)
▪ “Dug Moru” Gorčin Stojanović, II season, 2020 (TV Show, Monte Royal Pictures)
▪ “How I Learned to Fly” Raša Andrić 2022 (Movie, SENSE Production)
AWARDS:
▪ 2019. “GODUM“ Award for contribution in Jazz music – Jazz, Pop and Rock Music Representative Association of Serbia
▪ 2019. Honorary Doctorate Degree of Science in the field of Musical Art – University „Goce Delchev, Shtip,MCD
▪2016. Award “Magistar Humanitas“ – Faculty of Pedagogical Sciences, Jagodina SRB
▪ 2015. “Golden Pin“ Award for contribution to society and culture – Ministry of Culture and Information/Ministry of Foreign Affairs, SRB
▪ 2014. Award “Vojin Mališa Draškoci” – World Music Association of Serbia
▪ 2003. Award “The Best Instrumental Album“ – Festival „Sunčane Skale“ (album „Kafanki“)
▪ 2002. Award “The Best Debut Album“ – Beovision Music Festival (album „11 razloga za…”)
Istrajan, sveprisutan, muzičar beskrajne radne energije i muzikalnosti, Vasil Hadžimanov pijanista, kompozitor, aranžer i pedagog, nezaobilazna je, povezujuća karika srpskog džeza, sa kraja dvadesetog veka i početka novog milenijuma, ličnost koja u sebi nosi obavezujuć niz gena svojih predaka koji su, svako na svoj način, obeležili muzičke prostore Balkana u neraskidiv niz čuvara, interpretatora i novih tumača tradicije. Još od prvih pouka koje je Vasilu sa puno strpljenja, uvodeći ga u svet džeza, nesebično pružio slavni kontrabasista i kompozitor Vojin Draškoci, Hadžimanov sledi svoj svet osobenih boja i zvukova. Po školovanju na Berklee College za muziku, toj svojevrsnoj džez muzičkoj instituciji, Hadžimanov odlučuje da se vrati u zemlju gde ubrzo osniva svoj Vasil Hadžimanov Band, sa kojim, već ranih devedesetih nastupa po klubovima i, danas, kultnom, a ugašenom mestu Plato na Filozofskom fakultetu u Beogradu. Od prve postave (koju su sačinjavali, između ostalih i Igor Malešević, Vlada Samardžić, Goran Đorđević Sole, Branko Trijić, Bojan Ivković) do danas, ovaj Hadžimanovljev sastav doživeo je nekoliko soničnih i organizacionih transformacija, ostajući dosledan kredu po kome je svakom od članova benda pružena puna podrška za samostalan iskaz, bilo da je u pitanju odabir repertoara ili solo istup.
Od prvog albuma 11 razloga za… (2001), preko albuma Can You Dig It? (2013), pa sve do albuma Lines in Sand (2018), Vasil Hadžimanov se ukazuje kao siguran pratilac savremenih stremljenja, progresivnog zvuka i fuzija različitih muzičkih pravaca koje uspešno slaže u ono što bismo danas mogli da nazovemo terminom world music. Osim većih postava Hadžimanov uspešno nastupa i u manjim sastavima, pretežno u formi džez trija, dok je punopravan član u više različitih grupa od kojih valja pre svega istaći Trio Sveti (sa Markom Đorđevićem i Brankom Trijićem), Toni Kitanovski Trio, Bace Quartet, Csaba Toth Bagi Balkan Union, Miško Plavi trio i druge.
Tokom svoje dugogodišnje karijere, Vasil Hadžmanov Band izdao je sedam albuma, od kojih su mnogi doživeli zavidne tiraže i mnogobrojne pozitivne recenzije širom sveta u doba opšte redukcije diskografske industrije u domenu klasične, džez i umetničke muzike uopšte. Pored snimanja za domaće diskografske kuće sa svojim matičnim sastavom, Hadžimanov se prihvata i izdavanja trio albuma „El Raval“ (2011).
Od 2011. predaje na Muzičkoj akademiji u Štipu, Makedonija, kao gostujući profesor i vođa odseka za jazz klavir. Bavi se edukativnim radom privatno, kao i na mnogobrojnim radionicama, uključujući i internacionalni projekat Tutti, u saradnji sa Norveškim Ministarstvom kulture.
2015. Postaje moderator i domaćin muzičko-edukativnog serijala na RTV Vojvodina, pod nazivom “M Lab”, gde su mu gosti mnogobrojni eminentni muzičari kao što su David Binney, Bojan Zulfikarpašić, Koja (Disciplina Kitschme), Zoran Kostić Cane (Partibrejkersi), Zafir Hadžimaov, Toni Kitanovski i mnogi drugi.
Iste godine počinje saradnju sa Bojanom Zulfikarpašićem. Njih dvojica, kao klavirski duo, nastupaju u Beogradu, Novom Sadu i Parizu i nailaze na jednoglasno sjajne kritike publike i kritičara. Ovaj klavirski dvojac objavljuje svoj prvi live CD, u decembru 2017. godine, kada je i koncertno promovisan u Kolarčevoj zadužbini.
2016. World Music Asocijacija Srbije i magazin Etnoumlje izdaju kompilacijsko CD izdanje povodom 25 godina rada Vasila Hadžimanova.
U Hadžimanovljevom zvuku, u kome svakako čitamo i težnju ka sećanju na ono što je još u toku svojih mlađih godina čuo od znamenitog pijaniste Džoa Zavinula, pre svega uočavamo neprestanu želju za fuzijama i unošenjem novina koje je donelo, kako to i sam kaže „korišćenje balkanskih motiva na neposredan i iskren način“, van dotadašnjih, klišeiziranih kalemljenja narodnog stvaralaštva na džez potku.
Pored brojnih koncerata i nastupa širom prostora bivše Jugoslavije, ali i predanog internacionalnog rada, Hadžimanov se bavi i komponovanjem filmske muzike za niz dokumentarnih, igranih fimova i televizijskih serija.
Oslanjajući se na bogato iskustvo folklora koji je, po njegovim rečima „muzika koje se ne treba stideti već je, naprotiv, podržati i dati joj više prostora“, Vasil Hadžimanov je svakako autor koji je, u jednom od ključnih trenutaka nacionalne muzičke istorije, u doba poraznog vakuuma u produkciji koja bi podržala prave vrednosti, na pravi način uočio poruku prethodnika i pretočio je, inspirišući se njome, u autentičan muzički iskaz.
Sva izdanja i muzika Vasila Hadžimanova su u Srbiji proglašena za umetnička dela od kulturnog značaja za ovu zemlju.
DISKOFRAGIJA:
Vasil Hadžimanov Band:
- „Lines in Sand“ (2019, MoonJune Records, USA CD|VHBand, SRB CD|Croatia Records, HR DD)
- „Alive“ (2016, MoonJune Records, USA CD|Metropolis Records, SRB CD, LP|Croatia Records, HR DD)
- „Can You Dig It? ” (2013, Zmex, SRB CD|Croatia Records, CRO DD)
- „Života mi” (2009, PGP RTS CD|Croatia Records, HR DD)
- „3 -Sega Mu e Majkata” (2007, PGP RTS CD|Croatia Records, HR DD)
- „Kafanki” (2003, PGP RTS CD|Croatia Records, HR DD)
- „11 razloga za…” (2001, PGP RTS CD|Croatia Records, HR DD)
► Album “Alive” nagrađen je kao jedan od top izdanja 2016. godine, od strane čuvenog američkog muzičkog časopisa “DownBeat”
Vasil Hadžimanov Trio:
- „Melody Rhymes“ (2021, Makedonija-Srbija, CD Samizdat)
- „El Raval“ (2011, SJF Records CD|Croatia Records, HR DD)
Vasil Hadžimanov i Bojan Zulfikarpašić DUO KLAVIRA
- „Koncert na Kolarcu“ (2017, SRB CD Samizdat)
Vasil Hadžimanov
- 25 godina rada – kompilacijsko CD izdanje (2016, WMAS / Magazin Etnoumlje)
Vasil Hadžimanov & Dušan Jevtović
- DUO (2020, Samizdat Španija CD)
FILMSKA MUZIKA:
- „Leto kada sam naučila da letim“ Raše Andrića 2021 (Film- u produkciji)
- „Dug Moru“ Gorana Gajića, II sezona, 2020 (TV serija, Monte Royal Pictures- u produkciji)
- „Forbidden Aunt“ Bojane Novaković (Dokumentarni, SENSE Production- u produkciji)
- „Kalup“ Vuka Ršumovića, 2020 (Mini TV serija, Monte Royal Pictures)
- „Dug Moru“ Gorana Gajića, I sezona, 2019 (TV serija, Monte Royal Pictures)
- „Otvorena vrata“ Raše Andrića, 2013 (TV serija, Monte Royal Pictures)
- „Sestre“ Vlade Paskaljevića, 2011 (Film, Monte Royal Pictures)
- „Stvar srca“ Mike Aleksića, 2006 (Film, Stvar Srca Production/Living Pictures)
- „Košarkaši“ Dejana Zečevića, 2005 (TV serija, Propaganda/RTS)
- „Kad porastem biću Kengur“ Raše Andrića, 2004 (Film, Zoran Cvijanović, Milko Josifov)
- „Beograd – otići ili ostati“ Gorana Paskaljevića, 2002 (TV Film, Arte TV)
NAGRADE:
- 2020. “Annual Jazz Station Awards 2019“ nagrada za najboljeg džez pijanistu na električnom klaviru u okviru 41. tradicionalnih nagrada Džez stanice
- 2019. “GODUM“ nagrada za doprinos u Jazz muzici – Reprezentativno udruženje u kulturi džez, zabavne i rok muzike Srbije
- 2019. Počasni doktorat nauke iz oblasti muzičke umetnosti – Univerzitet „Goce Delčev“, Štip, MKD
- 2016. nagrada “Magistar Humanitas“ – Fakultet pedagoških Nauka Jagodina, SRB
- 2015. „Zlatna značka“ nagrada Ministarstva kulture i informisanje i Ministarstva inostranih poslova za doprinos kulturi
- 2014. nagrada “Vojin Mališa Draškoci” koju dodeljuje World Music Asocijacija Srbije
- 2003. nagrada „Najbolji instrumentalni album“ – Festival Sunčane skale (album „Kafanki)
- 2002. nagrada „Najbolji debi album“ – Muzički festival Beovizija (album „11 razloga za…”)