The album „The Birth of a Scene – World Music in Serbia in the 80s” was released on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of the World Music Association of Serbia. It stands as a sonic document of the formative years of the world music scene in Serbia. The compilation brings together archival recordings from the 1980s – a decade in which the term “world music” was gaining recognition in Europe, while Serbian musicians began exploring new encounters between tradition and contemporary musical language. The 1980s were marked by a generation of artists who turned to folklore, Balkan rhythms and Oriental influences, integrating them into jazz, improvisation and contemporary music. Their approach was not a simple revival of folk elements, but a deep deconstruction and creative reinterpretation of tradition, fundamentally reshaping the existing musical discourse. The album features key figures of that wave: Lala Kovačev with his Balkan Impressions Group, Katamaran, Trio Jazzy, Boris Kovač, Institut and other artists whose work paved the way for the later development of the world music scene in Serbia. Compositions such as Wedding Dance, Oro Dance, Adagio, Fragment of Endless Theme and Hot Hairstyles testify to the strong artistic vision and experimental spirit of the period. Lala Kovačev’s fascination with irregular Balkan rhythms and the fusion of jazz and folklore represents one of the cornerstones of Serbian world music aesthetics. In the works of Boris Kovač, philosophical and metaphysical dimensions intertwine with sonic experimentation, while the group Institut explores ritualistic and trans-cultural soundscapes. Although these musicians did not necessarily define themselves as world music artists at the time, they are retrospectively recognized as pioneers of a new approach to tradition. Their work had a profound influence on younger generations and laid the foundations for a scene that would, in the following decades, grow into an institutionalized and internationally visible cultural field. The Birth of a Scene is therefore more than a compilation of archival recordings – it is a testimony to the moment when a new musical identity began to emerge in Serbia. As such, it represents an important document of cultural history and a tribute to the artists who shaped the early contours of the world music movement in the region.

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