If you happen to be in Belgrade and want to listen to and learn something
new about the very roots of jazz, you need to step all the way back to the
beginning of the 20th century and straight into the Dixie era! On that journey
there is no better guide then the
Belgrade Dixilend Orchestra and their unique singer
Aleksandra Bijelić Aleksijević.
Aleksandra attended the jazz section in high school and graduated in Musical
Theory from the Faculty of Music arts. With a considerable musical background
and engagements in the past 16 years, this young lady sings like she was born
carrying a hidden jazz code in her genes.Perfect diction, perfect singing
technique and perfect amount of improvisation come naturally for her so you
could easily be deluded that singing jazz is easy! This applies to Dixie
but also to the modern jazz like Stevie Wonder’s or Kurt Elling’s songs.
During the the last eight years she is also the lead singer for the
quintet called: Alex and the Fergusons. One of the most notable albums these
seasoned jazz musicians recorded is A Basement Session which includes covers
of jazz and pop songs.
Here’s a link
to enjoy a small sample if you are interested!
As a backing-vocalist she collaborated with numerous names on the Serbian
pop rock scene, and your child is probably listening to her voice -
she borrowed it to many cartoon characters! She also teaches jazz
singing so if you wish to learn how to sing – check out
“Josif Marinkovic” music school in Vrsac.