Avsenik Ensemble honoured with a monument

Slovenian traditions are linked with the typical oompah folk music. Slavko Avsenik is considered to be the greatest oompah musician in Slovenia as well as worldwide. In his four decades of performing with the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble, formed in 1953, he wrote a vast number of songs (around 800), many of which have been popularised. His dancing songs played with the accordion, trumpet, clarinet, bass guitar and guitar have taken over the world!

Avsenik’s music succeeded to transcend generations and national borders. It is believed that the Avsenik Ensemble was the starter of a new genre of popular folk music in Central Europe and their quality in this field is undisputed. Among their biggest hits are the songs “Na Golici” (1955), which is their best-known and the most played instrumental song in the world, “Na mostu”, “Tam, kjer murke cveto” (1957), “Slovenija, od kod lepote tvoje” (1974) and “Samo enkrat imaš petdeset let” (1981).

Only just recently the band has been honoured with a very special monument that shouldn’t be overlooked by anyone driving to Bled since Begunje, Slavko Avsenik`s birthplace, is located in its immediate vicinity. In the roundabout at the Lesce motorway exit a large sculpture was unveiled at the end of November this year, right around Slavko Avsenik’s 84th birthday.

Avsenik declared the accordion and umbrella as the symbols of the oompah music of the Avsenik Brothers Ensemble.

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