I recorded a song the other day with my old friend Georgi Sareski here in Skopje...we laid down a version of the Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun" with newly translated Macedonian words as a pilot for a new project by television producer Ivo Antov with singer Ana Kostovska. One of the great musicians on that session was bassist/composer Oliver Josifovski, a great player who is involved with a number of musical projects, including many for theater and film. For the last ten years, he has worked with vocalist Vera Miloshevska in the context of an incredible band: Ljubojna. The sound of Macedonian traditional music pervades their work even when they're playing original compositions, and each of their four albums ventures to new creative places, involving collaboration with incredible musicians of various backgrounds.

Take a listen to one traditional song from a broadcast on Macedonia's National Television station....

And, not surprisingly, Oliver and Vera are not only incredible musicians, but incredible also as human beings--as thoughtful about life as they are about music.