"Leb i sol" is a traditional greeting which literally translates to "
bread and salt". Distinguished visitors to villages and communities would be offered a piece of home-baked bread and a dip of salt as a traditional welcome, which is where the name of the band comes from. Their music combined elements of
rock,
jazz fusion and
ethnic Macedonian music. As the band matured, the jazz influences became less obvious. However, in concert, Leb i Sol performances of jazzed-up and lengthy versions of traditional ethno-folk classics such as "
Jovano Jovanke" or "Aber Dojde Donke", were often received with great enthusiasm and cheer. Leb i Sol were very popular in the 1970s and 1980s and, while not selling as many records as some
pop and
folk acts, were very well known and respected and often sold-out venues in most of the larger cities in Yugoslavia. The first two albums are often considered foundational, while most are diverse enough to be, at least in part, accessible to a fairly wide audience. The influence of
folk music of Macedonia are recognizable in the use of odd meters (
5/4, 7/8) and non-traditional
scales (e.g. the
Phrygian dominant scale). While all the musicians were fairly accomplished, Vlatko Stefanovski is frequently regarded as an exceptional guitar
virtuoso.
Reunion After splitting in 1995, the band members started successful solo careers and each of them released several solo albums. In 2006, Leb i Sol gathered again for a successful reunion tour across the entire
former Yugoslavia to mark the thirtieth anniversary of their formation. Later, Vlatko Stefanovski left the group. With a new line-up, in 2008, the band recorded a new studio album titled
I taka nataka. An international concert tour is being planned. ==Discography==