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With a moustache and swagger

Frank von Niederhäusern04-30-20262 min. read

With his colourful, feel-good music, Magnifico fills halls and stadiums. At the same time, the Slovenian singer challenges stereotypes, calling for respect and empathy.

His appearance alone justifies his stage name, 'Magnifico' (meaning 'magnificent'), as he always takes to the stage in a shirt and suit, with his hair neatly combed and his moustache freshly powdered. He greets his audience warmly, rather than effusively, and moves with an elegance that, like his voice, seems solid yet slightly hoarse at times. When he starts his show, his name begins to glitter, sparkle and sway.Many have tried to describe the sound of this Slovenian singer, guitarist, songwriter and entertainer, born Robert Pešut in Ljubljana in 1965. But to no avail: there is no formula for what he brings to the stage.He seamlessly transitions from gritty funk to cha-cha-cha hits, covering the Queen of Soul, Sade, and the God of Folk, Bob Dylan. He whips his brass section into a frenzy with driving Balkan brass and gypsy swing, before dropping a Jovanotti-style rap onto the dance floor. In between, he transports us to the Caribbean with calypso, to the prairie with country-folk and to a 1970s disco basement with a shrill, quirky vibe. And back to the Balkans time and again. His fellow musicians are formidable, and he is not only a solid guitarist, but also a shrewd sound manager and entertainer.

He sings in Serbian, Romani and "Inglish"

Hallelujah! He often says this at the end of his songs or when he’s sharing a message with the audience. Hallelujah! And yes, it’s a blessing that this charmer, with his winning button eyes, sings with such candour. With mischief and self-deprecating humour, he sings in Serbian, Romani (the traditional language of the Sinti and Roma), and in broken English. Yet he does so clearly and distinctly that he becomes the anti-macho every evening. Magnifico challenges clichés by turning them on their head and questioning them. He takes a nonchalant yet effective stand against xenophobia, misogyny, homophobia and all the rubbish that has become normalised by certain influencers, pop stars and politicians.Magnifico has been performing for over 30 years. Not only in the Balkans, where he effortlessly sings away the ongoing instability, but throughout Europe – and now also for two concerts in Switzerland. Hallelujah!Frank von Niederhäusern, kulturtipp
The article appeared in the current issue of Kulturtipp. More information and subscriptions are available at kulturtipp.ch

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